There are many factors that play into the cost of your kitchen remodel. While your countertops may be set in stone, the price of your project is not. Depending on where you live, the size of your kitchen, the significance of your changes, your choice of fixtures and materials, and the contractor you hire, the price may vary.
In this article, we’ll share some tips on how you can prepare for a kitchen remodel within budget—all the while receiving a result that you love.
Here’s how you can stay within budget for a remodel:
Make a budget and stick to it.
Once you know how much money you have to spend, you’ll more easily be able to divide it among various aspects of the remodel. You can use your budget as the foundation of your plan as a whole, going over every detail—even the small ones. The goal is to have zero surprises when it comes to expenses.
If you know all the costs in advance, you’ll be well-equipped to keep your spending balanced and under control.
Design first.
Kitchen remodels can get complex, and there are plenty of questions that you’ll need to answer before you dive right in: After your remodel, how do you plan on using your kitchen? Why do you need a countertop upgrade? Your purpose is the driving force behind the decisions you make.
You can also ask yourself, How many people will be in the kitchen at once? If you have a big family, you may lean toward double sinks, an open floor plan, and plenty of storage. And speaking of storage, what do you need to store in your kitchen?
Most importantly, what are your kitchen “must-haves”? When you’re working on a budget, you have to know the difference between a “want” and a “need.” Don’t push the “wants” out of your mind, though, because if you have a little extra money at the end, they’ll be waiting for you.
The more research you do to answer these types of questions, the more prepared you’ll be.
Don’t procrastinate on design decision-making.
Design decisions should be made as soon as possible. It’s never a good idea to “figure it out when the time comes” regarding design, because different countertop slabs come at a variety of price levels. To budget correctly, you’ve got to make design decisions up front.
Make use of quartz.
Quartz is a classy material that boasts the look of natural stone—without the high price or maintenance level. If you really want to save money by using quartz, find a slab that doesn’t have much movement in the way of veining and stick with a simple, classic color. Going with a white or gray slab will make for a beautiful kitchen at a reasonable price.
Don’t forget about remnants.
For smaller areas of the kitchen, you can always use remnants of countertops left over from bigger jobs. Plenty of shops will sell you these pieces at a significant discount.
Emphasize other areas of the room.
If you can’t afford to go big on countertops, let another aspect of the kitchen take center stage. You can place eye-catching backsplash tiles behind the oven, paint your cabinets an interesting color, or install decorative drawer handles for extra visual appeal.
Watch for bargains.
The last thing you want to do is buy cheap products simply because they’re cheap. These things will most likely cost you more money in repair or replacement costs down the road than a more expensive item costs up front.
Instead of impulse buying, wait to strike until a big sale is going on. These events tend to happen in spring, and you can find some amazing bargains around this time.
Your Beautiful Kitchen on a Budget
As you can see, there are plenty of ways to create a beautiful kitchen while staying within your budget. To learn more about saving money on your project, talk to our experts at Sanford Granite. We are the experts on high quality, affordable remodels!
