I tell everyone that in a renovation, “Anything is possible, it all just comes down to budget and schedule”. For so many, budget is the main concern, but you can honestly get the same look at every price point. It all comes down to a bit of ingenuity, some elbow grease, and savvy shopping. To further explain this, let’s look at the kitchen renovation I did a few months ago.
The main area in which you can find considerable savings without compromising the look of your kitchen is cabinetry.
The pricing for cabinetry ranges drastically. This is because of the material type, assembly, finish, and hardware. The three most affordable approaches to purchasing your cabinetry are 1) Ready to Assemble, 2) A big box construction store like Home Depot, and 3) A contractor’s supplier store like Builder’s Surplus.
As you can see from the table above, even with a small number of 9 cabinets, the price of cabinetry quickly adds up. The first two options require the installer to do a bit more work before the cabinets can be hung.
- RTA cabinets come in flat-pack boxes and will need to be assembled, similar to IKEA furniture. But RTA cabinets are typically made of much more durable materials and come with plenty of video tutorials for assembly from the vendor. If you are willing to do the work and assemble these before installing, they are a great option. These will easily result in thousands of dollars saved. The beauty of RTA is that they are already finished and come with soft-close hardware for both drawers and doors. You will get the look and function of higher end cabinets at a fraction of the cost.
- The Contractor’s Supply Store cabinets come already assembled but they are not finished. So if you decide to go with this option, you will need to lightly sand, prime and paint the cabinets. They are by far the least expensive option and standard sizes are generally in stock, but do NOT have soft-close hardware. I decided to go with with this option for the kitchen remodel shown above simply because I had a very tight budget. The schedule allowed for a couple more days for the renovation which I would need for the extra work of painting before installation. You can always buy soft-close hardware from amazon or another vendor and replace the hinges and glides that come with the cabinets if you like.
The 3 example vendors and options given are at the low end of kitchen cabinetry. You can easily triple the cost for the same number and size of cabinets by going the custom route. My main goal is to emphasize the fact that you can create the kitchen you dream of with a modest budget. So, do your research, and find the vendor that works best for you and your situation. Good Luck!!
And if you are remodeling your kitchen and need some help with choosing the style and hardware, here is a resource that can help with that and it is all yours when you sign up for my email list.
