Asking yourself-What can I live with? Will help you stay on budget during your kitchen remodeling project.
Remodeling your kitchen can be overwhelming. There are many different elements in your kitchen and when you are trying to follow a tight budget, choosing exactly what to include in your remodel is crucial. Kitchens are often the centerpieces to a home, and they add tremendous value in terms of both functionality and added property value. Kitchens are one of the biggest areas of your home that provides the most return upon investment. When remodeling a kitchen you need to think about both function and form. You need to think of not only how it can best serve you and your family, but also keeping the re-sale value in mind.
What Can You Live With?
Assessing what you want, and what you can afford can be a difficult struggle. To stay on budget you first need to establish a budget. Asking yourself: What can I live with? – is a helpful question that will get you headed in the right direction. For instance, if you cannot live without granite countertops, then you need to budget for that, and maybe go lower end with your flooring. Or maybe your appliances are a top priority for you love to cook, and can’t live with just any stove/oven. Prioritizing your needs is tremendously helpful when remodeling a kitchen on a budget.
Depending on your capability you can obviously save yourself a lot of money by doing the work yourself. With saying that remodeling your kitchen presents a ton of work, and if not done correctly you run the risk of tremendously devaluing your home. Even if you are not a skilled carpenter or have an eye for design you can still save yourself some money if you are willing to roll up your sleeves a bit and get to work.
You can save a lot of money on demo and trash removal. Doing your own demoing is easy, and can open up your budget to spend on other aspects of your kitchen remodel. The same can be said for trash removal, which many people do not factor into their budget. Trash removal can add up, and doing it yourself will make room in your budget for other improvements.
There are a few specific areas to target to help when remodeling a kitchen on a budget.
- Cabinets- Cabinets can be a huge expense, but often times you do not need to replace them. Refinishing your existing cabinets will save you a lot of money. By sanding them, painting, staining, or refurbishing them you can save money, and update the look of your kitchen. Another simple tip in regards to cabinets is by switching out your hardware on your cabinets. Adding a new knob, or handle, on your existing cabinets can make a dramatic change.
- Plumbing Fixtures- are relatively easy to change out and an inexpensive way to add value without gobbling up your entire budget.
- Flooring- There are many different flooring options available to you. These diverse options may give you the look you are trying to attain, without compromising your budget. For example, you can get that hard wood look without that hard wood price tag. There are synthetic options, and again asking yourself what you can live with, will make your budget go a long ways.
- Countertops- Like flooring, there are many different countertops that can give your unique custom look you are looking for. Now granted, marble or slate may exhaust your budget. If so there are synthetic materials that are less expensive but will still give your kitchen an updated look. With that being said, a great granite slab may be all you need to update your kitchen. A great backsplash is also an affordable and easy way to compliment your countertops and give your kitchen a new look.
- Appliances- Appliances are one way you can save some money when remolding your kitchen. There are an extensive amount of kitchen appliances on the market, so it is imperative to thoroughly shop for them.
The diversity of kitchen remodeling possibilities will work in your favor when it comes to staying on a budget. Keep in mind, there is always room for improvement, and not every detail needs to be accomplished at once. Focusing on a few key items may be just what you need to make your project manageable, while staying on budget.
