How to Fit New Kitchen Cabinets Into Your Remodeling Budget

Remodeling or renovating a home can cost an obscene amount or a reasonable one, depending on the planning and shopping savvy of the homeowner. Kitchens offer a challenge because people spend so much time in them that they want to go all out, yet this room includes some of the highest-cost items. Cabinets alone typically cost between $5,000 to $6,000, causing some homeowners to think they will need to finance their remodeling project.
Cabinets Cost a Lot, So Replace Them Judiciously
The majority of homeowners, 94%, partially or completely replace the kitchen cabinets during a renovation, according to Proline. In a partial replacement, the homeowner only replaces damaged cabinets to save money. Doing this can save thousands of dollars.
Kitchen Remodeling Pro Tips Can Help
Almost as many homeowners, 84%, hire a kitchen remodeling professional, according to Houzz. Ask the remodeling professional how to save money on the cabinets. Expect them to tout simplicity of style and a reasonably priced wood species.
Instead of purchasing cherry wood cabinets, choose a cheaper wood species and stain them cherry colored. Also, avoid busy wood carvings and column trim. Those types of customizations drive the prices up.
Choose standard-depth kitchen base cabinets measuring 24 inches. The standard depth of wall cabinets ranges from 12 to 24 inches, according to The Spruce, but choosing shelves instead of wall cabinets saves you big and provides the same storage space. Many cabinets designs feature shelf options, keeping everything in the same design family.
Choose fewer drawers and tons of cabinets. Drawers cost more than cabinets, and the savings quickly add up when drawers get eliminated. Also, avoid customized features, such as pullouts, soft-close drawers, and full-extension slides.
To really save big money on kitchen cabinets, choose laminate or Thermofoil, a plastic finish applied to engineered wood. Both options look like painted wood without the cost. Avoid these options when renovating a home in a moist, high-humidity environment because they damage easily from moisture. Use an all-plywood sink base when installing either laminate or Thermofoil cabinets. Add delamination heat shields around your range.
Refurbish Existing Cabinets Instead of Replacing Them
Sometimes, existing cabinets remain in stupendous condition but the homeowner wants a new look for the kitchen. In these cases, strip off the old varnish or paint and re-paint them. Skip glazing them, though, because it adds significantly to the cost. Add gold or silver trim and change the cabinet handles and drawer pulls.
Wood-burning designs offer another way to redo existing cabinets. Hire a kitchen remodeling crew that employs a wood-burning expert. Choose a stencil design and have the woodworking professional etch the design into the wood of each cabinet door. This option provides a truly unique cabinet design to your kitchen without too huge a cost.
Shopping for Materials
Skip shopping at major retailers like Lowe’s and Home Depot for cost savings. Instead, shop at a Habitat for Humanity ReStore to save up to 90% off on materials and help the non-profit behind the store provide free housing to low-income families. Other options include shopping online at Temu, Amazon, and Alibaba. Each of these shopping platforms hosts thousands of stores, many offering deep discounts on superb building materials and free shipping.
Renovating and Remodeling Kitchen Cabinets for Less
Identify why the cabinets need to change and find a way to address it through painting, varnishing, and wood-burning designs. For new builds and cabinets beyond refurbishing, choose fewer drawers, use only base cabinets, and install shelves above the counter. Doing these things adds up to big kitchen cabinet savings.