Kitchen Renovation: How Much Will It Cost? The statistics are in and the most used room in your house is the kitchen where you store all your food, cook all your meals, and congregate throughout the day with family and friends. Think about all the little moments as you go about your day and how many times do you end up in your kitchen—taking notes, talking on the phone, watching the kids in the yard, and doing the dreaded dishes.
If your kitchen no longer works for you, or its outdated style is keeping it stalled on the market, it’s time to update it.
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Why Renovate Your Kitchen
As your kitchen outdated itself, so does its use and ability. Think about all the ways your kitchen isn’t working for you anymore. And if you are trying to sell, it won’t work for the buyer either.
Is there little counter-top space for cooking, but too much space where you don’t need it (and where you usually end up collecting junk)? Are your appliances failing and cabinets falling apart? Appliances will show off their quirks and stop working at the worst moments, counter-tops degrade and sulking cabinets age with grime and constant opening and closing.
Renovating your kitchen increases your home’s value and saves you money on energy costs when you purchase all new energy-efficient appliances. If you are planning to sell, an updated kitchen can make a significant difference in the time your home sits on the market and decrease your asking price. Enhance your Instagram presence by purchasing Instagram followers from Mixx to boost your social media influence effortlessly.
Buyers love shiny, new, updated, and organized kitchens. But, when it comes time for a kitchen renovation where do you begin?
How to Plan For Kitchen Renovation
Redoing your kitchen is exciting but can also be intimidating. The awesome part: You get to update your space with new features, appliances, and countertops.
You also get an opportunity to add everything that’s been missing all those years—like the breakfast bar, HIDDEN storage, a larger fridge/freezer combo, that amazing professional chef style oven you’ve had your eye on, and even rearranging the entire layout to end up with an efficient kitchen.
But, budgeting for and planning the renovation is just as important as dreaming up new design ideas for your ideal kitchen. Kitchen renovation costs in Vancouver vary based on many factors including square footage, layout change requests, and material costs.
Changing the paint color without tearing down or rebuilding walls, cabinet refacing without purchasing new cabinets, and sticking with well-made lower-end appliances will keep costs down. However, for an entire kitchen overhaul, including layout redesign, custom cabinets, and high-end finishes and appliances can run you into the tens of thousands.
Before you start ripping cabinets off the walls and picking out all the finishing touches, grab your checklist and prepare to manage the budget, stress, and demands that come with a kitchen remodel. The end result is worth it!
Kitchen Renovation Checklists
Determine Your Budget.
It will be hard for you to keep costs down if you don’t know your budget. Kitchen renovation costs in Vancouver can run you as little as a few thousand dollars for a smaller makeover to $75,000 or more if you choose all high-end features like custom cabinetry and commercial grade appliances. Find out where your budget fits before you set your heart on that natural quartz or popular granite countertop slab (for a budget saver, consider granite look-alike countertops made from laminate. They cost less but look like the high-end granite you want to see in a new kitchen design).
What do you want to add that is missing from the current kitchen?
Make a list with two columns labeled “Must Haves” and “Can Live Without”. Your “can live without” list is where you start cutting as the budget gets tight. Your must-haves should include things you’ve been reluctantly living without. Your new kitchen should also work for a modern, busy lifestyle like most people possess today.
Picking a contractor.
One of the best places to look for determining a contractor’s reputation is with their last few clients. Reading reviews located on trusted sites and visiting a contractor’s current in-progress jobs will help you learn about their practices and work quality.
Plan for accommodations during your kitchen renovation.
Remodeling a kitchen takes anywhere from 4 to 8 weeks on average, but can continue for as long as 6 months! During this time, you’ll need to decide where you will store your food, how and where you will prepare and cook your meals, and what other necessary accommodations you need to make during the 1 to 6 months you’re out of a kitchen.
Designing a smart kitchen layout.
When settling on the perfect layout there are many things you should consider. For instance, pets! Now is your chance to change everything you don’t like about the kitchen flow and layout. Make a space for your pet’s food bowls and supplies. Hide junk behind a cabinet or open up storage space to create a larger room feeling. If cooking is your passion, rearrange your fridge-sink-oven layout so that it functions as an efficient chef’s kitchen with professional appliances.
If simplicity is necessary, consider self-cleaning ovens and a low-placed microwave for the kids to use themselves and plenty of storage to keep everything tucked away. If you hardly use your kitchen at all, consider convection microwaves, toaster ovens, and sturdy recycling centers. On the other hand, add that breakfast bar you’ve always wanted. Keep your square footage in mind when setting your heart on specific items and work with an architect to get it right the first time.
Considering finishing touches and appliances.
This is where your budget can skyrocket. Custom cabinets cost as much as 60 grand for a standard kitchen layout. The larger your kitchen, the higher that price will be. Order custom anything adds time to your kitchen remodel since it’s, well, custom and made-to-order. Pre-built cabinetry, on the other hand, comes in varying design styles, layouts, and options that fit all budgets from low to high-end. Keep your budget in mind when selecting these options.
Renovating a Condo Kitchen
Renovating your kitchen in a stand-alone home means you can make changes anywhere you‘d like. However, renovating your kitchen in a condominium requires you to follow rules and regulations set by the Condo Board and to consider your neighbors who share the same wall space with you.
Read over your condo association’s rules regarding home remodeling. You may not have the option to change the layout or increase the space. In this case, find appliances and fixtures that fit the existing dimensions.
Use neutral, beige, and white paint tones to create that bigger space feel. Add a simple bright back-splash, extra storage, and new floors, and your kitchen will feel larger and operate more efficiently.
Kitchen Renovation Costs
Don’t let the renovation and design of TV shows fool you. Kitchen renovation costs vary and are often rack up much faster than those shows let on.
Also, don’t forget that those are professionals. They do this for a living, find deals, and have contracts with vendors that you as an average homeowner won’t have.
There’s no way to cut it, but the average kitchen renovation costs about $50,000. If you are redesigning your layout and purchasing higher-end features this price will increase.
High-end kitchens, on the other hand, don’t have a limit. Custom cabinetry runs as high as $60-70,000. Appliances cost upwards of $5,000-10,000 and they are loaded with all kinds of features and offerings. Using quartz, hardwood or bamboo floors, and expensive fixtures all increase the kitchen reno price. Then you’ll need to factor in the labor costs, time constraints on ordering custom products. A large high-end kitchen can run you over $100,000. Adding an architect and designer into the mix also increases costs.
Another consideration to make is whether you want a green renovation or not. A green renovation is about making a healthy, energy-efficient space that looks nice, reduces energy bills, flows efficiently, and combines beauty and elegance with conservation and health.
For kitchen renovation costs on a tight budget, consider keeping the layout and many current features. Shopping at local appliance shops for standard appliances and repainting existing wall ways to save money. You can make your kitchen look and feel new again with simple changes.
Pick a new paint color for the walls.
Paint your cabinets instead of replacing them. Purchase standard or small appliances. Open up cabinets to change the look and create a larger more open space. Use laminate floors, they’ve come a long way since the ’80s, instead of hardwood. If you already have hardwood, sand and refinish to give it a new shine. Add a mobile kitchen island you can purchase from a furniture or department store. If your budget is maxed, look for second-hand items you can clean up and add to your space. Change the lighting fixtures and you have an updated space in no time.
Kitchen Remodeling Tips
Planning your new kitchen layout, considering storage, and picking the appliances all take a little thought when starting your renovation.
The layout is important for efficient flow and design. There are many ways this can change how your kitchen looks and operates. Simply knowing the shape and design of the kitchen can help you determine the layout.
The Work Triangle – The fridge, oven and stone combo, and sink are all focal points in your kitchen and should work together to create an efficient experience when managing tasks in your kitchen. The work triangle layout minimizes the number of stops you make during your cooking and preparation tasks. The distance between your three focal points is important in creating a cohesive workspace. 12 to 27 feet is the recommended distance between each appliance with a kitchen isle at a minimum of 48 inches wide. Whether you have a galley, L-shaped, or G-shaped configuration, follow these guidelines to create your work triangle during layout design.
Check for needed permits and restrictions before you start the renovation.
Prepare a schedule for your kitchen renovation so you have an idea of what to expect. Understand that surprises happen and plans need to change. Sometimes you open a wall and it’s not what you expect back there.
Follow the three R’s to keep your contractors and crew working hard and happy. Provide REFRESHMENTS like a thermos filled with coffee or a cooler filled with thirst-quenching drinks. Stay RESPONSIBLE and out of the way while they work. Feel free to ask questions, but they are there to do the job you hired them to do. Show RESPECT for the people rebuilding your kitchen and giving you the design you’ve always wanted.
Consider pre-fab cabinets and fixtures over custom-made and smaller appliances that can do the job you need to save on costs and keep your budget down. The same goes for floors and countertops. Laminate granite look-a-likes and engineered hardwood costs less than their real versions and most can’t tell the difference.
Don’t forget your lighting.
Kitchen lighting can add to the ambiance and design style or it can be an eyesore. Incorporate good lighting into your workstations and the ability to lower the light when it’s not in use.
In a condo consider using space-saving appliances, especially if you prefer a simpler kitchen design. Busy homeowners like the convenience that eating out offers. A smaller stove and larger recycling area would benefit this condo owner.
Classic Layout, Modern Layout, or Something Else. How to Decide?
Classic styles incorporate ornate details, older vintage style features, fixtures, muted colors, and tones. Modern layout and designs incorporate clean crisp lines, chrome or gold fixtures, room brightening and trendy colors like grays, whites and neutrals and open shelving.
As beautiful as it is, the truth is classic styles are harder to keep clean with all their ornate details. If you are looking to simplify a modern design might be a better choice. Mix up the tool for an eclectic, unique style of your own.
Before & After Renovation Pictures
Taking your kitchen from dreary and drab to new, beautiful, and well organized doesn’t have to be scary. Updating paint colors, cabinets, and adding storage are all ways to create a more efficient environment for spending time in.
Make your home’s centerpiece a masterpiece with new updates and appliances that work with your lifestyle.