Simple Tips for Planning a Kitchen Renovation on a Budget

Your home may need a kitchen renovation if the surface materials are old, worn-out, and downright dingy. The space may also lack proper storage for pantry items and cookware, and may not offer enough counter space for food prep. A kitchen renovation might also give you the chance to install new, larger windows, for letting in more light, and letting out more heat and humidity when you cook. One drawback to a kitchen renovation, however, is the price! To keep your renovation under budget, note a few tips that will help to cut down on your costs, while still ensuring the end result is a stunning kitchen you'll love for decades.

Covering surfaces

Tearing up floor tiles and removing benchtops can be expensive, as you need to pay for the labour involved as well as any materials needed to prep the remaining exposed surface. A cheaper option is to buy new materials that can actually cover the old. Peel-and-stick tiles can be placed over your kitchen's current floor tiles; as long as the current flooring is level and stripped, it can stay in place rather than being torn up. Granite veneers are a thin layer of granite cut to fit right over your current benchtops; this veneer means less cost for the material, since you're using less stone, and also no cost for tearing up your old benchtops. Look into options like these for covering your kitchen's current surfaces rather than removing them.

Cabinet and drawer fronts

If the cabinets of your kitchen are in good condition, you may not need to replace them entirely. You can often buy new cabinet doors and drawer fronts, and replace these for a fresh new look. Include oversized hinges and pulls for an updated look, and repaint the actual cabinets to match the new fronts, if needed. This is much less expensive than buying entirely new cabinets for your kitchen!

Recycle materials

Use recycled materials for the kitchen renovation, where possible; an old cabinet can have an inexpensive granite remnant attached to the top and then casters to the bottom, so it becomes a mobile kitchen island. Use scrap wood to create exposed shelves in place of a cabinet or two, so you have the storage you need for far less cost than new cabinets. If you want seating in the kitchen, use recycled wood to create a built-in bench. A nice coat of paint can make that used wood look brand new, and for far less cost than buying a new set of chairs or banquette.