Have you got a vision or mission statement about what you want your kitchen to be? That helped me decide on what I was prepared to compromise.

Just FYI: another thing that might help is IKEA cabinets: they come with soft close, full extension drawers and soft close cabinets. It can really help a budget!

Go check out a friend's kitchen w/o soft close and full extension. We did and decided that was an area we could cut back. Do not buy your moldings/trim from the cabinet dealer. Taking that off our quote and losing the full extension/blum drawers took 30% off our cabinet quote (more than $7000). If you really want roll outs, do them after the installation when you can afford it.

Check out appliance store's scratch and dent areas. You can probably find a good DW there that is maybe last year's model or is out of the box.

Check out wood floors. My GC swears the tile would have cost more because installation is more expensive.

Try to find a fabricator with remnants. Our bathroom cost 1/3 what the quartz counter would have run us, and we got granite.

Good luck. It can be done.

Go check out Ikea! Would you really care about particleboard walls to the cabinets if you couldn't see them and it meant you could have everything else you mentioned plus LOTS of drawers?

I second the Ikea cabs. Great deal, with lots of bells and whistles included.

You can do one of two things - compromise on what you want, or get exactly what you want - just not all at once.

Think of things that you can easily add later, when you have more money. For example, an inexpensive faucet will do for now, as long as it takes the same number of holes. The backsplash can wait, as can the lighting, tapmaster, soap dispenser, etc. You don't have to give these items up - just delay them.

Even your counter can wait. For a while we just had varnished plywood. Actually looked pretty good.

Maybe focus on the basics for now - cabinets, flooring, any electrical/structural work that has to be done. Then add things as budget allows.

Also be clear on what YOU want and need. Don't be sidetracked by all the "eye candy" you'll see here.

And be careful to discern between true quality and brand recognition. Is that $800 16 guage Julien sink REALLY better than the $300 16 guage sink off Ebay?

Are the $25,000 brand name cabinets REALLY better constructed or more durable than the $4,000 Ikea cabinets?

Don't be discouraged! You can have your dream kitchen, just maybe not all at once. :-)

I call my kitchen (pictures in the thread linked below) "garage sale chic".

I knew what I wanted, but had to deploy most of my budget for labour rather than materials so we had to figure out a way of cutting costs somehow. If price had been NO object there are other looks I would have considered, but what we wound up with is pretty much exactly what I'd had in mind as "mid range" choices from the time the project was conceived.

The only difference was that I got most of the big ticket items on Craigs list (at the suggestion of my wonderful GC!), either new (the appliances, all with their warrantee cards, whcih was a dealbreaker for me), nearly new (some 3 yr old Cambria quartz countertop in PRISTING condition, and including the Blanco undermount sink) or in excellent used condition (a full set of Kraftmaid natural maple cabinets in exactly the door style I had picked out when I first started looking at cabinet catalogs and showrooms).

I had to buy a few extra cabinets new for specific sizes, but I went through a local chain which has a steeper discount on Kraftmaid (Just Cabinets) and saved a few more dollars that way. I also needed ONE door for a 9" cabinet which my GC built out of "spares", but JC wasn't able to provide those so I got one at HD when I had a 10% off coupon as well, and saved more money that way.

My GC got a lot of the building materials at salvage yards, off Craigslist and from Habitat for Humanity (and similar places). All were in absolutely fine condition - either new, or near-new. And once 1x trim is painted, who can tell what colour it started out? Simply not a problem.

I got aftermarket Revashelf pullouts on ebay for a fraction of their retail cost, even less than retail online.

My backsplash was $5sf, but we didn't need much of it so it was an affordable splurge.

The faucet nearly stumped me - and I did go over what I"d hoped to pay for one - but I eventually wound up with a moderately priced pulldown from Ikea.

I did get a new table (not the one in the pictures), but it was SERIOUSLY onsale, exactly the right size and style, and was the last one.

Handles came from Target for about $5 a pull. I probably could have found them cheaper online, but I couldn't find them readily and decided to go with "a bird in the hand" on those. We didn't need that many, so it wasn't too bad.

I did all the preliminary design work myself, which was then tweaked and made "real" by my GC - he himself told me when he took the job that my knowing what I wanted and presenting him with several different possibilities based on the realities of the structure (which I didn't pretend to know anything about!) was one of the reasons he could keep my costs down - I'd already done a lot of the "puzzle" work for layout, flow, and practicalities.

If you want to go the "one stop shop" route, via a KD (and their commission for their services), you will for sure pay more. I was lucky in that I had the time during this period to go out hunting for bargains and running around after Craigslist stff; if the remodel had happened a few months earlier or later, that wouldn't have been possible. But if you're willing to do extra legwork, really shop and shop hard, aren't twitchy about gently used items and have a GC who's also willing to work with you, it CAN be done. Easy? No. But very, very satisfying to have achieved it on our decidedly minimalist budget!

Best of luck to you - it's a challenge, but a fun one!

Here is a link that might be useful: Divamum's 95% finished kitchen

Oh, I know how you feel about sticker shock when you start this process! I was totally disheartened! mls99 makes a good point about having a vision and establishing priorities. Then you know what you really need to make the vision a reality. (See the link below to the FAQ webpage and the Sweeby Test as a starting point).

Some things matter less than others. I had to save for two extra years to get the kitchen I wanted and then I spent even more than I intended to. And the extra time went into planning (dreaming too) - for function as well as asthetics.

I decided in a house with 2 people, I didn't need a prep sink (and some kitchens really don't have room for one). No, I don't have a tapmaster, never MT or blumotion. I have a pull out recycle/trash but not a foot-pedal. But, my new kitchen is good quality, lovely, highly functional and makes me happy. I seriously, don't miss what I never had. Compared to the ugly old worn out kitchen, the new one is a dream come true.

You have 5 kids - your priorities will be different than mine - but you can have a great kitchen too. Hang in there. Establish the vision and the priorities. Don't give up. Lots of great ideas here.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Sweeby Test

As everyone else has said, set your vision and your priorities. There are so many options presented on this website that you see and think you just have to have, or at least I did. Be strong against those temptations (it took me a long time to let go of thinking that I had to have a SubZero). For example, I insisted on the Blum soft close drawers and now I think I was silly. Full extension definitely makes a difference, but why did I "need" soft close? My cabinetmaker tried to tell me I was wasting money.

You might look into a custom cabinetmaker. I found one that was outrageously reasonable. I would not have gotten inset cabinets had it not been for his prices. And inset was key to my look. Custom can be outrageously expensive in some areas, but might be worth looking into.

And, if you have the time, shop around. The pendants in my inspiration kitchen were more than $1000 each and I needed 3 of them. I found the exact same "look" at Westelm for under $60 each. I'm so proud of that bargain. I went with the super inexpensive Ticor sink for the island and wish I would have done the same for the main sink, but for some reason I thought I had to have the Franke Orca. Cool sink, but a big Ticor would have worked just as well.

Good luck.

I really appriciate all the suggestions. GW gives such wonderful ideas which makes me want all the extras and I'm focusing on those instead of what I really need. Thanks for helping to keep my head straight. I feel like I can get back on track now! Thanks!!!

What is your budget? If you don't mind posting it - I am sure many here can add more concrete suggestions.

We are very close to signing a contract for our remodel. Now it will still be a substantial amount and more than I initially envisioned - but we easily cut $7K out by eliminating a few bells and whistles as well as good old fashioned negotiation

We are "trying" for $20,000. Is it possible? At the beginning of all of this I thought "for sure", but now I've got to figure out what to get rid of. I've got to have the quartz countertops becuase of the maint. free and all my children. Thanks for the suggestions!

Also, I wouldn't mind adding things to kitchen over time, but I know that if we don't do it all now then we won't ever do it. Having to buy 7 people, someone always needs something and dh and I give everything to our children first. This kitchen is a big deal for us so I guess that's why I'm stressing it so much. We don't even splurge on clothes for us...lol

what part of the country do you live in? Are you doing anything structurally, like moving doors, changing windows? Moving plumbing and electric? Need recessed lighting? The more you can minimize these things to start with, the better off you'll be. I can't imagine the answer would be yes with 7 children, but can either you or DH do any of the work yourselves? Demo, paint? That will save some money as well. In addition to IKEA, you should take a look at Scherr's cabinets. They have received some rave reviews on this website. You can do a search for other threads on Scherr's. There's also a current thread about honest opinions regarding IKEA cabs.

Here is a link that might be useful: Scherr's Cabinets

A lot of it depends on how big your kitchen is and if you can DIY. If you DIY, it's probably a reasonable budget and you can always wait on things like appliances if they are still working but just not what you want. We think we spent about $17,000-18,000 but don't really know on our small DIY kitchen but I HAD to have my kraftmaid cherry ginger glaze cabinets in my door style so a good chunk of it went to cabinets. Our other choices really had nothing to do with budget but being practical - vinyl floor as it is easy to clean, easy DIY and ended up being cheap as we used an off-the-shelf (not the best, not the worst).

Divamum has a good suggestion to check local Craig's List - she got a great deal and if you are anywhere near Ohio Kraftmaid has an outlet that is really cheap.

Seriously, you really have a set of twins and a set of triplets :~ 0 ???? Honey, you deserve someone to GIVE you a new kitchen! Congratulations, too! I agree with the rest regarding the Ikea cabs. I don't have them but know many people that do and they rave about them. Outlets, CraigsList, Bump & Dent sales are all good places to look,too.
We went "whole hog" for this reno of ours, but I still was looking to save money wherever I could . This forum saved me a lot of money on my sink, faucets and hardware, especially. We have the BlueMotion and, while it's really nice, I could have lived happily without it. Watching the decorating shows on tv, I've learned that granite or quartz counters will really help sell your home someday. Depending on how soon you think those many wonderful little kidlets of yours are going to outgrow your house, you may want to consider going that route when you can afford it. And, like pcjs mentioned, if your appliances can hold out a couple more years ~ and they're standard sizes that will fit into those spaces!~ put those off and concentrate on the "Bones" of your kitchen, the cabs and good lighting.

In a NKBA survey, the average cost for a kitchen remodel was 27K. That included no structural changes and only minimal electrical or plumbing updates/upgrades. "Usually" about half the budget goes for cabinets, and the rest for flooring, appliances, countertops, sinks, faucets, etc. Other guidelines for what a kitchen remodel "should" cost use a % of your home's value as a yardstick to make sure you don't overspend. A kitchen remodel that costs between 10-20% of your home's value will keep the materials right in line with your neighborhood values. This does not apply in inflated real estate markets obviously, or for those who want a true professional kitchen in their home because they cater part time, etc. These guidelines are just for the ordinary homeowner.

If your actual budget is under the recommended number for your home, then you can stretch it any number of ways. Ikea has already been mentioned, and there may be other more traditional budget cabinet lines available from local sources, like American Woodmark. Recessed panel doors are cheaper than raised panel doors and partial overlay cabinets are generally cheaper than full overlay. THe more detail a door has, the more expensive it will be. Oak is the cheapest wood, then maple, then alder, then cherry. Glazes add between 5-20% to your cabinet order. Small specialty cabinets are a LOT more expensive than you think. It's better to have a fewer number of larger cabinets if you can. Tall cabinets are obviously more expensive than short cabinets, but sometimes it's worth it for the space. Of course, that space has to be accessed with a stepstool, so you may find it unusable inreality except for rarely used items. Stacked cabinets are a LOT more expensive than just plain tall cabinets. Glass is ridiculously high. The cheapest way to finish off the sides of your cabinets are skins, so don't get attached to finishing them off with decorative doors. Same for islands. Because they have to be finished off all the way around, islands are some of the most expensive cabinets in any design. If you can use a free standing piece that you source elsewhere, or get a carpenter to make, you'll be $$ ahead. And if you do choose your cabinet line for your island, finish off the sides and back with simple skins rather than decorative panels. Roll out trays can be added later. Hardware doesn't have to be purchased from the cabinet company, you can source it elsewhere, like Ebay. Quartz is great, but it's really overhyped and advertised for the real "benefit" and it isn't really that much "cleaner" or easier maintainence than any other type of countertop--including laminate. One way to save a LOT of money is to go with a laminate countertop now and put in quartz later on down the road. (It's virtually impossible to really improve on the quality of your cabinets once in place, but replacing a countertop is a simple project.) Pick out a non premium laminate with a simple edge so you won't have that much money invested into it and won't feel bad about discarding it later. Or, if you have someone handy enough, many home improvement stores carry countertop blanks that can be cut to your dimensions.

There are tons of ways to save money, but most of them involve you setting priorities and constraints and actually sticking to that plan despite the temptation of plenty of eye candy shown here. :~)

Live Wire has a really good point about countertops - I was determined to have Silesstone until the cabinets were in place and the local installer gave me a large tile - I hated how it looked as it didn't have enough white in it to pick up the appliances and it just didn't look natural. My husband really deep down wanted granite but I was worried it was hard to clean/care for. It is as easy, if not easier than my mom's corian - her sink stains all the time and has to be scrubbed out - no issues with our granite or SS sink... very easy to clean and care for - just wipe it down and ready to go (the sealer is just a spray you do every 6 months to a year - that scared me but again, not a big deal).

This forum can be a very challenging place to hang out if you are trying to stick to a tight budget. You have to focus on all the great money saving ideas and try to ignore all that other stuff.

I had a very generous budget and I still had sticker shock. I can say three years into the new kitchen that I could be just as happy right now with many less expensive things than I chose. They're nice - it would have been just as nice with something less expensive.

I personally would skip the soft close - full extension is nice if you can afford it - but of course that's not a necessity either. I don't have fancy counter edge treatment, a tapmaster or a prep sink - no problem there. And I am a big proponent of laminate counters if you are trying to save money. There are many great choices - they hold up well - and you can change out later when budget allows. And though a tile backsplash is nice - you can have a nice kitchen without that. Some people choose not to have one even if budget isn't a problem.

You need to be disciplined and stick to what is truly critical to have a functional, pleasing kitchen that you and your family can use and enjoy.

It is difficult to choose among all the $$$ options! One of my favorite things in my new kitchen are the full extension glides because they make everything so accessible. Would not give them up for me but your preferences may be very different. Any friend who has seen our kitchen and doesn't have full extension says "my next kitchen will have those!" I thought I wanted a Never MT (which is very inexpensive) but we bought a soap dispenser at a local hardware store that fills from the top so easily that I haven't bothered. One place that can surprise you is on the cabinetry. In our case, custom cabinets were much less expensive than going with manufactured cabinets so it's worth checking around. Walk through your type of cooking and see what bugs you about the current kitchen and set out to fix those things.

Pick the bling that you really love and don't worry about the rest. After all, it's bound to be an improvement over the old kitchen, right?

Here's a link to a thread that helped me. I didn't catch up on everything this morning but saw that you budget didn't have room yet for sinks, faucets, etc. We're running into trouble with that stuff. The sink, faucet, disposal, and cabinet hardware are all easily $300 each. Then there are all the extras... Costs really can explode far past your original budget before you realize it.

Good luck! As our KD kept telling us as we downgraded our cabinets from a wider frame to a thinner one (cut costs by 1/3) and knocked out things like the soft-close option: No matter what, the kitchen we end up with will be a huge improvement over what we had and we'll be thrilled.

Here is a link that might be useful: Now that I have [X]...

Oh, dear. Well, I guess our kitchen will be in line with %s quoted here - probably about 15% of our home's sale value in this depressed (and depressing) market. So that's okay.

There was a great thread a while ago discussing this same topic, but it never gets old 'cause we all have the same problems.

Our custom cabs cost less than the semi-custom lines we looked at. Blum doors and drawers were standard (I would never have paid extra for doors that don't slam - LOL). Scrimped on sinks, faucets, disposal by buying on line - figure we saved in the aggregate about $500.

Bought slab doors (which I wanted anyway but were also the least expensive) - natural finish, no upgrades in stains, etc.

We are buying IKEA door hardware: stainless steel and super inexpensive.

We did not buy the top of the line KA DW with integrated/hidden controls. For a few hundred less, we are perfectly happy seeing the controls: everybody knows it's a dishwasher anyway!

We splurged on
-soapstone counters - more expensive than granite but we both fell in love with the stuff.
- an undercounter icemaker - my treat to myself.
- a kitchen table from Design Within Reach
It isn't easy.

Here is a link that might be useful: scrimp on this splurge on that

Can you DIY any of it? Our budget is going to come in well under 10K (probably closer to 7500), and that's with 18x18 porcelain tile floors, only two cabinets without all drawers/pull outs with soft close (Ikea), marble tile counters, new OTR micro, new fridge, new lighting, moving a gas line, slate backsplash with a marble centerpiece, new windows (one huge picture and the other is being raised at least a foot). The only part that isn't DIY was moving the gas line and the windows- total labor cost will be under 1000. Personally, I don't count my time- I wouldn't be at work right now anyway, even if my company wanted me to, and DH is salaried, so he wouldn't be getting paid either.

Ticor sinks from Galaxy Tool Supply will save you a ton on the sink- and they are ridiculously easy to work with.

Also, you would have to pry my full extension glides out of my cold dead cabinets. The only reason we don't have them in the two cabinets is one is the sink cabinet (I like to drag the trash can to where ever I'm working at the time, so I don't want it in a pull out), and the other needs the shelves at the exact height to interfere with all four door hinges!

I've saved tons by using the internet! While the kids are down for a nap (hopefully at the same time? ha, ha!), take some time to search the internet for deals on sink, faucet, flooring, tile, cabinets, etc. I use both eBay and regular sites, be sure to figure in shipping costs and tax if applicable for the bottom line savings. Also order early so you have the items when needed, allowing for shipping time. If eBaying, look at the average price paid in the last month, then only bid up to that amount. Also if you don't win a bid right away, be patient, I bid on several disposals over about a week until I finally won at my wanted price (I saved $58 off retail!) These savings add up, and right now I am under budget and projected to remain under budget when finished. Best of luck!

There are 2 opening types of corner base cabinets (You know the ones with the lazy susan's in them). One kind has the opening that is at an angle. The other kind has a door that looks like it folds into the corner. Actually, I think the second kind lets you get a little closer to the cabinet so you can reach bettter into the upper corner cabinet.
I just found out that by buying base corner cabinets that open with the corner instead of angled across, the cost of the granite can be a bit less because of the amount of granite and the cut needed to do the angle.Since I don't care which cabinet I have (both cabinets actually cost about the same) I opted for the less costly option. Every little bit helps!

Here are photos from our last house. That kitchen renovation cost about $3500. We did all the labor ourselves (we're experienced DIYers, though). The cabinets came from a local cabinet maker and cost $1800 (these cabinets are used by a lot of local builders). They weren't the best in the world, but I think we can all agree it was a vast improvement. The counters are formica, which is just as no-maintenance as solid surface, just not as blingy. The tile was about $1 a sf. The only appliance we had to buy was the dishwasher. It took us about 6 weeks to finish the project. It can be done.

Raenjapan,

That's amazing. You really stretched those dollars! It looks very classy. What is the name of the particular Formica you used?

Thanks. It was one of those premium finish formicas designed to look like granite--there was a small up charge for the premium. I don't remember what it was called, but I think there were only 2-3 colors of the granite look at the time, so it would be easy enough to figure it out with samples. That kitchen was done about 4 years ago.

I have to agree with the masses - IKEA and the internet made my $25k TOTAL remodel with a GC totally possible. Hardware, lighting and appliances cost a third on line from what I would have paid in a store. I wouldn't trade my cabs for anything, and I got all the bells and whistles IKEA has to offer. Priced out granite and tile until I thought I could never look at it again, but it was worth it. We bought another house so I have another kitchen to do, and I plan to go at it the same way but DIY as the rest of the house needs fast help as well! :-)

I've been thinking a lot about this thread, and as I did I kept coming back to the priorities point. As many have said, it is sooo easy to be seduced by all the luxury touches people in here discuss - and in many cases splurge on - but what IS truly necessary? Your list may be different from anybody else's, but fwiw this was how my own thought process worked:

The big initial question for me was: since I have to do this kitchen from scratch (it had to be moved to accommodate the attic reno, which was the main point of the project) what do I REALLY want?

Given that we were not only budget-challenged, but also had a very difficult and small space to work with, these questions became very VERY important in identifying how to proceed.

Initially, I just thought "something better than I have", but as I started to work with the layout, I realised it had to be more specific than that. I knew that FUNCTION was going to take priority over form, but I still wanted it to look nice enough to want to spend some time there. I knew I wanted it to blend in with the house rather than make a bold statement in its own right, therefore it needed to at least "reflect" (if not "recreate") a vaguely 1920s bungalow feeling.

Once I had identified function as my main priority, I started to try to determine what that really meant (and reading in here helped me clarify that to myself A LOT). After a lot of thought, I narrowed it down:

- maximum storage space
- maximum counter space
- good flow for serious cooking, with room for two to work if possible
- eating space/bar/counter/island if possible
- Convenience appliances (nice, but I quickly realised we couldn't afford an Advantium or a convection stove)
- style? As described above, but I didn't yet have a Sweeby style "vision"
- resale value? We have no plans to sell, so low priority)
- Entertaining-a-bility? Totally not an issue - we only entertain casually and don't need to seat zillions formally

I then started thinking about the REAL specifics, and this emerged at about the same time as I found my GC and could start understanding the realities of what we could do with the space structurally, so I could make more intelligent and pratical determinations based on REALITY instead speculation. I knew we could move plumbing and gas pretty much wherever I wanted, we could MAYBE take down a load-bearing wall and we could work around the existing doors and windows. So at this point, I decided that "function" meant:

- a dw (18" because I wanted more storage)
- a full size stove (we previously had a 24")
- as much storage as possible including a real pantry space (non-negotiable - HAD to have a pantry)
- somewhere to put my vaccuum cleaner
- somewhere to put the small appliances AWAY. I wanted to keep things OFF the counters and clean.

As these goals became identified, I started serious appliance and cabinet shopping (rather than "wishbook" shopping). You bet I had sticker shock! I had hoped to do Ikea, but because our space is small and awkward, their sizes wouldn't work - we needed to use EVERY single inch, and thus had to abandon Ikea as a plan fairly quickly even though it would have just squeaked into our budget, and several of their doorstyles would have looked just fine for my space. I got quotes from Lowes, HD, Just Cabinets and Reico's Merillat line which was for some weeks the frontrunner choice although it was still going to push the budget a little more than we wanted, given that we needed to do so much structural work. And the doorstyles we could afford were very basic, in their Classic line - partial overlay, no frills, no moldings, no pullouts, no glass, no goodies, in oak or MAYBE if we could squeeze a few hundred more into it, hickory. We had expected to do at best Ikea butcherblock counter, or perhaps more likely off-the-shelf laminate as practical if not glamourous.

In the meantime, my GC had encouraged me to look on Craigslist and I found EXACTLY the appliances we wanted at great prices, and then the quartz countertop which was such a great price it would have been crazy not to get it. While initially there was nothing I would consider for cabinets, just before I bit the bullet on buying the Merillat cabs new I got INCREDIBLY lucky to find exactly the style of maple Kraftmaid we wanted in approximately the same sizes my design required, complete with the (EXPENSIVE) supersusan corner cabinet which I'd had to forgeo in the name of budget. It was a no-brainer once I saw them and realised they had originally been upgraded cabinets and were in great condition and that the owner was keen to get rid of them and prepared to negotiate the price down to $1100, which was well below 50% the cost of the Merillat (and cheaper than Ikea would have been, too).

Everything fell into place after that (including my FREE tile floor, which was given to us after chatting with an acquaintance about the Craigslist finds and she mentioned she had tile she wanted to get rid of and simply gave it to us!) - the $3k+ I saved on materials costs rounded out the labour budget so that we could do everything we needed to complete the project. I couldn't have done it without a GC who's a terrific carpenter and actually ENJOYED the "puzzle" aspect of making the cabinets work for the space, but with that already contracted, it became a fun challenge with interesting compromises instead of ones which made me feel like I was "settling".

I still hope to add an Advantium or convection microwave, but I will do that in due course - if this OTR dies, I'll replace it with a more "bells and whistles" model when we're not inundated with other costs. If my Ikea faucet gives me trouble, I'll consider swapping it out in a few years (although it has a 10 year warrantee and their customer service with an initital glitch we had was excellent, so I'm not too worried about it - it works great so far). There are other things we can add/change over the years if we really want to but honestly? I'm so happy with it as it is that I really don't expect to make many adjustments other than upgrading the appliances as necessary and/or possible.

Also, having lived through this project I really want to learn to DIY more. A lot of things really aren't that hard, I just need to learn the most efficient ways to do them and how to use some of the tools involved. My GC has told me he'll give me a lesson on circular saw usage, which will instantly make LOADS of home projects easier. Although we didn't do it, we could have done some of the demo work in the old kitchen. I did save some costs by avoiding delivery charges and picking things up wherever I could (I have an SUV so it was possible to pick up moderately-sized items as necessary). We would have painted ourselves, but they included it in the bid because they knew they could do it faster, and didn't want to wait on our availability (and I'm glad they did it, to be honest!). BUT if we had needed to, we could have shaved some costs that way.

In any case, I know this is long and boringly self-referential, but perhaps it will help with some more ideas. There were times when reading in here I felt really like the poor relative and was drooling over the thought of a pro range (we're serious cooks), or soapstone (love the look, espcially in an older home like mine), or gorgeous reproduction craftsman-style tile, or any other number of luxury goodies, but I tried to use those as INSPIRATION for ways I could get what I NEEDED rather than giving in to merely "wants". I guess that's the Sweeby Vision thing for me - perhaps my "vision" could best be stated as wanting to create highly functional, attractive (but not faddish or overly fashion-conscious) kitchen that WOULDN'T take me outside my financial comfort zone and would allow the structural work to take priority in a style which reflected the general style of our home. And I think that's exactly what we got!

Best of luck with your project.

Keep your eye on the big box stores for coupons and kitchen specials. One thing we played around with (but couldn't quite make work) was buying from HD w/a 10% off coupon when they had a "free sink and sink cabinet with your order" special. Again, our budget was SO low that it didn't quite work, but if we'd had a little more wiggle room it might have just squeaked in as a possibility.

Also agree with those who suggest that you can save a fair bit on a sink without sacrificing quality and (as I mentioned previously) ebay and other online retailers for savings on many of the "meaty" items required. Also, things like garbage disposals really aren't that expensive - a workhorse Insinkerator is under $100.

Also, are there elements of your current kitchen you can reuse, even if only temporarily? And for that matter, are there elements of your current kitchen you can SELL to recoup some costs? Handles/knobs, appliances, the cabinets themselves... I'm selling some of our "overage" cabinets and the stove - I won't get huge amounts, but every little bit helps!

(YOu can see this thread has stuck with me - I keep thinking about it, particularly managing it with 5 young children!!)

Wow Guys! Thanks to everyone that took their time to give our family suggestions. I never thought having a new kitchen would be so stressful. I just want to order something and be done. I saw a piece of granite that I really liked and it should actually be cheaper then the quartz we picked out. I'm just worried about the maint. of it. We have an appointment tomorrow with a custom cabinet shop that I was talking about. Their basic cabinet really is nicer then the basic cabinet at HD/Lowes and it is all real wood w/soft close and blumotion. Also, the custom shop will have a quicker install then Lowes which is great for us. Both places are still over our budget, but I'm sure we will figure something out. It is hard seeing all the bells for your kitchen and trying to think of a reason that you don't need them. :)
I wish we could DIY, but with all the little ones I don't see it working out this time. We just need it done quickly and correctly. Thanks again for putting your time into this thread. I'll keep you updated!

You know those little ones could make a very fine demo team - they are probably very good at destroying things (and if not, any friends/neighbors who can take them for a few weekends). We have a neighbor's 4 year old (a lot harder with 5 kids) come over all the time and we put him to work and he loves it - we've been doing it since he was two - we've turned him into loving tools and sports cars .

Even if you can demo yourself (or try to give away/sell) the old stuff to gut the kitchen will save money and then prime/paint yourself. And depending on the floor you have now vs. what you are putting it, it isn't hard to do (I haven't learned to tile yet, which is why we went with vinyl and it is easy to clean).

I was dead set against granite for the same reasons - just make sure to pick a harder granite that is not prone to chipping/stress cracks with that many kids. I find it just as easy to clean, if not easier but we have a soft stone and I dropped a can once and it did take a tiny chunk out (nothing I'm sure we can't fix when I stop being lazy). I found a $$$ granite actually cheaper than Silesstone, but I just didn't like the look in the end. I was so hung up on maintance - we've had ours in a year and I've only had to seal it once - I may reseal it soon but it doesn't need to be done and it wipes clean easily. The other thing I love about the granite is it hides dirt well as we have a lot of movement so if you do leave a few crumbs you can't really tell.

I only got one soft close on my silverware drawer and I hate it! It takes forever to close and I'm not impressed. You can easily upgrade that stuff later.

Good luck tommorrow.

It may be too late for you Mom2twinsandtriplets, but it may help others to see what we went through regarding the $$$ issue. Your priorities and choices will be different than ours, but the process of setting those priorities and making those choices will be the same!

So, we also had the budget dilemma. We realized about half-way through our planning that we would be over budget. But, we decided that we would go ahead and plan/design our "ideal" kitchen and see what the total was...yup! Way over budget.

So, we sat down and looked at things we could do without altogether.....(1) we decided to get a less expensive door style. The door we decided on is very close to our original; the drawers are identical and the only difference b/w the doors is that the more expensive one has a raised center panel and the one we went with has a flat center panel...the rest of the door detailing was the same.....(2) we eliminated the decorative end doors and opted for finished end panels instead......(3) we eliminated one cabinet.....(4) we changed our 2-single ovens (Miele + GE Trivection) to a double oven (GE Triv + Convection).....and (5) changed MW types (from built-in to drawer).....this all saved us well over $7,000 (closer to 9K?) right off the bat.

Then we looked at things we could do later, like a backsplash, mudroom, wood floors throughout the 1st floor (originally part of our plans), a new faucet for our main sink, and Tapmaster.

When we were done with all our cutting and postponing, we were able to come in just under budget with the plan. Unfortunately, as with most remodel projects, issues have been raising their ugly heads and may be costing us more...I don't know yet since we haven't solved the big one yet (venting to the outside).

I understand about wanting to do it all now or it won't get done...I'm a little afraid of that as well. But, we also did not want to go into debt for this so we made some hard choices... I think we'll have a kitchen we love despite the cuts; I know it will be much better functionally and look much nicer...!

So, indulge yourself briefly in all the "nice to haves" and then sit down and see what's important to you and your family and plan accordingly!

HTH and good luck Mom2twinsandtriplets!

There are LOTS of ways to cut costs. Can you post information on what you chose for the other big ticket items? Each large expenditure is a potential source of cutting costs by getting items that are very similar but not as "pricey". People here can suggest cabinets with similar colors/styles but less expensive prices, flooring can have many price ranges even within the same material. What have you priced for cabinets? Are you trying to go custom or semicustom? Are you paying for expensive all plywood upgrades when you could get the same look with MDF shelves inside and sturdy less expensive MDF boxes? Did you know you can get solid Maple, Cherry, Hickory or other wood doors and facing with less expsensive boxes and inside selves? Are you pricing a tile backsplash or full Quartz? Sonoma tiles or more generic or mass produced tiles? Did you know that the standard 4" backsplash in quartz can add on 1000.00 or more by itself? As much as a full tile backsplash. Plywood boxes add on thousands and you can't see them after they are in. My MDF boxed cabinets that I tore out were 15 yrs old and are now in the house across the street. They held up fine. Can you GC the remodel yourself? Do any installations yourself? Maybe just the demo yourself? Finish the remodel in phases? Do you have to have a 1500.00 dishwasher or are you pricing one that will look and work fine for well under 1000.00? Do you need a 900.00 faucet or are you budgeting 2-400.00 (which is plenty for most people). Try pricing out the cabinets without any pullouts you can buy and install yourself through Rev-a-shelf, or similar companies, a big money saver. Expensive "line" or puck under cabinet lights or hardwired flourescents?

Are you changing the layout, moving sink or major appliance locations? Adding, removing or changing walls?

The devil is in the details, so they say, and so are the dollar signs.

Post the details of your plans and you will likely get many wonderful suggestions for cutting costs with similar looks and function.

Just remember, what you consider a "big lots" kitchen many would be quite happy with.

Sue

This thread is perfect for what I am currently dealing with. We are going to try to do our kitchen for very little money. And I mean very. Probably less than $5000. We plan to do everything DIY except the plumbing and electrical. We plan to IKEA cabinets, and the IKEA butcher block countertops, and bargain shop for things like the faucet, sink, hardware, etc. on Ebay. We need to buy a dishwasher, range, and microwave, and lucky for me, my Dad's company has a vendor account with GE, so I can get them for about 40%-50% off retail brand new.

My problem is that I have champagne tastes, and I don't want to compromise on "the look". However, our kitchen is falling apart, and it has to be done at this point.

We plan to get a more custom cabinet look by buying one of the IKEA cabs that is stained wood, and painting them a custom color, and possible using a glaze. We will also add out own moldings painted to match. I think one of the keys to saving is research, and patience. You have to be willing to look alot (both in bricks and mortar stores and online), and you can probably find what you are looking for eventually.

For us, durability is HUGE. We have two boys, 5 and 3, and they beat everything up. So it makes no sense for us to go with materials that won't hold up very long. Make sure any "in-between" purchases you make will hold up as long as you need them to. I put down a vinyl tile floor 4 years ago in my current kitchen, and it hasn't held up all that well. If it doens't annoy you to have to do it agin, or incur costs twice, go for it.

Mom2

Curious - have you considered giving current kit a "facelift" paint, new hardware, maybe lighting? Some really amazing transformations here w/paint - just a thought - until you & dh can save more $$ to get what you really want.

-Posting a pic of your current space will generate lots of help here fr. facelift to remodel - I highly rec doing that - also try searching painting cabs

- I totally agree w/Gibby who mentioned this forum being a difficult place to hang out if you are trying to maintain a budget - One easily gets caught up in the latest

- "adding things as I go" - I would seriously reconsider that, as it is likely you will end up with limiting the efficiency of use of your space and will look as if it's an afterthought. In a total kit remodel - every inch is accounted for and spec'd w/cabs, counter, appliances - for instance I was orig going w/a 30" range (save $$) my dear friend convinced me that even when I had $$$ I couldn't change the range fr. 30 -36" as all the counters/cabs are spec'd - We have a 36" and did go over budget!

- One can easily get caught up in "need to get it done and over with" however, like most here, it's likey your home is your biggest investment and should be treated as such.

There are places like Craigslist, habitat for humanity who sell entire kitchens - some quite nice - that have been torn out of homes - however that needs careful planning as you are putting cabs/counter/appl from space different from yours

Good luck whatever you decide to do

For you remodelers who live in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, check out www.gwkitchen.com. I chose them for my cabinets and granite after I designed my "dream" plan on a piece of paper and got my heart broken in two after taking them to Home Depot and Lowes. The last two had an estimate of $17-21,000 for the cabinets while GW Kitchen gave me a price of $4500 and that's with soft close, 100% pull out drawers and 2 floor to ceiling pantries I designed. And soo much more! I am ending up with 27 cabinets I believe for this price? As for my 2 large pieces of granite, absolute black or black galaxy (can't choose), which is the higher price at HD and L's, I am paying $1450 for 3cm (not 2cm), special edges and numerous cuts and holes. The salesman who is also a designer Andy Li is the best person ever to work with! Patient like you wouldn't believe (with all the changes I have made!!!)

One way that I found that saved us a tremendous amount of money is "price matching". We saved a BUNCH on appliances by finding what we wanted, shopping on the internet, then taking it down to Home Depot - where they matched the price. I liked getting them there more because they're "local" and I could deal directly with the KD that we used for our cabinets. When we got the cabs ordered, we saved 10% (they were on sale), and got a free cabinet with silverware drawer/organizer thing. We also shopped around and found a better granite/install bid, Home Depot lowered their price to match as closely as possible. We are getting cork floors from a local floor store here, but found the same brand at Lowes for MUCH less - but they didn't have the exact color we wanted. The floor store here had Lowe's beat hands down on the install. So we went in and basically asked them to make it worth our while to get the color that we really wanted. That ended up saving us $300 over what the wrong color would've cost installed by Lowe's. I did the price match thing on my sink and faucet @ Home Depot. Found what I wanted on the internet for the cheapest price possible, printed it out and took it down to HD where they price matched. I am sure that by shopping around and asking for price match - we've saved THOUSANDS of $ on our total gut and remodel. We sure need it though, as we're already 15% overbudget and demo starts Monday. LOL Oh well... whatta ya gonna do? We're committed so we are going to get through it and enjoy the kitchen for a long, long time. I'm sure after a year or so, the 15% will just be a distant memory.. while many good memories will be made by having a kitchen we'll truly enjoy. Today, we're packing up dishes, etc and getting the kitchen emptied out for the upcoming weeks.

10 years ago when we moved into this house the kitchen was unusable...as was much of the house. With two babies and a limited budget we made some serious decisions about what could and could not be done at that time. Our kitchen cost us $12,000---which even 10 years ago was a good deal but at that time in our life we were already $4K over budget! We chose very shrewdly, I think in hindsight: Good quality cherry cabinets and a good kitchen designer. We pinched pennies on vinyl flooring, laminate counters and appliances. However, this kitchen has served us very well for 10 years and people still comment on it positively when they visit. NOW, 10 years later, we have the budget and lifestyle to update a bit--with a larger remodel--but we will be reusing all of our cherry cabinets (beadboard in style--so still "in") which are also still available so we can add some more cabinets, open the floorplan and finally have the money for nicer counters and flooring, etc. The bigger part of our original expense 10 years ago (the cabinets) we will continue to enjoy for years to come.

Just thought the story might inspire you to spend some money on the things that might last many many years---through several kitchen remodels if you pick well, high quality and classic...and have the patience to wait on the other things.

Best of luck to you !

Kindly,
B

Berf, that was exactly our logic to put the majority of our money in nice Cherry Cabinets (the other ones we were considering were white) and go cheaper with appliances, flooring (although I went cheaper than planned as I did it as a temporary measure until I could decide and now it's staying as I like it) and then after all that decided to splurge on granite as we don't have a large enough kitchen where it was a huge expense. We figured the cabinets and granite would long outlast the flooring and appliances. We did DIY to save money and we have choosen to put the focus on better materials, which make installing much easier (the Marvin windows we bought were a breeze to put in much to our surprise).

Shopping around also makes a huge difference - prices really vary. I know for our windows each window by going to every Marvin dealer and the company who owned them (they own all the local dealers) and it varied by around $200. That made no sense, but, all I cared was who'd give me the contractor's price and get them ordered.

I went into a cabinet showroom (small, independent shop) last week and saw a great display on sale for $2000. I'd guess it was 8-10 feet long; and it included base cabinets, a Corian-type counter, and hutch-style upper cabinets. It was in good shape, had lots of detailing, and had good stains.

If you're looking for a way to cut costs and can be flexible with your layout, buying a display kitchen might be worth investigating. I bet the KDs here could provide more information about how easy or difficult it is. (I have no clue how disassembly, trucking, and reassembly are worked out.)

Well, I'm planning to spend the bulk of my budget on structure. My plan is to get the best layout and the best function I can. Since I have little kids now (1 and almost 4), we'll live with ikea cabs, formica counters, and a 30" range for the next 10 years or so, when I can put in nicer cabinets and finishes when I can devote my entire budget to those bells and whistles. In the meantime, I'm getting ikea cabs, formica counters that look like the soapstone of my dreams, and a lot of ebay, internet, scratch and dent, craigslist, etc. I'll probably skip a fancy tiled backsplash and just go with paint for the next few years, too.

Reason for this: we are creating an indoor-outdoor space for our 1962 So. Cal. side split level. To do this, we are taking out a wall between the DR and Kitchen, vaulting the ceiling in the kitchen to match the DR, moving plumbing and gas, adding electrical (and updating the circuit box), building a new deck so that there is no step down to get outside and a BBQ area and (the real money bender) installing a giant door wall system that will span the entire back wall for the kitchen, dining and family rooms, including going around a corner. That means new support beams and an incredibly expensive door wall system. If anybody knows a good one that costs less than Nana Wall and Fleetwood, I'd love to hear from you!!!

Part of my strategy is to do the project in stages. For example, when we bought the house, the water heater was in the kitchen. We have removed the old water heater and installed an exterior-mount tankless heater (with a pre-filtration system).

Next step: getting the whole-house drawings needed in order to design the structural changes. That's going to be expensive, so we'll get that done and wait awhile again. Etc. It may take me a few years to finally have the indoor-outdoor space I want, but when it's done, it'll be great.

Great thread..... Our DIY took a little over 2 months, took a bit of a break before the backsplash. It was just nice to have a fully functioning kitchen. Our kitchen took at least as long to plan as to execute. We shopped hard for everything before we demoed. If we found a great buy on something we bought it and stored it.

Our kitchen is not large but needed major structural and electrical work to make it work for us. We replaced and resized 2 windows and an exterior door, completely rewired to bring it up to current codes. Basically we gutted it and started fresh. We each had things that were on our "must have" list and tried to include them. Mine was a high end Convection M/W, my SO wanted all drawers for storage and more counterspace.

We didn't really have a fixed in stone budget but it soon became a game to save cost yet build a kitchen that we would like to use. Resale wasn't really a factor.... we are not going anywhere.

Shop for the great buys....
1. Found a $1400 Bosche DW at Sears Outlet for $560 brand new.

2. Ikea Cabs - Worked for us, we wanted white and modern. These are decent quality and very versatile. We are gentle with our stuff and with no young children they should hold up well. $3100

3. Ikea butcher block countertops.... I'm still amazed the can sell these so cheap. About $325. If we get tired of them they will make a great addition to the garage.

4. Elkay single bowl 18 guage sink.... $70 direct from Elkay on closeout. $20 for matching sink grid.

5. Range & MW 25%off....$2200

6. Counter depth fridge 30%off... $1800

7. Tile... this stuff can bite you or be super cheap. If you can DIY and don't have to have tumbled stone or glass you can save big. Our subways were Home Depot under 40 cents apiece, floor tiles were $1.57 sq ft at Lowes.

Our big splurge was probably the Insta-hot setup... almost $450 by the time it was done. But in the end we got what we wanted and what worked for us. Our kitchen is never going to be an entertaining area...it's just too small, But we can cook our food, store all our stuff and not be climbing over each other.

Here is a link that might be useful: Low Budget DIY Kitchen 95% Done!

Uh, twins, triplets and DIY are not a good fit, folks. Twins, triplets and remodeling on a budget doesn't sound much better.

Mom2, are these tykes or teens? Whichever, ANY major remodeling is going to be pretty disruptive. And stressful! It could be a blessing to stick just to flooring and counters. Maybe reface or pay for painting cabs even rather than a tear out. I'd like to see the kitchen as is and understand better what isn't working before endorsing a budget tearout.

Plus a "forever" kitchen is a very time consuming project in terms of the planning and decisions. Get a box, some folders and start collecting pix and notes for later.

For now, do what is easy and sensible and low stress. It isn't deprivation, it is deferral.

Others have given great suggestions for saving money, so I can't add to that. Just don't give up the full-extension drawers. It maximizes function in ways that you can't imagine until you have them. Full-extension is essential, not a frill.

IF you decide to do Ikea and your budget is tight, MAKE VERY SURE you do your own order at home. Then, when you are VERY clear how it's going to work and you order through their kitchen consultant, MAKE THEM JUSTIFY every single thing they put on the order and explain to you why you need it IN YOUR CONFIGURATION. A sink "cabinet" without any drawers can require 6 different items in various quantities, not including the counter/sink or any inside fittings. An upper will be about 4 items. Meanwhile, these "consultants" are kids who just do things habitually and don't mind how many trips you have to make or if they cause you to overspend. There are many variations of how you put the modular parts together besides the conventional ones they're programmed to input.

Also be sure to TELL them how many shelves you want in each cabinet or they're going to automatically order 4 for you which is to say, in many cases, so much shelf there isn't room for anything taller than 6".

Also, don't leave the kitchen area until you're really satisfied. Because if you discover the errors standing in the checkout line or waiting an hour and a half for the paid goods after it's taken several hours to get that far  it's too late and you have to accept it and wait in another line for a return/refund or go back and have the order rewritten which usually takes longer.

I tapped out on my kitchen and had to make up some of the money in the laundry I needed because I turned the old laundry into a pantry. I let people tell me I'd be happy with Ikea. We had to make soooo many trips over there because the consultants left things off or added on things we didn't want like the drawer front on the sink cabinet when we chose the apron-front farm sink that fits into and extends out through that space.

Even so, the faucet that was a pain in the butt to install was defective and will take twice as long again to take out and replace (+ another trip over there) as soon as we finish negotiating who's paying for the plumber after my GC has finished the project months ago.

IF you run into problems making things fit (the hinges on the doors wouldn't clear the bottom of the sink cabinet with the apron sink) you can call and get help with it BUT you'll spend half a day waiting to speak to a real person. When you do, they'll have an expediter call back. We had to have them over to check out why the doors don't close but I haven't heard yet what their solution is going to be.

In the end, it works out. My cabinets that have doors on them look fine. And the wobbly faucet at least works. I suspect in a couple years I'll forget how aggravating the process was. In 2 months I haven't yet. And, to be fair, some people don't seem to have these problems or roll with them better than I do. And I've seen some really creative use of Ikea cabinets in kitchens that look great. But I think you deserve to be warned.

I agree with all those above who suggest that you decide what is important for YOU, splurge on those, shop craigslist and ebay, and ignore what is shown in the latest magazines/the Joneses' home/HGTV. I fell in love with the 48" Thermador range (blue knobs!) but couldn't justify spending $9000, and didn't have the room anyway -- then found the $7000 36" range on Ebay for $3500. I fell in love with Azul Macaubas, $70-115/sq ft, and shopped until I found it for $38/sq ft. I'm not a big fan of full overlay cabinets and I think partial overlay will work better in my kitchen; that took 5% off the cabinet price. IMO there's no point in 5 piece detailed drawer headers on small drawers, so I just chose the least expensive drawers. I bought a floor sample Shaw's sink for $500 instead of waiting 3 months (backorders) for the privilege of paying $800. Decisions like that are no brainers! I do wish I'd kept a closer eye on my KD's efforts to add "little extras" -- a pull out towel rack was "only" $80 but if I'd done an after-market HD version it would have been $20.

I have a tapmaster and I'm crazy about it. But it's not cheap and is an expense added to the expense of a faucet.

Did you know it's easy to install yourself and can be added at some point later on after you've absorbed some of the remodeling expense?

Wow -- I totally know how you feel about having to cut things out that you think are basics that you need.

First -- I, too, initially wanted quartz for the non-maintenance (w/2 toddlers). However, I found by hanging out on this forum that there are non-maintenance granites, too -- the dark colors like absolute black, black galaxy, verde butterfly, verde peacock, and uba tuba. My VB was about 1/2 the cost of the quartz I looked at.

We would have loved to have done a fancy backsplash like some of the beautiful ones you see on this forum. Instead, I chose a classic white subway-like ceramic tile (1.65/sq ft at Lowes). It can be changed fairly easily if we get tired of it later, but meanwhile, it's not going to go out of style and it's maintenance free.

I did not get either full extension or soft-close drawers. However, I did get the nice metal glides, which are wonderful, and did not entail an upcharge. That was a significant savings, and frankly, you can change your drawer glides later if you really want to.

We got basic black appliances without a whole lot of bells and whistles. As other posters mentioned -- these items are easily changed later if need be. Didn't feel stainless was worth the upcharge.

Got a ticor sink. Great deal.

Went with Marmoleum sheet flooring -- cost about the same as sheet vinyl and was the best decision we ever made. It's a gorgeous floor, and super easy to maintain.

Didn't get a painted or glazed finish -- just a basic stained cabinet. Couldn't justify the 10 - 25 percent upcharge.

Got all our pullout trays on ebay -- at less than half the cost of retail.

Facing a budget can be a difficult reality check, but sticking to it can be done. Really!

You are lucky in that there have been a lot of beautiful low-budget kitchens posted recently (divamum and pcjs and others are my kitchen heroes), so hopefully, you can glean some really good cost-saving tips from them. Here's a link to my own "Big Lots Kitchen" ;-P

We went with quartz, and there was a huge difference between brands - get estimates before you commit. For us, silestone was half as much as ceaserstone. I liked ceaserstone better, but not that much better.

We also went with marmoleum. I love it with kids - much softer than tile (although it is a little slippery for them). Even better, it was installed in one day. The prospect of a lenghty flooring installation was not appealing.

Love my ticor sink from galaxy tool supply.

With cabinets, get estimates from several different places. I looked at ikea, lowes, and hd and went with a kitchen design store. A little more expensive, but I liked that someone else took the measurements and was on the hook, and they were assembled so I didn't have to do that or pay someone else to do it.

Bottom line for me was to look around and get estimates.

I'm just getting started on our kitchen rennovation (have the plans now I need to get to start shopping for cabinets). I found the IKEA discussions very interesting. If anyone can give me photos of their IKEA cabinets installed I'd appreciate it. I'm working on a budget and need to find a good quality mid-level cabinet.