Where the Bulk of Your Money Goes in a Kitchen Remodel

So you’ve decided to re-do the kitchen. Everyone knows it’s the most important room in the house and whether you’re renovating for your own personal use or you’re sprucing up the place before putting it up on the market, you’re going to want to get the most kitchen for your money.

That means you should know where your money is going before you spend it on remodeling. A majority of your costs are included as part of the price for finished equipment and building materials. That can help defray some of the other expenses you’ll be facing for the purchase, delivery, and installation of your major appliances such as refrigerators and stoves.

The bottom line is you shouldn’t drop one dime before you’re fully apprised of where your money goes in your kitchen remodeling project. While every remodeling project is different, you can still expect some components to be more costly than others, no matter how big or small your overall budget.

Breaking Down Your Costs

The various facets of your kitchen that are considered a finished product will cost more than the costs associated with the labor and installation of those items.

We’re talking about cabinets, flooring, countertops, even lighting, and the breakdown of where your money goes for those items usually comes out to about 70-30 or 75-25. Remember, these ratios can change slightly depending on what you’ve chosen for your project.

The more complicated your products, the higher likelihood that your installation costs could go up due to the particular nature of installing those items into the home. Ornate detailing, fragile materials, and other related options can make it tougher to set up and furnish in your new kitchen.

Those homeowners who are working on a tight budget but have big kitchen remodeling ideas can lower their expenses by selecting products and materials that are high in quality but simpler to manufacture and install in the home.

Major Appliances

This is where your costs can really run the gamut from affordable to luxurious. It all depends on your tastes but for those homeowners who just want something simple and sensible, the four basics that every kitchen could use, refrigerator, microwave, oven/stove, and dishwasher, can run you as little as $3,000 for all of them.

But if you want to start stepping up your game, go stainless steel, get the ice-maker package, electric stovetop, you’re going to need to step up your budget as those costs can get increasingly higher, fast.

However, you’re going to want to keep aesthetics in mind when you select your appliances and that may dictate your costs more than you think. You may not be able to go with the basic models of these items when your kitchen has a specific design plan.

Floors

Your new floors can account for nearly a tenth of your budget but it’s going to depend on the materials selected for the job. The cheaper stuff like vinyl or concrete will be less expensive, low maintenance, and look great in the kitchen.

But if you decide to get the more expensive stuff like wood floors or even stone, you’re going to pay significantly more towards your kitchen remodeling job.

Cabinetry

Walk into your kitchen, what’s the most prevalent item you see? Chances are it’s your cabinets, they’re a major item in any kitchen and when you’re remodeling the room, a substantial chunk of your budget will be devoted to this very important component.

But, again, that percentage of your spend can easily increase exponentially based on whether you go with a pre-fabricated option or full custom cabinets throughout the room. Go with the former you’ll pay far less and your labor and installation are included as part of the expense.

Custom, on the other hand, can run you as much 300% more depending on what you select for material and aesthetics. Your labor and installation expenses will be separate as well.

Plumbing

Yep, it’s the one thing many homeowners often forget about when they start to budget for a new remodeling job. But you will need to consider how plumbing will affect your expenses as the previous pipes will need to be moved or altered altogether as your design changes.

This includes pipes, gas lines, and so on and as your remodeling job gets more complicated, that can have an impact on how much you end up paying for plumbing alterations.

If you have any questions about your kitchen remodeling project, contact one of the experts at VanRossun Contracting and Consulting for a quote on any of these areas of your kitchen.