On average, homeowners spend about $20,000 on their kitchen renovations, but not everyone is getting bang for their buck.
Many places you spend during a renovation don’t equate to return dollars when you sell your house. So where should you spend? And how can you save money on the more costly items?
Read on to discover our kitchen remodeling tips.
1. Invest in the Right Places
If you want to see your dollars again after you sell your house, you have to make sure you put them into items that are worth the investment. Remember, not everyone shares your taste.
Worth the Investment
Potential buyers love to see beautiful cabinets, a spacious floorplan, and high-quality appliances. Many people will also enjoy a quality stone countertop and matching backsplash.
Not Worth the Investment
Don’t put your money into the little extras unless you have excess to burn. You don’t need a pot filler by your stove or a twenty bottle wine cooler.
2. Allocate Your Budget with a Pie Chart
Budgets for a kitchen renovation range a lot, so make sure you split up your money based on where you want it to go by looking at the big picture.
If having new appliances is really important to you, then that may be where you want to spend 50 percent of your budget. If you use a pie chart, that will help you see how much you have left to spend.
3. Maintain Your Layout if Possible
Changing your kitchen layout will make your renovation much more expensive. If you want to move the gas or water lines you will have to have a professional come out to do it for you.
But if you keep your sink and stove where they are, then you will save a lot of money that you can invest in other places.
4. Choose Standard Cabinets and Fill in Spaces with Creative Options
If you don’t want to blow your entire budget on your cabinets, then going custom shouldn’t be an option. Instead, consider buying factory-made cabinets and then fill in the small spaces with creative storage solutions.
For example, if there is a six-inch gap between your stove and the nearest standard cabinet, consider making this space a storage area for cookie sheets and cutting boards by finishing the gap. Or, if you have a large gap at the end of your cabinets, you consider putting in a wine rack to fill the space.
These options will make your kitchen more unique while simultaneously keeping dollars in your pocket.
5. Consider Factory-Made Cabinets
Factory-made cabinets get a bad rap because they are prefabricated and not designed specifically for your needs. But that is where the detractions end.
Factory-made cabinets are awesome. They are affordable, come with extremely long warranties, and are often made in styles that will outlast their trendier counterparts. If having a super unique cabinet style is important to you, consider investing your money in fancy hardware for the front of the doors.
6. Choose Quality Under-the-Counter Lighting
When you spend a lot of time in the kitchen at night, having task lighting in place is great since you can turn off that pesky overhead lighting.
You will have to select between Xenon and LED lights. LED are the more expensive option since they are more energy-efficient, have longer-lasting bulbs, and don’t get hot to the touch.
Xenon lights, on the other hand, do get hot, but they have a more traditional color, wider beam, and are dimmable. They are also about half to a third the price of LEDs.
7. Install Creative Storage Options
If you stick to the basic storage options, you’re going to have a lot of hidden wasted space in your kitchen. Consider a creative strategy to free up that space.
Lazy Susan
A lazy Susan is a term for a rotating circle that allows you to spin it so that you can look at the items on the other side. In a kitchen, it makes a lot of sense to use as a spice rack since you can easily find what you need.
Slide-Out Shelves
Slide-out shelves are great if you have a lot of heavy equipment for the kitchen like a stand mixer or a crockpot. Since you can pull the drawers out, you won’t have to bend over and strain your back, instead, you can squat and lift the items right out of the drawer.
Pull-Out Shelves in Corners
The corners of your kitchen often are wasted space since it’s hard to reach all the way to the back of a cabinet. But with pull-out shelves in your corners, you can easily access everything you need.
8. Reuse Your Existing Cabinets
While you don’t have to reuse your existing cabinets in your kitchen, throwing them away would be a tragic waste. Consider using them as a storage solution for your garage or long-term storage unit.
9. Spring for Matching Appliances
Having matching appliances isn’t a necessity, but these days manufacturers are making it more affordable than ever to buy an oven that matches your dishwasher.
Start with the biggest purchase – your fridge. Choose one that meets the requirements of your family. Do you want in-door water? An ice maker? A pull-out freezer drawer?
Once you have made your selection for the most expensive appliance, you can begin to see what models you can afford for the rest of your appliances.
10. Consider a Functional Island
While you might have thought of an island as a waste of space if you don’t have an extremely large kitchen, a functional island can actually be a great space saver.
Consider choosing an island with additional storage space and a seating area to get the most bang for your buck.
More Kitchen Remodeling Tips
Now that you’ve read these kitchen remodeling tips, you’re ready to put together a plan to create your dream space.
For professional design-build kitchen remodeling services, do not hesitate to reach out to our team of experts!
