A kitchen remodel can have a significant impact on your home’s value while enhancing your day-to-day life. It is the heart of the home – filled with busy activities such as cooking, eating, entertaining, sharing the day’s events, and more. And yet with all that activity, it can be difficult to notice as your kitchen starts to age. That is, until something breaks, or the finishes and fixtures become so worn and dingy that remodeling becomes essential.
While your costs will depend on several factors including kitchen size, scope of work, and quality of materials, there are a few ways you can economize and get the most from your remodeling budget.
- Maintain the existing footprint as much as possible. Keeping electrical, plumbing, and HVAC vents and ducts in place will save on labor and materials.
- Depending how handy you are, you can save a few bucks on demo, painting, and any other projects you’re skilled enough to complete yourself. But discuss your plans with your contractor first – you don’t want to do something that might incur a hefty repair cost.
- Unless you have a unique layout or space to fill, opt for stock vs. custom cabinetry.
- Speaking of cabinets, consider refacing or painting yours if they are in decent shape and you’re happy with the current kitchen layout.
- Shop and compare. Unless you want something very specific, do a little research to find the best prices on light fixtures, flooring, faucets, cabinet hardware, tile, and more. Be sure to double check all return policies, as a tile that is discontinued, for example, might be “final sale” only.
- Set your budget and stick to it. Sure, surprises are inevitable, but resist the urge to switch to higher cost finishes, appliances, and fixtures, unless it’s something you simply can’t live without. For example, if you don’t cook often or your repertoire in limited, perhaps a top-of-the-line stove isn’t necessary.
- Remember, surprises do happen. As such, set aside a few thousand dollars for unexpected repairs or replacement. You never know what you might find once you start opening walls, such as frayed wiring or rotted framing.
Here at Pann Home Services, we offer complete home remodeling services – kitchen, bathroom, basement conversions, decks, new windows, and more. Plus, we’re very experienced at working within our customers’ budgets. Contact us today to discuss your planned remodeling project, and we’ll show you how to turn a concept into a dynamic and beautiful reality.
