3 Ways to Reduce the Cost of a Kitchen Renovation Project

The process of a kitchen renovation can be long, stressful, and expensive. So many decisions need to be made regarding material and designs, and every decision carries the weight of time with it. Plus, there’s the potential for making a costly mistake, as a poor choice of countertop will be a daily nuisance from the day it is installed until the day it is replaced.

Given the weightiness of these decisions, it’s normal for homeowners to have some reservations about starting the process simply because of the costs involved. The result is many homeowners in Anaheim persisting with awkward kitchen cabinets or visually disjointed design features that do not reflect the needs or tastes of those who live there. Many homeowners put up with non-ideal kitchen spaces because they do not want to take the plunge into renovations for fear of a costly mistake.

A Renovation Doesn’t Need to Be Costly

But it does not have to be this way. It does not have to be costly to renovate a kitchen, and there are ways to think through design choices to avoid making choices that one might later regret. There are cost effective choices to make in every domain of the kitchen, including flooring, lighting, windows, counter tops, and cabinets. FInding ways to cut costs on these upgrades is possible, but what’s hard is doing it in a way that keeps quality at a high standard.

Navigating these decisions with thoughtfulness, diligence (and a budget!) should make the redesign process less stressful, more affordable – and maybe even fun!

Benefits of a Kitchen Redesign

It should be fun to redesign a kitchen because it brings two huge benefits to any residential property. The undeniable benefit is that it makes the heart of the home a more accessible space, a space where people want to gather and spend time because the layout and design choices facilitate it.

A second benefit of a kitchen remodel is financial in that it increases the value of the property by keeping up with market standards. This is the case even if selling is not on the immediate horizon, as keeping up with contemporary standards will add value instead of cost to a prospective buyer. Common market estimates deem a kitchen remodel to add $10-15k to an asking price. If the total cost of the renovation comes in under that – which is more than possible by making economic choices in materials – then a remodel represents an investment with excellent returns.

How to Reduce the Cost of a Kitchen Renovation

All the more reason to find ways of reducing the cost of a renovation project by following these three suggestions:

1. Keep the Same Layout

In some cases, keeping the same kitchen layout is not only possible, it is advisable. Is there ample counter space and plenty of room to navigate around the cabinets? Is there a kitchen island setup that works fine in terms of traffic but just needs a refresh?

Choosing to keep the same layout will save a lot of money in accompanying costs for flooring, cabinets, and countertops in the kitchen remodeling project of an Anaheim home. However, it should only be pursued if the spatial features of the kitchen already work.

2. Explore Countertop Options

Countertops are often the centerpiece of the kitchen. Though it might seem like storage is the most important feature, in most cases, it is the countertop that defines how functional the space is. Finding ways to get the most countertop space is one challenge, as maximum space is desirable for when large groups come over.

In terms of cost, however, the countertop material is a more urgent concern, as prices can skyrocket if the amount of space is substantial. The most economical options for countertops are quartz and corian, which offer similar visual appeal to granite for a fraction of the cost. Other alternatives include ceramic or concrete surfaces, which can be dyed to match the design aesthetic of the entire kitchen.

This brings up an important design question. Countertops and cabinets should always be thought of as a pair, with color and material designed to match. This means that going with a quartz countertop makes sense only if they look striking as a compliment to shelving that is painted a similar color. Getting the right balance here will make or break the visual appeal of the new kitchen.

3. Choose Tile Flooring – But Choose Wisely

A lot has been discussed already – and yet nothing has been said about the floor. Kitchen flooring is often overlooked because it does not immediately catch the eye, but it is one of those choices that, if overlooked, will certainly cause trouble down the road.

Tile flooring is the most economical floor materials for kitchen remodeling projects in Orange County, but there are many types of tile, with varying prices to match. Professionals will bring a lot of insight to the table when choosing tile flooring, but here are some quick things to know about each type:

• The most cost-effective choice for sure, ceramic tile is sturdy and visually appealing. The size and design choices are plentiful, and perhaps the best thing about ceramic tile is that it acts as a compliment to the other, more striking features of a kitchen. Depending on the lighting, however, ceramic tile can shimmer and reflect some nice brightness into the space.
• For small spaces, mosaic tile is the way to go. This is why they make sense in a bar area or in bathrooms. For kitchens, they can have quite a dynamic look, but it’s not going to be cheap.
• Natural Stone. The luxurious choice here is natural stone which, while undeniably appealing, will run the cost of the project up quite a bit. A recommendation here is to use natural stone for a bathroom remodeling project instead, creating value elsewhere in an Orange County home that needs a facelift.

Stick to the Budget

These suggestions only scratch the surface of what’s possible once the decision has been made to pursue a kitchen remodeling project in Orange County. Within each of these categories, there are countless options for affordable, high-quality products, and the fun part is exploring how to make decisions across each category that work together. For example, the color of wood used in the kitchen cabinets could be mirrored in the type of tile flooring in an Orange County home.

Striking the right balance takes time, but with the long-term benefits in mind, and by sticking to a budget, the process of renovating a kitchen should not be anxiety-inducing.