What Is the Least Expensive Way to Remodel a Kitchen?

The kitchen is the one room in a home that makes or breaks a sale. It’s also the place where people tend to gather the most. Both reasons provide an excellent justification to improve its functionality and style through a remodeling project.

Depending on how much work the remodeling project requires, you could be spending between $20,000 to $60,000 on the entire project. 

Since that amount isn’t always available to spend, here are some ways to create a fantastic outcome while spending less.

The Best Ways to Save Money on a Kitchen Remodel

Although a kitchen remodels is often the most expensive update for homeowners, you can save some cash by implementing these ideas. 

1. Think About Using White

If you have an outdated kitchen, it might be better to paint everything white. That’s because one of the most significant expenses from a complete remodel is to purchase new cabinets. Before painting it with your preferred color, you’ll need to wash each surface and add a primer.

White semi-gloss products tend to work the best. However, if you complete the look with some new hardware, you can enhance the visual value of your efforts.

2. Use New Cabinet Doors

When a kitchen is so outdated that even a fresh coat of paint won’t help, you can still save some money by replacing the doors only. Of course, you’ll need to get accurate measurements and find a style you like, but the extra work creates a design you’ll love.

3. Focus Behind the Sink and Stove

Outside of the cabinets, the kitchen backsplash is one of the most significant cost drivers in a remodeling project. Instead of having the same pattern throughout the entire space, consider finishing the tile where the walls meet. Then, you can budget for a fancier design where you do most of the work while having a practical, budget-friendly option in the rest of the space.

4. Add Task Lighting

An outdated kitchen often feels new when task lighting gets installed in essential areas. For example, you could hang a pendant above the sink, add options underneath the cabinets, or up the ante by creating recessed fixtures in the ceiling. When the brightest areas are where you’ll be cooking or baking, the investment will add more functionality to the space while increasing its overall value. 

5. Don’t Change the Plumbing

It costs about $5,000 to move appliances that require a plumbing or gas line. That means it makes more sense to keep everything where it is – unless you have a safety hazard to fix or your refrigerator is too close to your oven or dishwasher. The heat from those appliances can cause the fridge to work harder than usual, reducing its overall lifespan. 

You can still get a reasonably affordable kitchen to remodel finished if you can do the plumbing work yourself. But unfortunately, most communities require the utility or gas provider to move that line, so there’s no getting around that cost.

6. Shop for Remnants

Try visiting your local supply yard instead of buying a custom solid surface or granite counter. Most businesses have remnants you can use to create a countertop swath, especially when there isn’t a lot of space to cover. That means your biggest expense might be cutting the product to the shape you need, so please remember to double-check your measurements for accuracy. 

7. Recycle the Leftovers

The typical kitchen remodel produces about 5% to 15% of waste material from the various items used. Although a no-waste design is almost impossible to achieve, you can turn some of the stuff that would usually get thrown away into cutting boards, rollout inserts, picture frames, and other items. Try to think creatively to see how your leftovers could get used in ways that benefit your updated space.

8. Shop Scratch and Dent

If you have a scratch and dent store in your community, stop by to see anything available for your kitchen remodel. You never know what might be available. It requires a lot of luck to find a great deal, but anything is possible. Some communities have appliance recycling centers where you can grab something for almost nothing. Even if you want something new, time your project for when the significant sales events occur so that you can get what you need without paying the total price.

A kitchen remodeling project can be expensive when you have multiple items on your list to update. However, when you look for the cheapest ways to achieve the high-quality results you want, you’ll find it possible to create a great space to use while sticking to a budget.