A dated kitchen doesn’t have to mean a full tear-out.
That drab space can be revitalized for pennies on the dollar compared to a complete remodel. Plus, you avoid months of dust, clutter and eating takeout every night of the week.
You can remodel your kitchen on a budget if you know which upgrades are most cost effective.
Here’s how to do it right…
In This Guide:
- Why Skip The Full Gut Job?
- 6x Budget-Friendly Ways To Refresh Your Kitchen
- Where To Spend & Where To Save
Why Skip The Full Gut Job?
The average kitchen remodel is expensive. Really expensive.
Kitchen remodel averages range from $14,592 to $41,595 with a median cost of $27,013. Wowzer. That’s quite an investment into a room that could already have “good bones.”
Fact: the majority of outdated kitchens don’t require demolishing. They simply need updating. Updating your kitchen on a budget means identifying which areas of your kitchen are still functional and working, then changing everything else.
Think of it like this:
- Your cabinet boxes might be perfectly fine
- Your layout probably already works well
- Your plumbing and electrical don’t need touching
If that is true, you can save thousands of dollars. You can simply reface, repaint, and refresh rather than rip everything out. If you are considering your options for a low cost kitchen remodel, finding a Kitchen Saver location near you is a great first step to receiving cabinet refacing estimates and beautiful design ideas that won’t break the bank.
Big savings, real results.
Cabinet refacing saves most homeowners more than 70 percent of the cost of a cabinet replacement project. Think about what you can do with that kind of savings.
6x Budget-Friendly Ways To Refresh Your Kitchen
Ok, now for the fun part. Here are your highest impact items for your dollar.
Reface The Cabinets
Cabinet refacing is the #1 way to update a dated kitchen without going broke.
Here’s how it works: The cabinet boxes stay in place. You get:
- New doors and drawer fronts
- Fresh veneer or laminate over the exposed frames
- Updated hardware to finish the look
The outcome is like new — minus the demo, the mess, and most of the expense. Refacing typically takes just a few days versus weeks. Your kitchen stays functional during the process.
Note: Refacing can only be done if your cabinet boxes are in good solid shape. If there is water damage, mould or loose crumbly frames you will need to replace.
Paint Everything
Never underestimate the power of paint.
Painting can update an outdated kitchen overnight. Plus it’s fractions of the price of remodeling. Give your:
- Walls (a bright, neutral colour opens up the space)
- Cabinets (if you don’t want to reface them)
- Ceiling (a fresh white ceiling makes the whole room feel taller)
Painting cabinets yourself? Don’t cut corners with the preparation process. Sand them thoroughly and use a cabinet primer. It’s the step most DIY projects fail at and look amateur.
Swap Out The Hardware
Hardware is the jewellery of the kitchen.
Replacing knobs, pulls and handles can give old cabinets a fresh, new look — and it can cost less than $100. Visit the local big box store and choose finishes you love:
- Matte black
- Brushed brass
- Polished chrome
Make sure you measure your hole spacing prior to purchasing. Otherwise you will be drilling new holes in your cabinet doors AND driving yourself crazy.
Update The Lighting
Bad lighting makes a good kitchen look dated. Fast.
Replace that outdated flush mount with a stylish pendant or chandelier. Install LED strips under cabinets to illuminate the countertops. Use dimmers on overhead fixtures to create ambiance.
Lighting is one home improvement project that most people never consider. It can transform the look and feel of your kitchen.
Refresh The Countertops
New countertops are pricey. Really pricey.
However, you don’t always need to replace them. There are countertop refinishing kits available that allow you to paint laminate or tile countertops with a stone-look coating. Kits like this run about $100-$200 and can be completed in a weekend.
When your countertops are cracked, chipped or severely stained…refinishing kits are a budget game changer.
New Faucet & Fresh Backsplash
Two small updates. Massive impact.
New faucet. Updating your faucet instantly freshens up the sink area. Options start at less than $150. New backsplash?! Yup, that’s easier than you imagine. Peel- and stick tile has improved by leaps and bounds — they mimic real tile, yet are a fraction of the cost.
Bonus: You can install them yourself in an afternoon.
Where To Spend & Where To Save
An affordable kitchen remodel is all about knowing where your money should go.
Spend on:
- Cabinet refacing (biggest visual impact)
- A quality faucet (you’ll use it every day)
- Good lighting fixtures
Save on:
- Hardware (cheap options look expensive)
- Backsplash (peel-and-stick works great)
- Paint (any quality brand will do the job)
The secret is spending your budget where people will see it most. Cabinets are the biggest visual impact in kitchens. Next are countertops. After that it doesn’t matter.
Why does this work? The cabinets are the first thing people notice when they walk into a kitchen. If your cabinets look good, your whole kitchen will look good.
Simple as that.
Avoid the temptation to update everything at once. Prioritize your budget for the big bang items and add smaller updates later. You will see much better results by focusing on the important pieces.
Bringing It All Together
An affordable kitchen remodel doesn’t need to break the bank. Not even close.
If you avoid doing a complete gut renovation and concentrate on clever makeovers, you can update an outdated kitchen for pennies on the dollar. Let’s review in five points:
- Reface — don’t replace — the cabinets
- Paint the walls, ceiling, and (if needed) the cabinets
- Swap the hardware and lighting fixtures
- Refresh countertops with a refinishing kit
- Add a new faucet and peel-and-stick backsplash
If possible, begin with cabinet refacing. This is the one change that offers you the most bang for your buck. Move on from there and start layering in small updates.
Keep in mind… You don’t have to spend the most money to have a beautiful kitchen. Spend money where it counts on updates that people will see.
Your dated kitchen doesn’t need a tear-out. It just needs the right refresh.
