It’s perhaps foolhardy to say any kitchen remodel is easy. However, in the grand scheme of things, some updates are easier than others. In short – yes. With these easy kitchen remodel ideas and tips, your renovation can be quick, budget-friendly, and beautiful.
1. Maintain Your Kitchen’s Existing Footprint
Without a doubt, the most time intensive kitchen remodeling project is rearranging the shape of your kitchen. If question, ‘How long does a kitchen renovation take?’ is a serious concern for you – keep your existing footprint.
Why? Because removing walls, installing a new sink and/or moving key items like the stove, can take a lot of time. You’ll need to change the structure of the house. Often this involves surveying the home to identify load-bearing walls.
It can also require you to install new plumbing and update the electrical wiring. Additionally, changing your kitchen’s existing footprint can be expensive. Without a doubt, the maintaining your kitchen’s existing footprint is the best tip for a budget-friendly kitchen renovation.
2. Use Your Kitchen’s Existing Appliances
Updating your kitchen appliances can be pricey – especially if you want to upgrade to higher-end appliance. These updates become even more expensive if you’re thinking about moving from an electric stove to a gas stove? You can’t simply find a gas stove in exactly the same proportions and slide it into place. Installing a gas stove means installing a gas line. This can be a cumbersome project, especially if there’s no gas line currently connected to your home at all.
Really set on kitchen revamp that includes new appliances? The most affordable way to do so is by selecting new appliances that will fit within the existing space. This means measuring your old appliances before you go shopping.
It’s also a good idea to measure the doors throughout which your old and new appliances will need to pass. The last thing you’ll want to do is score a great deal on a new fridge that you can’t even get in your house!
3. Skip Updates that Require Permits
Generally speaking – permits equal more money. If you’re looking for money saving ways to complete your kitchen project, make sure to carefully consider any project that would require a permit. If it’s not absolutely necessary, it might not be worth it.
What easy kitchen remodeling ideas don’t require a permit? Great question! There’s no permit needed to lay a tile floor or install a tile backsplash. You don’t need a permit to replace your kitchen cabinets (more on this to come), update your countertops or paint the walls. What kitchen remodels do require a permit? Generally speaking, any plumbing work, electrical work, or changes to your exterior walls will require a permit.
4. Make New Cabinets Your Focus
When it comes to kitchen makeovers, replacing your cabinets is the quickest and most affordable kitchen solution. This doesn’t mean your cabinets have to be completely custom. With fully-framed or semi-custom designs, you can get reasonable kitchen cabinets that are elegant and functional.
The key to getting a design you love with a budget-friendly price tag is to work with an experienced designer. An experienced designer can help you select a cabinet layout that works with your existing floor plan. She can help you evaluate your storage needs and identify the best way to meet them.
Furthermore, an experienced designer can help you wade through the different cabinet door options. And, there are a lot of options! It can be intimidating to select the finish and design. How do you make sure it will match your countertops and flooring? What will look good with the rest of your home’s current design? What paint color should you pair with your new cabinets? An experienced designer can help you evaluate your options and select the ones that are right for you.
Explore some of our recent kitchens remodels.
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