Confronted with the prospect of a toweringly expensive full-scale kitchen remodel project, many homeowners start wondering if it’s even possible to pare down costs. Yes, you can refresh your kitchen space for a much lower budget than you might expect. You can do so by employing simple methods that have worked for homeowners for years.
Retain the Kitchen Footprint
Most kitchens come in one of several pre-determined shapes. Few kitchen designers ever do anything different, mainly because these shapes work so well, but also because kitchens typically have such limited spaces.
Whether it is the one-wall kitchen layout, corridor or galley, L-shape, or U-shape, your existing kitchen layout probably works better than you may think it does. The problem may be more in the arrangement of your services within that shape than the shape itself.
Keep Appliances in Place If Possible
Any home remodel that involves moving plumbing, gas, or electrical lines will add to your budget and timeline.
The concept of leaving appliances in place as much as practically possible often works hand in hand with the concept of retaining the kitchen’s footprint. But not always. You can retain the footprint but still end up moving appliances all over the place.
One way around this is to move appliances intelligently. As long as you do not move their hook-ups, you can move the appliance with greater ease.
For example, homeowners often want to move the dishwasher. A dishwasher can usually be moved to the other side of a sink because the washer’s plumbing lines actually come from that central point under the sink. So, it doesn’t matter if it’s on the right or left side.
Install Functional Flooring
Along with bathrooms, kitchens are one space where the flooring really needs to perform. A less attractive resilient or ceramic tile that does the job well might be a compromise over a high-end impractical solid hardwood that soaks up spills and drains your budget.
Vinyl sheet, luxury vinyl plank, and ceramic tile are on the easier end for most do-it-yourselfers. Most importantly, make sure the flooring resists water, though it doesn’t necessarily have to be waterproof. Laminate flooring can often be installed over existing flooring, obviating the need for demolition. If installing sheet vinyl over tile, be sure to skim coat the floor so as to avoid the grout lines showing through the vinyl.
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