How To Remodel Your Kitchen on a Budget

Remodeling a kitchen is a big undertaking that can be expensive. However, there are ways that you can keep the costs lower so that you stay within your budget while still getting a beautiful kitchen that fits your tastes. kitchen remodeling costs can vary, depending on what is being changed and the materials that are chosen, so it’s important to do a lot of planning and brainstorming in order to get what you want while staying in your desired price range. With a good strategy for your kitchen remodel, you can keep the changes affordable for your budget.

Be Prepared, and Have a Plan

You need to work with a designer when you are ready to gather some kitchen remodel ideas on a budget. It's never a good idea to try and save money by not having a professional designer create a plan for your new kitchen. You need to have a designer ready to create your grand plan so that you can decide on what you want to include in your new kitchen. Having a designer and a solid plan will save you both money and time over the course of the project, because there won't be expensive mistakes. Your grand plan should be detailed enough so that the team can start the work and know exactly what will need to be ordered and what they will need to bring to perform the project. Being well-prepared is a good way to keep costs lower because you won't have to make change orders or add to the details.

Disguise Outdated Cabinets

Many kitchen remodels include changing out the cabinets, but they don't have to. You can save a significant amount of money on your outdated cabinets by disguising them and making them look new. One of the ways that you can do this is to use bright white to give the cabinets a whole new look. To do this, make sure you’re washing your cabinets and priming them before painting them with a semi-gloss, bright white color. 

Another way to update your outdated cabinets is to get new hardware in sleek or modern designs. If your cabinets are in really bad shape, you can also purchase new doors to replace ones that may be falling apart or are so out of style that a few minimal changes won’t help them. This will still save you money as new doors for the fronts of the cabinets will cost you significantly less than whole new cabinets.

Change out the Lighting

One way to make your kitchen look new and modern is to have more light. Getting more, higher-quality lighting is a cost-effective way to make a big difference in your kitchen. For example, you get can pendant lights, which are a major trend, look very upscale, and don’t cost too much. If you don’t want to spend money on new lighting for the whole kitchen, focus on adding lighting to specific areas such as above the island or stove. You can also make a huge impact by using under-cabinet lighting for very little money.

Keep Backsplashes Small

Backsplashes are both functional and stylish. While their main purpose is to keep oils and foods from getting onto the walls and causing staining, they can also make a big splash in your kitchen’s design. It's common these days for backsplashes to continue from the area they were meant to protect to cover a lot more of the area in the kitchen. However, it doesn't have to. The backsplash is one of the "show" areas of the kitchen that you want to be one of the focal points. Because of this, there are often expensive materials used for the backsplash. Rather than going cheaper on the materials and not getting what you want, make sure that the grand plan for the kitchen includes a smaller area for the backsplash. When the material continues across the wall of the kitchen, this can be a big expense. Instead, you can have the tile or other material where the walls meet so that they are still visually effective as well as functional for less money.

Leave the Plumbing in Place

One of the reasons that you need to work with a designer is so that you can save money on the plumbing costs of a remodel. When you leave the existing plumbing in its place, the savings are huge, and a designer can incorporate that into the design. The same piping used again can save you thousands of dollars. If you move an appliance such as a gas stove or dishwasher, it can cost an exorbitant amount of money to create a new layout for piping and utilities. Work around those items to keep your costs under budget.

Use Remnants

When you're using stone or solid-surface countertops, getting remnants to use for the project can help to keep costs lower. There are many suppliers that have their remnants available that you can look through and can get a great deal on. This works especially well when you have smaller areas that need countertops. You can also use remnants from your own project to outfit other areas of the project. An effective designer can help you make sure that remnants are used from your project so that you'll save big. You can also go to places that have items available to reuse. These include the Habitat for Humanity Restore which is located in many areas. It can be worth a look to go to a reclamation store like this for cheaper prices.

Refinish Wood Floors

You may want new flooring for your kitchen, but does that mean you have to get it brand new? If you have wood flooring, the answer is no. You can keep your flooring in place and simply have it refinished. This can give you the look of brand-new flooring and change the color to match your new kitchen without having to have the floors removed and replaced. They simply have to be sanded down and then restained instead.

By using some or all of these kitchen remodel ideas on a budget, you can get the new kitchen you’ve been dreaming of without an eye-popping price tag. You can still have higher-end materials while staying within your desired price range. If you need help with your kitchen remodel and want quality service at a reasonable price, look no further than Remodeling Expo Center’s Atlanta kitchen remodeling. Our experienced designers and project managers are passionate about helping you design the kitchen of your dreams. Visit our remodeling showroom or contact us to learn how we can help you.