| We hear numbers thrown out all the time about the | | | | charge. |
| amazing cost of a new kitchen ($25,000, $40,000, | | | | The typical kitchen has 23 linear feet of counter |
| $70,000!). It's enough to scare us out of the project | | | | space. This can get expensive. Marble can be $80 per |
| altogether. Yes, it certainly is possible to spend this | | | | square foot as can granite which can go as high as |
| much on a new kitchen, but if you know where to | | | | $150 per square foot. The good news is granite is |
| cut corners, it's also possible to spend far less. | | | | getting cheaper and where you buy the granite |
| First, this article is written for those on a budget. If | | | | makes a very big difference. There are deals to be |
| you can buy the very best of everything discontinue | | | | found out there. As you probably already know, this |
| reading. Most of us need to pick and choose where | | | | is not the area to cut corners. The heart of the |
| we will spend our money. Let's look at some of the | | | | kitchen is the countertop. |
| main items in a kitchen remodel that drive costs, and | | | | Make this decision first along with your cabinets and |
| decide where we are going to spend our money. | | | | plan the rest of the kitchen around these two things. |
| In the appliance category the main driver is the | | | | Concrete countertops are all the rage but don't think |
| range. (Can you live with your existing appliances by | | | | concrete means "cheap." These are even more |
| the way?). Do you need the "status symbol" six | | | | trendy than granite today. |
| burner gas range with twin ovens below? If so, plan | | | | The main expense in the kitchen remodeling project |
| to spend about $10,000. However, if you are fine | | | | is the cabinets. The cost will be driven by whether |
| with the status quo 4 burner / one oven stainless | | | | you go with completely custom cabinets or stock. |
| steel range you should not have to spend more than | | | | Pricing here will be "all over the place." Are you |
| $4,000 for a very high quality range and you can | | | | bringing in a carpenter for one-of-a-kind Brazilian |
| spend much less than this if you want. Want $1,000 | | | | Cherry Wood or buying from Ikea, a $20,000 |
| off, find a nick and scratch store. | | | | difference. (Don't laugh, Ikea cabinets are not as |
| Can you live with laminate flooring at $2 to $3 per | | | | easy to assemble as their TV stands, but they have |
| square foot. Most hardwood will cost $5 to $8 a | | | | some beautiful cabinets at reasonable costs. Although |
| square foot and that is what you will spend on most | | | | they will tell you they can be assembled and installed |
| tile as well. Of course, there are many brands of | | | | yourself, we don't recommend it.) |
| hardwood and tile that will easily eclipse $10 per | | | | The handles in the cabinets (the hardware) can |
| square foot. | | | | fluctuate from $4 to almost $15 per knob and handle. |
| If you absolutely need hardwood over laminate, | | | | Again, this is an area where if you can live with what |
| discount stores like Lumber Liquidators will have many | | | | comes "stock" it will save you a tremendous amount |
| brands and types of hardwood at under $5 a square | | | | of money you can use elsewhere. |
| foot. Also, it's not uncommon for stores like Home | | | | How much money do you have left for the sink and |
| Depot, Lowes, Color Tile etc. to "blow out" certain | | | | fixture? Here we would put less money on the sink, |
| lines of tile for about $2 a square foot for items that | | | | spending about $200 for generic stainless steel |
| are discontinued, etc. You can find deals if you look | | | | instead of the $500 or $600 for name brands with |
| hard enough. | | | | noise dampening, and put our money into the faucet, |
| Tiles designed for the backsplash can get expensive, | | | | where there can be a big difference in quality |
| easily eclipsing $20 per square foot. Remember, any | | | | between $80 and $200. Saving $100 on the fixture is |
| tile that's meant to be walked on can also act as the | | | | not worth it because a plumber will charge you $150 |
| back splash and any cheap, square 4 x 4 tile can be | | | | just to walk through your door. Put in a quality |
| installed diagonally on a backsplash. The savings in the | | | | fixture that will last for 15 years and keep the |
| tile will more than make up for the additional labor | | | | plumber at bay. |