Useful tips and cost saving advice to help you with your kitchen renovation project

Any type of renovation project is going to cost a pretty penny. In particular, a kitchen remodeling can costs thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars if you are looking to get the newest and best. Still, if you have the time and the energy to invest, you can cut the cost of this type of project immensely and actually do the renovations yourself.

How many changes?

The amount of additions and changes you are looking to make on your kitchen can greatly impact the cost of your renovation. One major cost that comes with a kitchen renovation is the new appliances that are purchased. If you need to get the best stainless steel appliances, the cost will be a lot higher than if you are able to stick with your current ones.

Kitchen appliances include a dishwasher, stove and oven, microwave, and toaster at the bare minimum. Most people also want to include a toaster oven and coffee maker in their regular rotation, and there are other appliances like a juicer or waffle maker that might be added as well. The cost of these items, even on sale, is going to be no less than a couple of thousand dollars.

On the other hand, maybe the only necessary changes are the dishwasher and stovetop, or maybe you just need a new microwave. Regardless of what you need to change on this end, the best idea is to really decide and plan ahead of time. Keeping to a budget is tough, but by having a clear definition of every change needed will definitely help you to do so.

Resurface, Don't Replace

One unique way to cut the costs of your renovation project is to throw out the idea of completely replacing certain aspects and consider the possibility of resurfacing. Granite countertops are definitely nice, as are brand new cabinets, but a kitchen can be greatly improved upon without replacing either of them. An original and cost effective way to go about this is to actually just resurface the old cabinets and countertops.

To do this, you only need to invest in the cost of sand paper, primer, paint, and some new fixtures. Compared to the cost of brand new cabinets, this is pennies on the dollar. The process is not difficult either and includes just a few easy steps:

§  Take out all of the drawers and unfasten all of the cabinet doors.

§  Sand them down so that the original finish is smooth.

§  Prime them so that the paint will adhere.

§  Paint them with your desired color. Get creative, and add in a dual color scheme if you have the ability.

§  Finally, replace the cabinets and drawers with new fixtures that complement the chosen color.

§  After this is done, but some painters tape and go about repainting the walls.

The countertops are a bit trickier, but the process is basically the same in most cases. If you want to get creative, go to your local craft store and ask for some ideas. You'd be surprised with the kind of cheap renovation ideas that a crafty person can come up with.

Other Options

If you completely lack the ability to paint with smooth brush strokes, or if you want to save a little bit of time, you can also buy new countertops or cabinets at a reduced price. Or, maybe you find the cabinets easy enough, but you just can't work with the countertops. Remember, the idea in DIY is to be creative. The key is to just make sure that everything works well together.

Spending the extra money on granite or another countertop that you desire may be worth it. Again, just make sure to figure these costs into your budget before getting started. Once the project is underway, you are going to have unforeseen expenses.

Start the Renovation

Once you have devised a definite plan for how your kitchen needs to look, start comparing the prices of all the items you will need. Remember to figure on having extra paint and primer. Also, don't try to knock out the entire kitchen in one day, especially if you opt to go down the painting route.

If you have weekends off, decide that you will resurface 20% of the kitchen each weekend for 5 weeks, or maybe decide that you will do 33% for 3 weeks. Just make a realistic goal that you can stick to. DIY projects offer a unique feeling of accomplishment, so once the changes are underway, don't be surprised if you start working faster.

You'll want to check with your municipality as most major projects like kitchen renovations require you to obtain a building permit. Electrical and plumbing permits may also have to be obtained separately.