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precious11_gw

Dare I ask? New and anxious :)

precious11
11 years ago

Hi fellow GWers! I am one of the-many- lurkers that have been drooling over your beautiful, gorgeous, awe-inspiring kitchens, waiting anxiously with some of you to have your cabinets/granite/soapstone/backsplash delivered, previewed layouts and reflected/ suffered/ dreamed with you in dire times for a while now. I think this forum is fantastic, such an enormous source of information, but more importantly, such a wonderful group of people!! It is amazing what you people can and will do for each other, how involved you get and how great the relationships that form on this forum are- truly inspiring!

As I am -finally!!- starting to consider my kitchen renovation, I cannot wait to become one of you, to have you on my side and use your help and guidance through what will certainly become one of the most grueling tasks so far for DH and I. Here is a brief story : we purchased late last year our beautiful house with fantastic potential, but, well...just potential for now. The kitchen is an 80's "big white", black outdated appliances, brass knobs everywhere, saggy doors and moldy inside cabinets. Ah, and let's not forget the best part: the three tier Kohler cast iron sink, the one that makes you forever happy when you finally take out and firmly hit with the appropriate size hammer- just to get it out of your system- for good :)

Here is the BIG question though: what should I expect in terms of cost? Yes, I know the prices vary widely, but would it be terribly inappropriate for me to ask some of you with full renovation of kitchens about how much you paid to get it? I do apologize if I am too forward with this, but I am really trying to get an idea on what to expect. We do have some money set aside but I have a feeling that it may be too low. Ours will be a fairly large kitchen, with an island- no prep sink, but will involve bringing the kitchen to the studs, new wood floors, granite, cabinets, sink. I plan on using drawers everywhere and little to no uppers- I like the look of open shelves and beautiful, textured wallpaper. Anyone willing to share their costs or at least help me understand what I might expect? Oh, and I do not need fancy cabinets or corbels, just solid oak or maple, preferably painted..

Please forgive me if I am confusing some of you- I know it is hard to approximate, I am just looking for some financial info from the people that have already been there and had such fantastic results *sigh*

Big cyber hugs to you all!! ((( )))

Precious

Comments (29)

  • laxsupermom
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    How much does a kitchen cost is a little like how much does a car cost? The answer can vary widely. I could pick up a 1 yr old Hyundai Elantra for the cost of one season of travel hockey or a 1 yr old Ferrari Modena for the cost of my house, my kids, and a kidney.

    It also depends on if you'll be doing it all DIY, some DIY, all GCed, or all through a design/build firm.

    Maple is usually an upcharge over oak, and painted is usually an upcharge over stained. Drawers cost more than regular base cabs, and you never know what you'll find when you go down to the studs in a home.

    Having said all that, we went down to the studs and redid ours for just over $20K. You can see a cost breakdown towards the end of this thread where I posted my finished kitchen reveal.

  • _sophiewheeler
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    A guideline for kitchen remodel is a percentage of the value of your home. Plan to spend around 10% if you are merely "updating" and keeping major elements like cabinets or appliances. If you are doing a full remodel, then 20% will be closer to the mark. This guideline will not hold true anywhere real estate values are especially low or especially high. There are certain things that have to be done in a remodel and you won't be able to go below the 15K threshold unless you do mostly DIY or use fairly low grade materials. National average figures the last couple of years for a mid grade major kitchen remodel are around 58K, which is around 25% of the national average of the 230K median priced home. Instead of moving, more people are staying in place an improving their nest, even if they go over the "guidelines" to do it.

  • precious11
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wow, I am SO impressed that you guys answered already, so nice of you!! :)

    Laxsupermom- your kitchen is fantastic, truly a labor of love :) Unfortunately, neither I nor my husband are handy, so we will have to rely on a GC/designer for help. Everything will be replaced, so I do expect a long costly ordeal, but I am just hoping for creative way to cut down on some of those costs. I guess we can do the demo ourselves- any idea of the savings? i keep on hearing that a big chunk of the money is spent on demo labor- is that true, do you know? Thanks for sharing!

    Hollysprings- thank you for the information! I kinda feared that would be the case *gulp* Do you think contractors value your home first and then they decide on a percentage of the value and saddle you with that no matter what your decisions are? I keep on hearing that people have had experiences where the contractors acted like they heard "cha-ching" the moment they set foot in the door- they could not be convinced that a lower price than what they imagined the owner should pay based on the perceived value of the house could be realistic. That would make me so mad! See, my point is that I know what I like and I would put the same thing in a 250k house or a 750k house, my decision would be only based on the space I have available, NOT the value of the house. Not sure that everyone would do the same, but it would make sense for us. I plan on retiring in this home ( in 25 years, he, he...)

    Another thing: what if you don't have all the cash that you need, do people still get money from the bank ( home equity or similar) ? We can stomach extra monthly payments as long as our jobs are still there, is that something that people on this forum have experience with? I am asking because these are such trying times, we had to really work to get a mortgage, despite pristine credit scores and good jobs, AND we had to put down a good chunk of cash to get the loan, which left us with significantly less to put towards the house... Darn....

    Thanks for all of your answers!

  • joaniepoanie
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    My original budget was $35-40 but we ended up close to $50 for my small galley and laundry room. I budgeted $25,000 for cabs, appliances, flooring, granite, etc..and was on-budget here. We did not do high-end appliances because our neighborhood doesn't warrant it and, more importantly, we are not big cooks (I just wanted my kitchen to look pretty!). I got Dynasty cabinets (natural maple) which I think would fall somewhere in the middle quality/price-wise..but I think they are solid and very well-built. I had not planned for or thought about the cost of building materials (dumb me) which ended up being around $5,000..drywall, caulk, etc...An extra $7,000 went into the labor charge (which in turn upped the building materials tab) because we ran into problems...plumbing from recent! bath remodels had to be redone, venting issues, all new subfloor...so be sure to budget an extra 10-20% for "surprises." Here is how ours broke down:

    Cabinets---Dynasty natural maple slab door---a combo of 15 cabinets and a 36" floor-ceiling pantry...mostly drawers on bottom, trash pullout, spice pull out, fridge surround.----$10,400.

    Appliances---GE slide in gas/convection range, GE Advantium (convection)OTR microwave(love it--acts as a second oven), Bosch DW, Kenmore Elite CD French door fridge---about $5300 (purchased MW, range and DW online from Number1Direct.com---saved $1,000 and they were great!)

    Granite---counter and backsplash---$4600

    Flooring---porcelain tile from Dal-Tile...around $2,000-2,500 (also purchased online from Broadway Floors and saved over half...good service, especially when we needed to order more to finish the job).

    Original labor---$13,000 but ended up around $20,000

    Building materials--around $5,000.

    Of course, you can save a bundle if you DIY....DH was capable but not interested in such a large undertaking and he mostly works out of town so it would have taken FOREVER. Hope this helps! Good luck!

  • JPRain
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Why don't you post a house layout, a kitchen layout, and a list of things you want have in the new kitchen? Then let people pick apart your design. You may find that you don't need a KD.

    It would also give people who have done a similar remodel an opportunity to tell you what they paid.

  • claybabe
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Precious, one way to figure out your remodel cost is to start pricing the stuff that you want. So consider posting your floor plan (with measurements) here to get an idea of ways to improve your space, and then do the foot work to make a proper budget. If the sink you love is a thousand dollars, keep looking, ask for help here, go online etc. You won't want to start the remodel before you have all these elements figured out and purchased anyway, so plunge in!

    THat includes cabinetry: Get a couple of estimates from different shops, and consider Ikea as a lower cost alternative. There is a nice thread Kompy started recently about how much a cabinet costs in different lines so you can compare.

    Call your/a plumber and ask how much the work will be: If you don't move any plumbing this will save you money. On the other hand, sometimes a little bit of rearranging is a good thing and doesn't cost as much as you might think.

    Call your/an electrician and ask them to estimate the cost to rewire.

    Want to change the windows? Price the item you want, shop around, and then ask someone (a carpenter, your potential GC, a local glass shop) how much to change it.

    Most of the costs can be estimated. There are always surprises, and sometimes there are really horrible surprises, so be mentally prepared for some adjustments. Put together a realistic budget based on good shopping and good design, and make sure everything is on site before you tear into the walls: This will keep the workers working and not waiting around for your stuff. It also shortens the time you have to live out of your temp kitchen.

    Don't forget ding and dent sales for big savings on your appliances.

    On our first kitchen redo we were fortunate to be in a position to pay cash as we went. We had waited for years to do the kitchen. Within a year we decided to move to a lovely place to get old in, but with a dark, hodgepodge of a kitchen, and ended up with a small HELOC to pick up loose ends. We did the work on the house before we moved in (another few months to enjoy the first kitchen!). Shopping carefully and being our own GC saved a lot for us, but we already had good people in place who all pitched in to the GC role.

    It sounds like you are asking the right questions, but need to just dive in to get some of your answers. Once you look at the actual costs you can make a better decision about how to finance it. And be sure to search every single aspect of your new kitchen here: You will arm yourself with all the knowledge you need to procede! Good luck!

  • springroz
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I would go to Lowes or HD and, if they are not too busy, you can get a layout and general cabinet guideline, then at least you have an idea where to go.
    Measure what you have, and have an idea what you think you want to change. Then, if you need new appliances, you can shop for those, or keep your current ones until you can afford new ones.
    Be sure to allow a chunk of your budget for the wonderful unexpected problems, like nobody realized the DW had aslow leak, and rotted out the subfloor, or they pull the wall down, THEN figure out it is load bearing, etc., etc. It ALL happens!!

    Good Luck!

    Nancy

  • dseng
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    You can save money on demolition if you do it yourselves, but the labor costs for demolition are actually a very small percentage of the overall costs. Demo laborers work cheap and it usually only takes a day or two.

    A common cost factor that you can control to whatever extent you're willing is feature/quality "creep". It's an easy trap to fall into - you might start out thinking that you'll use fluorescent under cabinet lights at a total price of $360, but then read about how great LED's can be and the next thing you know you've become the owner of $2400 dollars of LED UCL's. Planning is the key - figure out EVERYTHING before you start - from the subfloor to the paint on the ceiling. You'll probably still have to deal with some surprises along the way, but knowing what materials you'll use before you get started will help immensely in giving you control over the budget. Even little details like what kind of light switches and cover plates, or what kind of knobs or pulls can make hundreds of dollars of difference - and when those decisions start to pile up - pretty soon you can be talking about serious money. GW is a great place to start the educational/planning process!

  • Bunny
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I did a modest reno, more a facelift actually, for $20K. I thought about what I'd like to have done (which didn't seem to be too radical) and then looked at my budget. My house is paid off and I'm a saver, for rainy days, emergencies, and fun stuff like travel. I decided $20K was affordable for me, without the anxiety of overextending myself. I paid cash for everything, materials and labor. If you can get a home equity loan increase to do stuff and it doesn't break your backs, then nothing wrong with that. If you'd rather not incur more debt, but don't have a lot to spend, then I would just do what I could afford. In the end, a snazzy counter or backsplash doesn't make for world peace or personal happiness if money worries keep you awake at night.

  • precious11
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Oh, my goodness, such an outpouring of great advice, you guys are truly amazing! You have no idea how overwhelmed I felt before I wrote the first post, and now I feel like there is hope yet! :) Thank you, thank you, thank you!

    I will definitely post the layout ( as soon as my DH will be willing to do it LOL) It is a BIG space that we are trying to creatively partition to make room for a mudroom - SORELY needed. No demo there, just elevating a wall and inserting a door. I expect most of the surprises will come from the floors- wood floors squeaking like CRAZY, and if you walk barefoot on it you feel some of it shifting underneath :( I think the previous owners had a flood or something at some point and they just let the floors settle. I shiver thinking about the subfloor or the joists. Nothing seems level, so that will be challenge number one.

    Joaniepoanie- thanks for sharing, I know you are happy with your fabulous kitchen and I can only hope that someday I will follow suit *sigh*

    JPRain- great advice, I will return soon with a layout. I know the fantastic people on GW will have LOTS of ideas, so looking forward to it :)

    Claybabe- all great advice, I will follow it carefully. Thank you SO much!

    Springroz- we tried our Lowes- they were a little pushy. Get this, get that, this is for you, how much are you willing to spend etc.. I guess I was not ready to address all that at the moment, and the 'holier than thou" attitude turned me off. Maybe I overreacted, I will give them another chance later. The appliances are terrible, except for the fridge, and I think the cooktop is trying to kill me. My ovens are filled with personality and I cannot guess what they will do next ( heat to 500 on a setting of 325-check) I really need new appliances :(

    Dseng- thanks for all the info, you are so right, costs can get away from you. I will be willing to let the smaller stuff happen later- knobs, pulls, etc, and just budget for the big stuff first. We'll see what happens...

    Linelle- I so envy you, your house is paid for *sigh* We are about 30 years away from that goal. Having changed cities and jobs recently, we left a house that we LOVED behind, it was a place that made me happy, but life doesn't work in your favor always...Oh, how I miss my Wolf rangetop!...You are right, a backsplash does not make you happy if you are struggling financially afterwords, but THIS kitchen makes me miserable and I cannot wait to get rid of it...I know I am childish, but there were things in my other kitchen that put a smile on my face DAILY, even after five years in that house. I caught myself caressing the granite often LOL...

    Thank you ALL so much! Keep the info coming, I love it!!

    Precious

  • suzanne_sl
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    It does depend on what exactly you have to work with, but on the theory that any examples help, here is ours:

    Our kitchen and dining room are essentially the same room and we added cabinets in the dining room for all the crystal and china and "good" stuff - the turkey roaster ended up in there too, cleverly hidden behind the mullion.

    Cabinets: InnerMost approx. $14,000, including the finished insides of the dining room cabinets and full lower drawers

    Granite: approx. $3000, materials, fabrication, & installation

    Backsplash materials + rental of tile saw: approx. $670

    Appliances: reused except for new Whirlpool Gold fridge, approx. $1200

    Sink & faucet: approx. $700

    Plumber to connect sink & dishwasher & relocate gas connection for stove 6": approx. $250

    Cabinet hardware: approx. $120

    Lighting: 7 new recessed lights, fan light, 2 pendants, under cabinet lights, and all new switches and outlets approx. $2300 + $500 for electrician (needed new and moved outlets/switches)

    Flooring: Eco Timber bamboo in kitchen, dining room, living room and hall, approx. $6000 for materials & labor

    Purchase of crown molding, baseboards, new door to garage & hardware, and paint: approx. $300

    Demo, cab installation, painting, installation of crown molding, baseboards: DIY

    Where the money came from: this is money we had on hand + some withdrawn from investments, which works because we are newly retired. Presuming you're not at that stage of life yet, taking a second on your house is reasonable as long as you feel confident you can meet the payments. If that's iffy, then a good kitchen spiff up has a lot to recommend itself. 15-20 years ago, I took all the doors off the cabinets, sanded them and the boxes down, restained, and polyurthaned. They looked tons better. My at-the-time teenage sons helped by doing all the unscrewing and rescrewing.

  • precious11
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi Suzannesl! Thank you for sharing- beautiful kitchen!! Our space is probably larger, but I imagine the cabinets we'll need will be less than what you have, since we do not plan on uppers- so overall should be comparable in cost to yours...maybe. :) Second mortgage could be an option since we cannot dip into our retirement fund yet without taking a huge hit financially. I think we can make the payments ( of course, depending on how much we borrow)

    Thanks for all the great info- anyone else willing to share?

  • remodelfla
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Each situation is different. There was no way we were going to incur debt. However, unlike you; we are close to (DH already is) retirement. So it took us 3 years and we DIY'd and paid cash. BUT... and this is a big butt... we had our other house to live in. We had no small children at home. DH is retired, handy, and could be there for any work we contracted out. So... I'd say we saved about 50K; which is a good thing cause it was 50K we didnt' have. We gutted out entire interior. Combined spaces and raised the floor into the garage to incorporate it into the pantry/kitchen. we moved all our electrical, put in a new electrical panel and upgraded service, and moved plumbing. We contracted out all electrical and the installation of tile. Most of the other work we (meaning him) did ourselves. We still probably dropped (for the whole house) about 45-50K.

    If you stretched to qualify for the house... I'd think long and hard about taking a second out. Save money... start a fund... sell stuff on ebay....if you have investments and some are doing well, skim off the profits. I would really hesitate to take on additional debt but again, I'm at a different stage of life then you.

  • crampon
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Bottom feeder here :-)

    We'll come in around $8-$9k, using Ikea cabinets in a small kitchen (approx. 120 square feet), and not including appliances (we've replaced them all within the last 3 years).

    We demo'd ourselves and went down to plaster, not down to the studs. Things we're hiring out: electrical, plumbing, sheetrock, counter fabrication, tile backsplash, and floor refinishing. We're assembling/installing stuff ourselves, doing window/door/baseboard trim, and being the GCs.

    I'm guessing that we're saving maybe $10k over using a GC and/or KD, but our timeline for completion is going to be over 6 months when all the trim is back in -- for a lot of people (maybe even us!), it's worth paying to wrap it up in 6 weeks instead.

  • modern_mom35
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    no need to apologize! I think it's a perfectly reasonable question. since I started lurking, I have wondered why "finished" posts don't often give cost info...

    we are going to be around $160K, but it is for an entire first floor - kitchen, laundry, mudroom, etc..we are down to the studs, removing a load bearing wall, moving plumbing, etc..so it's a huge project. we are well above the 20% value of our home ballpark, but we knew that going in. we are comfortable with that because many of the homes in our neighborhood are valued much higher than ours. so once we remove the 80s kitchen, we will be more on par with other houses in the area. we knew that we were going to do this when we bought the house.

    my advice on cabs in particular is to price them out at several places -- custom, big box, semi-custom, etc. we were surprised to find that the custom shop was less $$ than the semi-custom and Lowe's. also - if you can find trades that let you buy your own fixtures (sinks, faucets, etc..) you can save a lot $$.

    good luck!!

  • precious11
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Very good information, I really appreciate it.

    Remodelfla- the situation with the bank was that they were unwilling to consider my income when they qualified us for the loan, as I had recently transitioned to a part time /work as needed situation. They wanted an yearly salary guarantee, which I did not have. In fact, I bring home about 80% of what my husband makes, and I have the opportunity to make even more if I want to. That is why I am comfortable with a second mortgage, otherwise I would not even consider it. Additionally, I will probably transition to a full time position in the next year, so I guess we should be fine. You and your husband did a fantastic job doing all that work yourselves, I could only dream about imitating you guys- no such thing with us,unfortunately. My goodness you saved all that money and renovated a whole house with 40-50k, that is amazing!! I heard somebody say that they spent that money on one (ONE!!) bathroom alone!!! Crazy stuff that people with money will do, but I guess if you have it and want expensive stuff...well, then you can get it.

    Crampon- excellent price! Our house is very traditional, though, so I don't think Ikea would be able to cover that for us, but maybe I'm wrong...I will check them out!

    Thank you, guys, keep'em coming! :)

    Precious

  • precious11
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi Modern mom35! Did not see your post until I submitted the above one-sorry!
    Thank you for your information. 160k...wow, I am sure your house is going to be dreamy, I cannot wait to see your finished pictures :) Ideally, my project will include transforming a big, 80's kitchen with abysmal flow into a smaller, manageable, excellent flow kitchen, AND allow me to create the mudroom that I need, along with expanding the existing pantry. And if I win the lottery, maybe move the laundry room downstairs, it is now in the farthest corner of the house, upstairs, in a very awkward place ( my excuse NOT to do laundry LOL)

    Anyone else? Pretty please? :)

    Precious

  • northcarolina
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    We just finished our kitchen -- well, not FINISHED finished as I still have to paint and figure out a backsplash, but we are functional. It was definitely a budget remodel compared to many, nowhere close to 20% or even 10% of our house value. It all came straight out of savings. That is what we were comfortable doing; we spent more than DH wanted (he thought the old kitchen was fine so $0 would have been his choice) but the new kitchen is much more functional for a family.

    Where we saved:

    Habitat did the "demo" for free (they removed the cabinets -- our walls stayed up)
    Ikea cabinets and countertop
    I didn't go overboard on sinks/faucets/lighting (Kohler, Moen, fluorescent undercabs)
    Kept appliances since they work fine (except that I accidentally broke DH's coffee maker, so he now has a new one that's more expensive but better quality)

    Where we spent:

    Complete plumbing and electrical overhaul (postwar house so very due for this)
    New wood floor
    Second sink (actually not hugely expensive since we were already having the plumbing re-routed, and worth it for our layout)
    Hiring out cabinet installation - again, worth it for us, but brought the cabinet cost closer to what cabs from a big box would have cost (still less though)

    Ikea cabinets were a no-brainer for me because I wanted frameless and I really liked the metal drawers, and it would have been difficult to find those things anywhere else at a price I was willing to pay. They have a couple of traditional door styles, or you can get custom doors made if you like everything about them but the doors. I had crown molding added to bring the cabinets to the ceiling, and that lends a more traditional look to ours.

    Good luck with whatever you decide!

  • Annie Deighnaugh
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Make a floor plan with measurements then make an appointment at a kitchen place and go talk to them. They can help you lay something out and they can talk to you about the difference in cabinetry lines and expenses. Many cabinets can look the same on the outside but be very different in cost due to the materials used, the thickness of the cabinet walls, etc. Some finishes can be more expensive, some on lays and decorative elements can be more expensive, and drawers are more expensive. They can work something up so you can get a sense on the price of the cabinetry. They can also give you a sense of how long it will take from placing the order to receiving the cabinetry. This will also help you build a vocabulary...what does full extension mean...what is frameless vs framed...what is inset doors...etc.

    You can look at flooring on line, light fixtures, plumbing fixture and appliances and estimate how much those are going to cost.

    Controlling costs will be difficult, always, but you can do the demolition yourself...don't forget the dumping fees. You can find a contractor where you source the materials yourself so you may be able to control costs that way...and you can save a % add on that some will do with the materials they source.

    An example, I wanted a round hammered copper sink in my island. Builder said to go to x plumbing store and they wanted $550 for it. I went to ebay instead and got just what I wanted for $120.

    However, if you do that, you will need to communicate very well with him. What he wants is all the materials he needs when he needs them...waiting for pieces or receiving wrong parts will screw up his schedule and require more trips and more $$. You will need to have all that he needs when he needs it to keep the costs down and the project moving as quickly as possible.

    But you will ALWAYS run into unexpecteds...I always added 20-30% additional cost for the unexpecteds. Like GF's kitchen where they opened up the ceiling to put the fume hood duct work in and found it full of plumbing!

  • precious11
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi Northcarolina! Hi AnnieDeighnaugh!

    Thank you both for the great suggestions, we were thinking of calling "Habitat for Humanity" too, we were just unsure if they would be able to demo the cabinets or just haul it away. Annie, thanks for the reminder on the dumping fees, I DID forget about that- sheesh! More money and we haven't even started, right? :) I LOVE ebay, my next thing to find is going to be an open burner Wolf rangetop, Wolf does not make the open burners anymore ( why? WHY???) and I really do not like the look of the sealed burners and those flimsy pale red knobs...What a great price for the copper sink, I know how expensive those can get...

    Thank you so much, you amazing people, you totally rock! I will be back with the layout! Soon! ( you hear me, DH?)

    Precious

  • modern_mom35
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Precious - we found our open burner Wolf on eBay. Great deal and we got the discontinued model we wanted.

  • andreak100
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Precious - we are at the start of the journey, but I can give you some idea of our "hopeful" numbers. We wanted to keep our kitchen somewhere in the 25-30k range. Now, that being said, we have additional things that need to be done that we aren't really factoring in that amount.

    The house we moved into had it's kitchen done in the 70's. yeah. It's lovely. When we moved in, we knew we planned on redoing the kitchen in about 2 years. There was no dishwasher, so we bought the dishwasher that would go in our new kitchen. Also, the fridge that was in the house when we bought it wound up going last year - we bought the behemoth 31 sq ft. Kenmore Elite. Two major appliances down, a few to go. We also installed a garbage disposal. These things will go into the new kitchen and aren't being factored into the overall kitchen remodel budget at all.

    Now, to redo the kitchen, we are tearing out a wall between the kitchen and the DR. Kitchen is old school rolled linoleum. DR is red oak hardwood (as is the rest of the house). We're going hardwood in the kitchen - our hardwood guy is weaving the old in with the new so it will be less noticable (i.e. we won't have a transition strip). But, while we are having that done, we need to get the rest of the downstairs floor refinished so everything flows. We AREN'T including this into the cost of the kitchen renovation.

    Oh yeah, and our 100amp electrical service...box is full. So, we need to get 200amp service in. This needed to happen for both the kitchen and our future plans (master bedroom suite addition and central air). So, once again, we aren't really counting this cost into the kitchen per se.

    See, it's easy to keep "on-budget" when you can shift all these expenses to other areas! haha

    But seriously. We are likely to wind up somewhere around 45-50k for the work that is being done this year to the house - additional appliances (we're going with what I consider high-middle-of-the-road appliances - sticking with Kenmore Elite since that's what the fridge and DW is, and getting a 30" induction cooktop, 30" wall oven, a free-standing MW, and a Whirlpool exhaust hood. I love the look of Wolf, Viking, etc...but, it's just not going to happen in our kitchen budget. My mom is a retired Sears employee and thus gets a discount. So, that helps quite a bit.

    We're working with a bit of a fluid breakdown on budget right now. Deciding where to best spend our dollars, meaning that some areas will wind up getting a few less $$$ than originally possibly planned to get the key focal points taken care of the way we want.

    I would suggest that you write down all the things that you need and want in your kitchen and come up with a few ballpark numbers of what you are willing to spend on each. And then be prepared to adjust the heck out of those within the budget to come up with what things are the most important to you as you find the exact products that make your heart sing.

  • juliekcmo
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I suggest thinking out the things that drive you crazy FUNCTIONALLY in your current kitchen, and make sure they are different in the new kitchen.

    If it is only that things are old and falling apart, then lucky you, you get to do a redecorate remodel.

    But if workflow, lighting, storage, position of major items, counterspace, egress to other rooms, need to be addressed on top of the fact that things are old and falling apart, you need to do some deep analysis.

    I think it is too easy to get fixated on how things LOOK in a new kitchen, instead of fixing the functions. If you don't fix the functions, then I think you have missed out.
    Better to have good function and basic level of look, then to have fancy looking but bad function.

  • precious11
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    You guys...how awesome is this? I post one measly question and you are just spoiling me :) LOVE it and REALLY appreciate all of your advice!

    Modern mom35: isn't ebay fantastic? After scouring ( almost) all the fancy appliance stores in my area and getting the glazed look from salesman that simply could not fathom my obsession with the OPEN burners Wolf rangetop ( "but everybody wants the sealed burners now, you really will love it!" Well, I don't. Get over it.) I really needed to do something else, so I went to ebay. I found one or two kinda close, but no cigar. Yet. I am SO hoping still, it is the ONLY item I am absolutely sure I have to have, otherwise I will always long for it. I am really flexible on other choices, so I think I can pursue this one splurge. Thanks for your interest and suggestion, I do appreciate it!

    Andreak100- great ideas, I am definitely trying to come up with a breakdown of things that will go in the kitchen, but I get scared when I start adding stuff up :) Seriously, I do have a general idea of what the items I need will cost, BUT...I don't know what the labor costs will be, and that is a big ticket item. The appliances can come piece by piece later- except the rangetop, I need that when the kitchen is ready and I can reuse the ovens for a little while ( before exploding or being burned to a crisp). Good luck with your remodel, sounds like a big project that will give you so much joy when finished! Cannot wait to see the progress pics :)

    Juliekcmo- how right you are! People can easily lose focus when planning their kitchen, it is an emotional thing, you want to see pretty , shiny things in the room you use most ( I can relate to that). Fortunately, the current kitchen has such a bad flow, even the minimal redo will be light years away from what it is right now. There is so much wasted space, no work triangle ( well, a scrawny, puny one) a sort of a "squished" diamond shaped island with a cooktop in AND a downdraft, the fridge nook on top of a prep sink situated BEHIND the actual kitchen and so on...Oh, let's not forget the minuscule pantry, crammed next to a side door, just idiotic placement... I will add that there is also a bathroom attached to the eating area of the kitchen, which makes for fantastic aromas wafting from the kitty litter box as I am sipping my coffee in the morning ( if I forget to change the litter, which I do frequently in the morning rush :)) Fun, right? Yes, so I will make sure things I have imagined will work well before removing one single tile, THEN start. I will definitely use the infinite wisdom of my fellow GWers when planning this enormous project, and I will return with a plan for you all to critique.

    Thank you, thank you! I really love this!! :)

    Precious

  • writersblock (9b/10a)
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Ikea does have some more traditional styles, but what a lot of people do is to buy the boxes from ikea and get custom doors elsewhere (since ikea sells ala carte, as it were, it's cost effective to do this since doors are the most expensive component of an ikea cabinet). Vsalz, for instance recently did this beautiful walnut kitchen:

    more details in the link below

    Here is a link that might be useful: walnut and quartzite kitchen

  • precious11
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi Writersblock! That kitchen is incredible, what a fantastic result!!! And Ikea boxes?? Hard to believe and yet it's there for all of us to enjoy. AMAZING. I just don't know that I have the time and the guts to put all of that effort into planning such an ordeal- but the results are just splendid...*sigh*

    Thanks for posting!

    Precious

  • peonybush
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    We are just wrapping up our kitchen reno. Backsplash left to install and we are done. Well, I think so..Are we ever really done? The backsplash is ordered and hopefully will be installed next week. Pics will be posted then.
    Here's the background.....our house is a 1970's ranch which was built for us in the late 70's. Now I can say good grief...what does a couple in their 20's know about having a house built. Everything was builder's grade because that was what we could afford. Bare basics. Over the years, every room was remodeled, basement reno done (not basementy--all dry wall and carpeting, built ins etc) leaving the kitchen for last knowing it would be the most expensive. Going forward, we are empty nesters. We are both still working but soon to retire. We set our budget at $50,000 but did go over that by about $5-10,000 I think. I haven't counted the beans yet. Funding came from savings. We do not have a mortgage.
    There were things I would not compromise on...the GC was first and foremost. He was just the best..excellent work and super to work with.
    The cabinets were another area. I have solid maple cabinets with dovetail and soft touch drawers. Mostly drawers on the lowers. The cabinets with doors all have pullouts. The perimeters are white, the island is a stain with glaze. These priced out at around $13,000. Not top of the line but very nice and we are happy with them.

    Quartz and butcherblock countertops were around $4,500

    Hardwood floor and installation for kitchen, dining, foyer, hallway and stairs to lower level-- $7,000

    Electrician and plumber--I think around $9,000. There was relocating of water lines, extending and relocating heating/air ducts for addition, up the amps for the bigger range, some unexpecteds.

    Building materials around $8,000
    Labor for GC around $9,000

    Appliances around $5,000. All appliances were bought at Sears..DH is retired Sears employee with lifetime employee discount. I waited until there was the extra family and friends discount night + employee discount + discount for putting on sears credit card. They were also on sale when I bought them. I bought all upper end--Kenmore pro dual fuel range, large french door refrigerator, top dishwasher and Sharp microwave drawer.

    Incidentals I haven't even added up yet...lighting fixtures, faucets, cabinet hardware, window treatments etc. All part of the big picture.

    Keep in mind that this was a complete gut down to the studs and we did have a small addition to the dining area--about 8x10.
    The only DIY we did was taking out the cupboards, taking up the vinyl flooring, removing moldings and painting. DH travels a lot so DIY in the construction etc was not an option.

    My advice would be to expect the unexpected because it will happen.
    These things can bust a budget big time.
    Don't settle for what you really don't want but keep reality in check. It's exciting to find that great light fixture or cabinet hardware on ebay or the tile from someone on craigslist. A lot of the fun is in the hunt.

    I came upon GW when we were well into our reno and wished I had found it sooner. There I things I would change of course. There are great people here with a wealth of information and oh so willing to offer great advice and share all the ups and downs of planning and executing amazing kitchens.

    Oh yes--I just remembered. We still have to put stone on the front of the house where the addition is. More $ that wasn't budgeted for. And so it goes.......
    Good luck as the journey begins.

  • writersblock (9b/10a)
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Well, even if you don't want to go custom, you can do traditional with ikea. Take a look at oldhouse1's amazing kitchen, one of the most popular GW kitchens (although that particular door style has been discontinued):

    Here is a link that might be useful: a year in the making

  • AnnaA
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    You're getting lots of good advice. We worked on a fixed budget that ended up being twice what we originally hoped. But our non negotiable was to be able to pay cash - no interest yanking up the cost. Here's a few things we learned:

    1. Yes, private, custom made cabs can be cheaper, depending on who you find. But, there is a way to cut the costs with big box semi custom. We bought on the eve of their end of fiscal year, and bought as much other stuff we needed. We got all sorts of discounts and an 18 month same as cash loan. Turned out much cheaper than the 3 private custom cab makers we consulted. I hate negotiating costs, but that's what we did. Our KD was great, and she knew the budget we wanted to keep. We went back and forth negotiating as we kept adding purchases. I actually enjoyed the process and felt good about the deal.

    2. GC...I just didn't want to go with a big firm as the markup is insane! Luckily, we connected with an independent GC whose rates were significantly less, and he didn't subcontract out anything but the ceiling texturing and electrical. A friend of mine was doing a KM at the same time and her headaches ...she had layers of people to deal with. While I may have been lucky, I'm convinced that with enough sleuthing, a skilled craftsman that works independently is a wonderful way to go. It was like we had an artist in residence during the 3 month process.

    3. I'm tallying up my final costs now, but LOTS of hidden costs - temporary kitchen supplies such as a mini frig, single burner cooking appliance, pots and pans for induction. Fast food - for us and workers..that adds up big time! Sample tiles...lots and lots of sample tiles. Tips for delivery people. Higher heat bill...we were down to studs during the coldest week of the winter! You get the idea...it adds up!

    4. Once I decided it was time to renovate, I wanted it done right then and there! Instead, this forum taught me the value of taking my time and doing my homework. As previous posters said, part of the fun is the hunt. And that included getting a bunch of estimates - from those contracting firms (actually 4 total) and 2 big box. Every person gave me something new to consider, but ultimately, it helped me decide what I wanted. So, from design to purchase, there is value to going the leisure route prior to demo day.

    It also sounds like you are experienced renovators. I'm sure you know most of this stuff. In the end, hope you have fun with it!

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