FAQ: How Much to Spend on a Kitchen Remodel
This is a different question than "How much does a kitchen remodel cost?" Instead of looking at how much this home improvement project ultimately costs, many homeowners want to know how much they should spend on a kitchen remodel. Kitchens are a popular place to upgrade, so let's look at what good practices would be for this kind of project.
If you're looking to remodel in order to help your home sell, you may want to talk to a real estate agent on what works best in their experience for dressing up a home. However, if you're looking to stay in your house for years to come, then what you remodel is really up to you. You're not looking to upgrade to make it more desirable to a buyer.
So let's look at the kinds of upgrades a homeowner may consider during a kitchen remodel.
A new fridge, stove and dishwasher would make almost any kitchen feel new. the new style of refrigerators - double doors up top and the freezer down below - start at around $1,200. You could spend even more, like around $2,500 and get an in-door ice/water dispenser. Want a TV and touch screen in the door? You're looking at $3,000 and more.
Stoves run in the $300-$500 range for your standard electric or gas range with one oven door. If you're looking to add a top of the line model with smooth surface cooking area and dual ovens to your kitchen remodel, start budgeting for around $1,600.
Storage space and counter space are often one of the things homeowners want more of, the longer they live in a home. Or maybe your cabinets are straight out the 1970s. Whatever the case, replacing or adding cabinets can run in the $5,000 range for basics. You could really rack up the dollars with custom cabinetry in the $20,000 budget and higher. Depending on your financial situation and your design ideas, coupled with how long you plan to live in the house. The more you spend does not necessarily translate to the same amount you'd get out of the house when you sell. But if you're planning to stay and you want the kitchen a certain way, then go for the gold!
Ceramic tile prices - including labor - average about $4 per square foot. So a 10 foot by 10 foot area (that's a very small kitchen) would cost about $400 installed. Linoleum often runs a bit less - around $3-$4 a foot. Vinyl is even less expensive - around $1-$2 a foot. These prices are generalizations, but you can see flooring can vary greatly in price and will liklely run you several hundred dollars.
As with any home improvement project, the suggested cost of your kitchen remodel really depends on you and your desires or needs. A $15,000-$25,000 remodeling budget is a fairly normal goal that could get you a lot of kitchen. You could also spend much less and still have a new feel when all is said and done.
Other areas of improvement may include electrical (lighting), plumbing (an extra sink in an island), new windows or maybe a sliding-glass door to your deck. Each home improvement certainly adds more cost, but many of them add nearly dollar-for-dollar value.
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