6 Ideas for a Budget-Friendly Kitchen Renovation
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Kitchen renovations don't have to cost a fortune. There are many ways to renovate your kitchen while staying within your budget. We explore six ways you can have a budget-friendly kitchen renovation and still have a kitchen you love.
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1. Kitchen Island
A kitchen island is a coveted piece in a kitchen. It provides some much-needed storage and counterspace, as well as additional seating if an overhang is included. However, it can add a lot to your cost with the extra cabinetry and countertop.
Consider a counter-height table instead of an island. It will provide additional counter space as well as some seating for 2-4 people. You can always save up for that coveted island and add it to your kitchen when it's affordable.
Bonus tip:
Make sure you write down the name of the paint your cabinets are finished with. You will want to ensure you can colour match the island when you add it later on. Alternatively, when you are ready to add your island, you can opt for a complimentary colour instead of matching your existing cabinets.
2. Refacing Cabinets
Although gutting your kitchen and starting from scratch is always the best option, it's not always in the budget to start from scratch. Provided your shell cabinets are in good shape, you can opt to reface them instead. This will save you 20% - 30%.
Refacing means that you keep the shell of the cabinet and install new door and drawer fronts. You will also replace any gable ends as well as trim edges on any exposed surfaces. This easily allows you to update the look of your cabinets while saving a bit at the same time.
The disadvantage to this is that you can't redesign the space and make it more functional. You are restricted by the layout and type of cabinets you currently have. That means if you were really hoping for some pot drawers, if you don't have them now, you won't be able to get them with a refacing.
3. Open Shelving
One of our clients really needed a new kitchen, but she was a first-time home buyer and didn't have the budget for what she truly desired. We sat down and talked about what her needs vs. wants were. Her biggest priority was better function. When we talked about some ideas like pot drawers, pull-outs in a pantry, a recycle/garbage pull out center, drawers for her Tupperware, and drawers with pegs for her dishes, we realized something that changed the look of her kitchen renovation and made it very affordable.
Everything that she really needed to make her kitchen more functional was in the base cabinets. I asked her if she liked the look of an open and airy kitchen, and she loved the idea. I recommended that she not install any upper cabinets and just have open shelving in a few areas. This still provided her with some much-needed storage on the shelves, but without the expense of the cabinets.
The disadvantage of open shelving is that it's open shelving. Items on the shelf will collect dust, so it's best to only store items here that are used regularly. That way, they won't have time to collect dust.
4. Keep the Appliances That Still Work
We would all love to have new appliances in our new kitchen, but when the budget is tight, one way to get the kitchen you love is to keep the existing appliances. You can save thousands of dollars by reusing your range, fridge, dishwasher, microwave, and fume hood. These are items that you can replace at any time. Save up a bit of money each month and replace one appliance at a time. As long as they are functional, there is nothing wrong with keeping your existing appliances until you can afford to replace them.
5. Do Some of the Work Yourself
There are areas of a kitchen renovation that are best left to the pros. Electrical, plumbing, and kitchen cabinet construction and installation are definitely areas you don't want to DIY. However, there are some parts of a kitchen renovation that you can likely do yourself.
Painting is one project that many of our clients like to do themselves. Unless you're a seasoned painter, do a bit of research to learn how to prep the surfaces and how to make great cut lines. Make sure you use high-quality paint like Benjamin Moore or Sherwin Williams. Check out some great painting advice from the Benjamin Moore pros here.
You can also do the demolition of your existing kitchen cabinets yourself. This is the fun part! If your cabinets are really old and not in great shape, you will likely just take them to the waste management dump in your community. However, there are other options that will also help your budget.
Take some photos of your existing kitchen and contact Habitat for Humanity. If the cabinets are in good shape, they will likely take them and sell them in their ReStore. Often, you will get a tax receipt for your donation, and you'll save the money of paying your contractor to demolish and dispose of them.
You can also try selling your kitchen cabinets on Kijiji or Facebook Marketplace. Just take lots of pictures to post and offer them at a reasonable price. People will often buy used kitchen cabinets for their cottage, basement, laundry room, or garage.
6. Keep the Fixtures Where They Are
One of the best ways to save money on a renovation is to keep the appliances and fixtures where they are. As soon as you decide to move the sink or the dishwasher, the additional plumbing required to do so can add a lot to your overall bill, particularly if you're not planning on new flooring.
We will often cut a hole in the subfloor of the kitchen and run the plumbing pipes through the subfloor to the new location. However, if you're not changing the flooring, that means having to find another route. If you've got a finished basement, that means cutting holes in your drywall to run the plumbing pipes, which then leads to the expense of the drywall repair. And then you need to re-paint the walls or ceiling where you cut into the drywall.
Three Bonus Tips
7. Stencil an Existing Backsplash
If you've got a white backsplash but it's an outdated look, consider stencilling it! Replacing your backsplash can be expensive. It's not only the cost of the tile but also the cost of demolishing the old tile, putting up the new drywall, and the labour of tiling!
Try painting your tile! There are tons of stencils that you can buy online, and with a little bit of prep work on the tiles, this is a simple DIY project that will have a big impact!
8. Plan Ahead
I can't stress this tip enough! It may seem obvious and trivial, but when you don't plan ahead, you may be forced into making decisions on the fly or paying more because you don't have time to shop around.
I know the typical reaction is excitement as soon as you finally decide to renovate your kitchen. However, it's so important to make sure the decision and design you have selected are exactly what you want. Mid-project design changes can result in hefty charges.
9. Consider a Cheaper Countertop ... for now!
You may want quartz, but if it's not in the budget, then opt for a cheaper countertop and replace it down the road when you can afford it. There are a few less expensive options:
Laminate
Solid Surface
Butcher Block
You can save 50% or more by opting for one of the above options and then save up for that gorgeous Quartz you wanted.
For more information on laminate countertops: Are Laminate Countertops Making a Comeback?
Final Word
Sometimes, no matter what steps you take to have a budget-friendly kitchen renovation, the money just isn't there to create your dream kitchen. Consider doing the kitchen in stages. For example, you could get new flooring this year (buy a little extra in case you need it when the cabinets get replaced), get new cabinets in two years along with a new countertop, put in the new backsplash the following year and get new lighting the year after that. It might take you a few years to get your dream kitchen, but you won't go bankrupt doing it!
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