How To Save Money On Your Kitchen Remodeling Project
Posted on: 10 October 2017
Kitchen remodels, just like any other major home construction project, are complex and necessarily expensive. However, in order to reduce your overall stress levels and save some money along the way, there are a few different things that you can do before and during your kitchen remodeling project.
Plan with the Professionals
Before you get started, the best thing for you to do is to actually sit down with a contractor and walk step by step through the entire project, detailing costs, timelines, contingency plans, and exactly what you want to get out of your new kitchen. This can allow you to figure out areas where you can save money, either through the prioritization of certain features and appliances, or by simply determining multiple ways to accomplish the same goals and choosing the more economical option. It can also help save you from surprises in terms of money and time down the road, since the entire process will have been mapped out.
Lighting
You'll want to maximize the amount of light that your kitchen receives in order to visually expand it, especially for smaller kitchens that cannot reasonably be expanded, for budgetary or structural reasons. This means installing lights around the kitchen, and making use of white or lightly colored surfaces (bonus points for reflective surfaces, like natural stone or stainless steel).
Avoid Moving Utilities
When it comes to gas lines or plumbing, you'll want to do your best to build your plans around where they are currently located. Moving or altering the utilities in a room greatly increases the scope and cost of the project, and even if relatively simple, can set your entire timeline back by a few days. This doesn't mean that you can't completely revamp the design of your kitchen, but if you want to save both time and money, keep things like sinks and stoves anchored in place, and build around them.
Judge Cabinets by their Covers
When it comes to kitchen cabinets, which are a major time and money sink in any kitchen remodeling project, you may want to consider only replacing (or refinishing, if you already have solid wood cabinets) the doors over the entire cabinet. This will give your kitchen the facelift you want, but without the price tag and time commitment that can significantly alter your bottom line. For the most affordable option, you could simply paint over your cabinet doors.
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