A kitchen makeover is an exciting project because, in most homes, the kitchen serves as a hub for the entire family. For families with budget restraints, remodeling a kitchen is often a huge financial investment, and it is important to find the most cost-effective ideas possible. Thankfully, you can pinch a few pennies in several areas without sacrificing the desired results. Whether a homeowner is striving for clean, modern lines or cozy, old-fashioned appeal, the following ideas may help accomplish your kitchen makeover on a budget.
Small Changes with Huge Impact
Labor is a big part of the cost of any kitchen remodeling job, but most homeowners can perform at least a few of the tasks themselves. These small steps can all lower the cost of the project significantly.
• Rather than purchasing new cabinets, paint the doors or trim of the old ones and replace the hardware with a different style.
• Stained cabinets can be sanded to the original wood and painted with polyurethane for a natural look, or distressed and painted for an antique appeal.
• Change the wall paint color scheme and cover the bar stools or kitchen chairs with a matching fabric or use slipcovers on the backs of the chairs.
• Use magnetic sheets or appliance paint to update the outer appearance of any appliances that still work properly.
• When new appliances must be purchased, make sure to shop the area home stores for floor models, which are always less expensive.
• Replace outdated faucets with a more stylish model.
• Add space saving dividers, corner shelving inserts, and pull-outs to the inside of cabinets and apply new shelf liners.
Cost Cutting Tips for Bigger Savings
Many homeowners are unaware of the options available on expensive items, such as flooring and counter tops. By visiting a home improvement store or doing some research online, they can often find more inexpensive ways of obtaining their vision of the perfect kitchen. The following suggestions are just a few of the great ways to save money on big ticket items:
• Purchase laminate that has the look of marble or granite rather than purchasing real stone, or cover counter tops with smaller tiles of granite, rather than using a single slab.
• When using tiles for a backsplash, use cheaper plain colors and form a pattern or only add more expensive decorative tiles as a border.
• Purchase leftover flooring tiles in matching patterns and colors and use to form a pattern.
• Shop around for discount kitchen cabinets that come ready to assemble, rather than spending big on pre-built ones.
• Choose wood or ceramic flooring that is easy to install and simple to clean.
• Buy as many large ticket items as possible from auctions or venues such as Craig’s List, and keep an eye out for giveaways on sites such as Freecycle.
The planning process of remodeling a kitchen may be the most important when it comes to savings. Patience in gathering materials and searching for the best bargains will ultimately lead to a beautiful room at the lowest price.
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written by: Melissa Cox
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Great article! Have you done one on bedrooms and bathrooms? I need an idea for a bed until I can find the exact bed I am looking for.
Fabric works wonders! Come over one day…I have a folder full of ideas!