The 10 Best Ways To Save Money On A Kitchen Remodel

Remodeling or renovating a kitchen can feel like the biggest improvement to a home. The kitchen ends up being the place where everyone gathers — whether we like it or not — so having a fresh, clean, efficient, and functional space is why changes to this heart-of-the-home seem to be on the top of any redo list. I married a construction guy, namely, a civil engineer, who also loves doing things himself and is pretty handy. Kyle Nicholson has over 20 years experience in the industry and has — through exceeding my design expectations in our multiple homes — proven himself an expert in the home remodeling and renovating field.

We're currently building our 4,000-square-foot dream house in the mountains of Asheville, North Carolina (with Kyle acting as the general contractor), and know our fair share of information when it comes to demolition, remodeling, renovating, and building from the ground up. A kitchen remodel and renovation is nothing new or scary to us, but it definitely strikes fear into the hearts of our friends, family, and the uninitiated. So, we've rounded up 10 of our best tips to save money on your kitchen remodel to, hopefully, make it a bit less frightening.

New cabinets are sometimes a necessity. If your cabinets are made of cheap particle board or plastic, peeling, or falling apart, go ahead and shop around for new ones. However, if you've moved into an older home and have solid wood cabinets — whatever their color situation — you should seriously consider reusing and refinishing them. "The average cabinet — non-custom, shaker style, solid wood, preassembled — is gonna run about $1500 to $3000. To not have to spend that gives you a lot of room in your budget for other stuff," says Kyle Nicholson.

There are plenty of options for reusing and refinishing your already-existing cabinets. If you're too scared to take on the task yourself, plenty of contractors will do the work for you, although it'll be significantly more expensive than doing it yourself. That said, it'll still be cheaper than new cabinets. Once they're done, you can use this simple organizational solution to keep your cabinets decluttered. 

If you simply cannot reuse your cabinets, there are ways to save money. First, don't go for custom cabinets. They can run upwards of $400 to $1500 per linear foot, which is a significant portion of any kitchen renovation budget. Second, the installation of custom cabinets can be astronomical; we know a couple who were recently quoted $75,000 for custom cabinets and install (including labor and admin fees) in their moderately sized kitchen. Yikes.

"If you're in any way handy, ready-to-assemble cabinets are fairly easy to put together and give the same look as a semi-custom cabinet for a discounted price," says Kyle Nicholson. We had intended to order pre-assembled cabinets for our new home build, but since they would've added four weeks to our timeline, Kyle and I opted for the ready-to-assemble version. It only took an additional three hours for him to slap the cabinets together, and we saved a lot of time in the process. All we need now is to follow these tips to avoid damaging the cabinets when cleaning. 

If you, like me, spend a good portion of you Sunday rot day watching reruns of HGTV darlings Joanna and Chip Gaines or the Property Brothers, you may feel "in the know" about the best and worst kitchen countertops. Be they quartz, marble, granite, concrete, butcher block, or stainless steel, the sky is the limit when it comes to what you'd like your countertops to be. All have their pros and cons; and all of them vary in price. Granite has been our pick every time we've remodeled or built a kitchen for its moderate price point and its durability.

"Quartz is typically expensive compared to granite; it can get as high per square foot as marble. It's also man-made and it can't take as much heat as a granite would, which, if you're putting pots right down on it, isn't great," says Kyle Nicholson. "But, quartz is far better when it comes to stain resistance since it's solid and not porous like a stone, so I think that's why people like it. But, that said, any issues regarding porous stones or stain resistance can be alleviated with a good sealer. Granite is overall my pick. It's pretty easy to maintain, it's great for using to defrost things, and it won't crack like quartz will. Marble is a looks-only; it can stain, it doesn't do great under high heat, in general — it's not something you'd want to put in for functionality."

The key words here are "if you can." There are plenty of people out there that'll watch an episode or two of a DIY-ing couple and think, "if they can, so can I." But what those programs fail to show are materials not showing up on time, contractors working on multiple other projects at the same time as yours, Lowe's or Home Depot not having items in stock or leaving things off deliveries, and natural issues — for us, Hurricane Helene hitting Western North Carolina — throwing huge wrenches in plans.

It can be a lot for one person — even a small team — to manage. For Kyle and I, building our house has meant him being there all weekend, every weekend, plus heading over there during lunches at work and after our kids are in bed — from 7:30 pm to about 10 pm every night. If you do decide to tackle something smaller, like a kitchen renovation, take it a few hours at a time. Every night, do a little more — take a cabinet down and put a new one up; swap out the appliances — baby steps. For a smaller renovation, do things one at a time and in order of priority. "If it was me — I'd lean to bring appliances up to date. Cabinets can always be painted. There are plenty of ways to fix old countertops, too. But appliances have a set lifespan," says Kyle Nicholson.

It may not seem like a big deal to move the refrigerator from that far left wall over to the right, so it's closer to your pantry and the open doors won't result in pushing or shoving. But if moving an oven means a gas line has to move; or if moving the fridge results in redoing water lines, you're going to be looking at a pretty substantial bill. Work involving mechanical, electrical, and plumbing almost always means that a professional will need to get involved unless you're extremely well-versed in what you're doing.

Kyle Nicholson says it's important to bring appliances up to date, but to keep in mind that doing so means looking at wiring — especially in dated homes. "It would be wise to look into the mechanics, electrics, and plumbing associated with the kitchen to make sure nothing has deteriorated or that you don't have old aluminum wiring." If everything needs to be torn out anyway, it may make sense to move things around for a more efficient kitchen, but be mindful of your budget and impending charges that you'll incur once you start playing musical appliances.

I knew a woman who insisted on having a Viking gas range stove when she redid her kitchen. For those not in-the-know, a Viking gas range stove can clock in anywhere from $6000 to $12,000 and is used by some of the best chefs in the world. It's the Lamborghini of the kitchen; the Rolex of culinarians. Now, if you're Gordon Ramsey, by all means — you probably should have a Viking range. But if you're this unnamed woman I know who had trouble making a pot of macaroni and cheese, you really have no business buying that kind of equipment.

Kyle Nicholson says, "There are tons of good, middle-of-the-line ovens and other appliances that get the job done, look nice, and don't cost an arm and a leg." It's also important to understand the different varieties of stovetops and ovens. If you've never cooked on a gas range or used induction, you should educate yourself before getting a fancy model. Additionally, sometimes high-end appliances and luxury items aren't all that much better than their less impressive counterparts. The refrigerator with the camera that can talk to you is neat, but, at the end of the day, it keeps stuff cold, just like the one that's half the price.

There are certain times of year that are absolutely better for buying appliances than others. You probably are familiar with the inundating emails, junk mailers, and commercials around Labor Day, Memorial Day, and Presidents' Day; each piece of media advertising huge savings on a refrigerator or washer dryer combination or dishwasher. No interest and no down payment — come on down! You get the idea.

If you're remodeling your kitchen and in the mood to save money, shopping those sales is in your best interest. We've personally saved thousands by taking stores up on credit card specials during appliance sales and being able to buy everything cheaply at once, then just paying it off slowly with no interest. Bundling appliances, too, can help bring the cost down, since stores are usually eager to take the bigger sale with a bit of a discount. Chances are, you'll be able to afford a good or slightly higher-end appliance at a much lower price by waiting for the sales to hit.

If you find that remodeling the kitchen yourself is a bit too much to handle, take a breath — it's okay. Even construction folk like ourselves use professionals for the nitty-gritty details like plumbing and electrical work. "Kitchens are difficult in their own way because layout is so important for efficiency and functionality. There are a lot more building codes involved with a kitchen, so that's something to be cognizant of," says Kyle Nicholson. That said, if you do go with a professional, get multiple quotes from legitimate, insured businesses.

For some people, one quote or one business may seem sufficient, but it's important to shop around and see what different professionals say needs to be done. "If seeking professional help, treat choosing a contractor the same way you would shopping for cars. Check everything, do your research. Don't just accept things at face value. Read your contract with your contractor thoroughly — make sure that work is performed per the quote and that there's no language in the contract that allows for them to alter pricing other than by owner consent," says Nicholson. For example, moving a gas line may seem pretty cut and dry, but different contractors may come with different approaches. It doesn't hurt to look and see what the going rates are for three or four companies to do the same job.

Once you do choose a professional, pore over the quotes and contracts with a fine-toothed comb. You'll want to explore the prices being charged for materials and compare them with area prices from stores like Lowe's and Home Depot. You'll also want to understand allowances versus estimates versus per diem. "Ask to see a detailed schedule and discuss the possibility of liquidated damages if you need to relocate or find temporary housing while the renovation is being done. Liquidated damages are basically a daily 'fine' that the contractor has to pay back to you for the cost of you not being able to return home," says Kyle Nicholson.

It's also important to see how much you're being charged for materials, labor, and any tacked-on fees. Ask a lot of questions, and find out exactly what you're paying for. Again, treat bills and quotes the same way you would anything else — even if you're not fully comfortable with the ins and outs of what's being done.

This is a big one. It's definitely tough not to change your mind or second-guess yourself mid-way through a renovation. I know that I suddenly had a violent urge to go with black cabinets instead of white on our first kitchen remodel but, luckily, Kyle talked me out of that one: "Build a budget, choose your materials and stick with them. Changes can end up costing you double or worse. You don't want to start making changes mid-design because you saw something cute on Pinterest," says Nicholson, as he shoots me a look. Rude.

But, he's right (unfortunately). It's important to sit down and choose a design that isn't trendy and that you'll still love in five or ten years. A dark green kitchen with gold handle pulls may seem like the best idea now, but in ten years — and if you're planning to sell in the future — it's probably not your best choice. Write down your choices, buy materials early so you can't say "wait, I changed my mind," and feel confident in your initial, gut choice.