How To Remodel Your Kitchen On A Budget?

How To Remodel Your Kitchen On A Budget?

A kitchen remodel is a major home remodeling project and requires you to spend money generously. However, if you’re on a budget but want to update your kitchen, there are some ways you can renovate your kitchen without breaking the bank. Here’s how to do kitchen remodeling on a budget.

Only Change The Cabinet Doors

Believe it or not, cabinets cost the most in a kitchen remodel. Yes, about 30-35% of the entire remodeling cost. The cost can go up even more if you need custom-made cabinets. So, if you somehow reduce this cost, you can save 30% right there.

If you’re wondering how to accomplish this, let us tell you. Keep the cabinets and change the doors. The appearance of your kitchen will change without the actual expense of the entire cabinet replacement.

Furthermore, changing the doors is not the only cost-effective method of updating the look of your cabinets.

If you’re into DIYing, you can paint or stain the cabinets for a new look or add new trim or molding. Updating the hardware of the cabinets is also an easy way to update them. If you couple it with painted cabinets, your cabinets will look completely new. Moreover, you can even remove the cabinet doors and welcome an open-shelf look.

Keep The Existing Kitchen Layout And Don’t Update The Plumbing

Unless your contractor tells you that the plumbing is corroded and requires a replacement, you shouldn’t mess with the plumbing and the kitchen layout. This means the sink should be where it is and the dishwasher’s location should not be changed.

This is because changing the layout means you will need to move the appliances and fixtures and also have to redo the plumbing. So, you will have to pay for the materials and labor that will instantly run out of your budget if you don’t want to spend much.

Keep in mind that if you change the layout, other than replacing many materials, you will have to deal with the gaps in the flooring. Due to this, you may need to replace the flooring as well.

In most cases, kitchen layouts are practical and if you update some items, you can transform the space and make it exciting.

However, if you really want to change up something in your kitchen, settle with adding an island only if you have a one-wall kitchen layout and have free space in your kitchen. This will give you more usable space, the kitchen will appear completely different from before. The best part is you still won’t have to change the kitchen layout for this. But if you’re too short on the budget, refrain from adding a kitchen island because you will have to spend on the cabinets and the countertop.

Paint The Flooring

If your old wood flooring is not damaged in any way, you can simply paint the flooring to give it a new look. You can also go for refinishing the wood flooring but costs much more while painting can cost only 10% of the total cost of refinishing. To ensure the paint is durable, go for polyurethane-based floor enamel.

In the case your flooring is damaged, you can have the planks damaged planks replaced and then proceed to paint.

On the other hand, if you want to replace the flooring, go for inexpensive options like laminate flooring. This appears similar to wood flooring and costs much less than that. However, laminate flooring is not durable and you may need to replace it in 15 years.

If you need a durable yet inexpensive flooring option, you should consider concrete flooring. Go for stamped concrete that appears like wood if other parts of your house have wood or wood-looking flooring.

Replace The Countertop

Countertops usually get attention when someone visits the kitchen so if you replace them, the kitchen will appear updated and better given that the new countertop serves your needs.

Avoid wood countertops as they require a lot of maintenance. Moreover, marble countertops appear beautiful but they are not as durable as granite and quartz. So, go for either granite or quartz slabs. They are the most popular countertop choices.

Paint Your Kitchen Tiles And Backsplash

If you have backsplash or tiles on your kitchen walls, tearing them out and installing new tiles can add up to the remodeling cost. While some tiles are still inexpensive, you can paint the existing tiles to save this money or spend it on something else like a countertop.

As backsplash tiles are not used directly, they are damaged easily. So, if they are fine, find tile stencils of your choice and then paint the tiles to change their appearance.

DIY Some Work

Materials and labor costs are the two main cost factors in a kitchen remodel. So, if you do some work yourself, you can cut the labor costs. However, before committing to DIYing some parts of your kitchen remodeling, you should make sure that you have enough time on hand to complete the work and that you don’t want the kitchen remodel to finish ASAP. If it’s the other way around, hiring professionals will lead to quicker and better results.

Now that we have that out of the way and you can do some yourself, which tasks you should do and which should be left to professionals?

We’ll tell you the things that are DIY-friendly so you can leave other tasks for the contractors. You can do painting, tiling, flooring installations, hanging drywall, and changing lights and outlets. For help, you can watch YouTube videos or get advice from the hardware store employees.

If You Do Change Cabinets, Get Ready-To-Assemble Cabinets

We discussed earlier that you can change the doors of your cabinets or paint them for updating the look of your kitchen. But this suggestion is valid when your cabinets are structurally sound. If they are not and you have to replace the cabinets, select ready-to-assemble cabinets.

Not only these cabinets are cheaper than custom cabinets, but they are DIY-friendly too. You can assemble the pieces yourself. However, be sure to take measurements because fitting these cabinets can become a headache sometimes. So, you should try installing them yourself, but if you can’t, don’t hesitate in hiring a professional.

Moreover, if you think assembling the cabinets can be difficult, there are pre-assembled cabinets as well. However, they cost a little more than flat-packed cabinets.

Upgrade The Lighting

If your kitchen has old lights, time to replace them with new lighting styles that can bring excitement to the kitchen. Try recessed lights as they appear elegant and open. If your kitchen or home doesn’t have recessed lights, you can hire an electrician for this or buy a recessed lighting conversion kit that is quite inexpensive and easy to install.

Moreover, to bring more light to specific parts of the kitchen, think of pendant lights for your kitchen island, sink, and kitchen table. The designs of pendant lights make them attractive for many homeowners as well because they can appear as a décor item too.

Conclusion

Kitchen remodeling can be expensive, but it doesn’t always have to be. With the above-mentioned tips, you can reduce costs and update your kitchen on a tight budget. Get in touch with kitchen remodeling companies Bowie for kitchen design and remodeling suggestions.