Accomplish a Budget-Friendly Kitchen Remodel

For many families, the kitchen can be the heart of your home—a gathering place to prepare food, play games, or discuss your day. If it's been too long since your kitchen has been refreshed or updated, you may be ready for a change. But a full-scale kitchen remodel can cost around $150 per square foot, with some remodels clocking in at $40,000 to $60,000. What options do you have for a more budget-friendly kitchen remodel? 

Your Budget-Friendly Kitchen Remodel Basics 

When it comes to reducing the cost of a kitchen remodel, there are a few things you can do. 

• Harness the power of stencils and paint. You can use stencils to make unique designs on your tile backsplash, walls, or floor. These changes can have a huge impact on the look of your kitchen while costing far less than replacing flooring, backsplash, or counters. 
• Look into gently-used fixtures and upgrades. Paying the list price for all the materials needed to remodel your kitchen can be expensive. Shop resale or renovation supply stores for unique cabinets, drawer pulls, and other components to help revamp your kitchen for less than the price of new. 
• Do the prep work yourself. Much of the labor costs associated with kitchen remodels are demolition-related. Just removing cabinet doors and hardware to prep them for paint can take an hour or more, depending on the size of your kitchen. By handling as much of this prep work yourself as you can, you'll allow your contractors to focus on more substantive work. 

Change Your Cabinet Doors 

If you're buying cabinets in Arizona, you have a variety from which to choose. But if all-new cabinets aren't in your remodel budget, one way to provide a refreshed look is by changing, removing, or replacing the cabinet doors. Having several open shelves can give your kitchen a more modern look and allow you to display your most attractive dishes or glassware easily. 

Update Your Lighting 

New lighting can provide an instant facelift for any room, and kitchens are no exception. Switching from your current lighting scheme to a brighter one can make your kitchen more inviting, while a statement light fixture can draw attention away from the parts of your kitchen you'd rather not highlight. 

Depending on the color scheme and the number of windows in your kitchen, you may want to opt for warm lightbulbs or cool, daylight-mimicking ones. And with so many modern light fixtures available at a low price, the design options are nearly endless. 

Play with Accessories 

Just as lighting can have a major impact, so can accessories like window treatments, cabinet and drawer pulls, bar stools, and wall art. Simply swapping out some unexciting drawer pulls for brightly colored ones or upgrading from vinyl to Roman blinds can refresh your kitchen without requiring you to pick up any power tools. 

Whether you're ready to begin your kitchen remodel or are still in the planning stages, these tips and tricks can help you make the most of your remodeling budget.