A welcoming and well-designed kitchen can quickly become the heart of a happy home. But when the time comes to remodel, the expenses can soon mount up as you start to add appliances, materials, and labour costs. Follow these tips to save money when planning your remodel, and you won’t need to sacrifice your dream kitchen because of the cost.
If you’re tempted to DIY, you should know that hiring a contractor can save you a lot of money in the long run. From design input to getting the necessary permits, their expertise will help avoid costly planning mistakes from the outset, and they’ll also have access to the best deals on materials and labour. With a qualified contractor involved in your project, there’s much less chance of having to fix mistakes a year or two down the line.
If you’re on a tight budget, make sure you ask your contractor if they offer financing options.
There are many free kitchen-planning apps available online. These are great for trying out different ideas, design styles, and playouts before you commit. Give it a try—you might be a budding designer and not know it yet! Other online tools, like our easy-to-use renovation calculator, can help you figure out how much your project is going to cost. This is essential if you want to be able to budget for your project and avoid surprises during the process.
Wherever possible, stick to the same layout as your current kitchen unless there are aspects you absolutely can’t live with. The fewer changes you make to plumbing, flooring, and structure, the lower the overall expense will be. Again, a professional can be invaluable in offering ideas on how to approach this part of your kitchen design.
Installing new cabinets is one of the largest expenses in most kitchen remodeling projects, so consider whether it’s genuinely necessary before you do it. Many cabinets can be resurfaced or resealed, or even just given a fresh lick of paint to make them look as good as new at a much lower price.
However, if your cabinets are looking too old or shabby for a facelift, consider upgrading to new doors. If the underlying cabinet structure is still sound, adding new doors costs a lot less than replacing the full cabinet but will have a huge impact on how your kitchen looks.
If you like the idea of being able to see where everything is in your kitchen, another way of saving on cabinet expenses is to install open shelving. This is a popular option, especially if you have beautiful dishware you want to show off. Not only is it much cheaper to fit, but it’ll make a smaller kitchen seem more spacious and airy.
Unless you want to completely change your flooring style, say from wood to stone tiling, you may be able to renovate the existing surface. Sanding and refinishing a wooden floor is vastly less expensive than installing fresh, but when done professionally it delivers excellent results.
Backsplash tiling is an important part of any kitchen, protecting walls from splashes and greasy buildups. But it’s also one of the most expensive elements for both materials and labour. While a huge, tiled backsplash may be tempting, keeping tiling to areas where it’s really needed will cut your costs dramatically.
If your heart is set on a granite countertop, buying new will put a fairly large dent in your budget. Remnant or reused stone costs a fraction of the price but is often of equal quality. Your kitchen designer is the best person to advise you on this and will likely have the contacts to find you a great deal.
Does your local renovation supply store have a discount or overstock section? While you don’t want to buy obviously faulty materials, a few barely noticeable scratches here and there may not matter so much when you can knock a good chunk off the price.
Careful lighting choices can make all the difference for a kitchen’s look and feel. Consider under-cabinet lighting, extra pendants over work surfaces, spotlights to brighten up corners, and so on. They’ll all combine to give your kitchen an extra sparkle of quality for very little extra cost.
Even with these great savings, a kitchen remodel is a major investment. Find out how much yours will cost with our easy-to-use calculator for an on-the-spot estimate and look at our financing options which can help you make the most of your budget. We’ll also help you plan your renovation and connect you with recommended contractors in your area who can get your kitchen remodeling project done right.
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