A beautiful and well thought out kitchen remodel makes cooking and entertaining fun and convenient. The kitchen is the heart of the home and upgrading it not only attracts buyers but raises the home value. While most of us want to hosts holiday parties for friends and family just how much does it cost to remodel your kitchen.
According to recent studies homeowners spend an average of about $13,000 on kitchen remodel’s. If that sounds reasonable to you DIYers can spruce up their kitchen for as low as $10,000 to north of $60,000 for a full out Bobby Flay/Martha Stewart kitchen.
For the rest of this article we are going to break down exactly how much kitchen remodeling costs. We will break it down into four sections.
Cost overview;
Project cost by scale
ROI return on investment
Budgeting
A majority of the reason why kitchen remodels can vary drastically in terms of costs mostly depends on cabinet selections and appliance selections. Home advisor reported the average kitchen remodel cost was between $13,113-$37,157 with an average cost per square feet of $75-$250. Remodeling magazine reported the average kitchen remodel cost was between $23,452-$68,490 with an average cost per square foot of $117-$342. Home guide reported the average kitchen remodel cost was between 12,800 to 21,200 With an average cost per square foot of $100-$250.
Project cost by scale
$8000-$12,000 would be a minor kitchen remodel. These would be easy and low cost improvements that would raise your home’s marketability and increase in value.
Minor kitchen remodels include but not limited to painting the cabinets, removing and installing a new backsplash and removing and installing new countertops or epoxy over existing countertops.
Painting your kitchen cabinets yourself could cost anywhere between $200-$600 depending on kitchen size, your existing supplies and your choice of quality paint. The timeframe to kitchen cabinets could take anywhere between a day to a long weekend. If you opt to hire a professional to paint the kitchen cabinets the cost could be anywhere between $1000-$3500.
Removing and installing a beautiful backsplash takes a little more technique and tools. Your biggest cost is going to be the cost of the tile and the rental of the tile saw. Tile saws can range anywhere between $50 a day to $150 a day. The average cost of tile material for a backsplash could be anywhere between $1 per square foot to $25 per square foot. Many times a backsplash can be removed and reinstalled in two days. If you opt to hire professional to remove and replace your backsplash the cost could be anywhere between $750-$2500.
Removing and installing countertops also takes a little more technique and tools and more importantly muscle. Usually DIYers will rent a dumpster to dispose of the old countertops whether they be tile, solid surface or laminate. Removing existing countertops could take anywhere between three hours to an entire day depending on the material. If you are going to install tile as your new countertops this can 100% be done as a DIYer but can be very frustrating as the edge of the countertop is tedious and requires skill and technique. Therefore, There are plenty of YouTube videos to learn from though. The average cost to replace countertops is $10 per square foot to $150 per square foot depending on your choice of material. If you opt to hire a professional to remove and replace your countertops the cost could be anywhere between $1000-$5500.
One option that is gaining traction is epoxy countertops. Epoxy can be installed over existing tile, solid surface and laminate countertops. The epoxy process eliminates the need for removing existing countertops. There are many pros and cons to epoxy countertops that you can read here.
Most DIYers will tackle many of the above projects themselves and then invest in appliances. New stainless-steel appliances in a package from big-box retailers like Home Depot or Lowe’s could range anywhere between $1500-$6000. Many new buyers of homes state that they would pay more for a home that had new appliances.
$13,000-$25,000 would be a midscale kitchen remodel. These would be easy to medium cost improvements that would also raise your home’s marketability and increase the value.
Midscale kitchen remodels include but are not limited to re-facing the kitchen cabinets, removing and installing new countertops, removing and installing new backsplash, adding new hardware, replacing kitchen sink and faucet and replacing the floor.
Refacing your kitchen cabinets is a great place to start as long as your existing cabinets (boxes) are in good condition. Cabinet refacing will save you thousands of dollars and includes new doors, new drawers and either new hardware or replacing existing hardware. The average cost could range anywhere between $3000-$7000. Another great option for cabinet’s is to replace door hinges and drawer slides with soft close hinges and slides. The average cost could range anywhere between $300-$1000.
Removing and installing new countertops with either quartz, marble or any other solid surface countertop is a great way to enhance your new cabinet refacing. The average cost for solid surface countertops could range anywhere between $40 per square foot to $100 per square foot depending on choice of materials.
Adding or replacing knobs and handles will save you hundreds of dollars by doing it yourself and you could normally buy pulls or handles in bundles for approximately $30. There are hundreds of videos about installing and creating templates to install pulls and handles and we believe any DIYer can do this themselves.
And finally the finishing touches to a midscale kitchen remodel would be replacing existing appliances and/or adding a kitchen island if you have the space.
Every kitchen needs more countertop space and the trend for kitchen islands is getting a lot of attention. Although the average cost for a kitchen island can range anywhere between $1000-$10,000. The reason for the big cost difference is based on if there is any appliances in the islands, plumbing or electrical and most importantly the size of the island.
$25,000 to $65,000 would be a major kitchen remodel. Most of the time a major kitchen remodel would include a full demolition of existing kitchen and could include reconfiguring the layout. Moving walls and adjusting plumbing and electrical lines is for professionals only and usually requires a permit. A major kitchen remodel will give higher end homes and edge over the competition especially in this current housing market that we are in.
In a major kitchen remodel the largest investment is in the cabinets as it should be. A major trend currently is mixing different stains and finishes in regards to the kitchen island and the main cabinets. Although this does not affect the cost it will enhance your kitchen dramatically.
Most kitchens need more pantry space and adding a walk-in pantry to alleviate clutter and ease of access to all of your dry goods. If your kitchen and space surrounding is set up to add a walk-in pantry we highly suggest adding one as many of our past customers rave over their new pantry.
$65,000 and up would be for a chef’s kitchen remodel. A chef’s kitchen has top-of-the-line appliances and a layout that mimics a restaurant kitchen. It is designed for functionality and efficiency and will bring you more joy as a homeowner then it will a return on your investment if you ever sell.
A few places to save on a chef’s kitchen remodel would be lighting and hardware. Adding pendant lights and LED tape lights adds character with the unique touch to show off the finishes of your cabinets and countertops and possibly backsplash. Many homeowners choose to add these finishing touches at the end of the project to save their budget.
Custom cabinets for a chef’s kitchen remodel can range anywhere between $500-$700 per lineal foot. It is imperative that the kitchen layout improves the functionality and efficiency of your kitchen space.
Your Return on Investment.
In a recent survey by one of the leaders in the home improvement lead space buyers rank their kitchen remodel as the most desired feature in the home. Buyer spent an average of more than $4500 to secure a home with a remodeled kitchen. Many homeowners calls this the AF: aggravation fee. Whoever goes to the aggravation gets the fee.
Our team at trust company does everything possible to eliminate the aggravation of any of your home remodeling projects. Our 100+ five-star reviews online proves that our customer service and quality construction eliminates fear and aggravation and most home remodeling projects.
Budgeting
When budgeting for your kitchen remodel you should follow the one third rule. One third of your budget should be spent on cabinetry, another third on upgrades like countertops, backslashes, sinks, flooring and appliances. In the final third should be spent on labor or paying (saving) yourself as a DIYer.
Although trust company offers a quote guarantee sometimes unexpected events occur that could raise the cost of the remodel. Some examples of unexpected events include; a history of water damage underneath and behind cabinets that cannot be seen, damage plumbing or electrical inside of the walls, and damage to framing from termite or water damage in the past. We suggest you set aside 15 to 20% of your budget for these unforeseen circumstances. We will do everything in our power and tool bags to eliminate any extra costs during our remodels.
And lastly remodeled kitchens sells homes. Even people who do not normally cook love a beautiful kitchen. Realtors will flock and bring tons of buyers to a home that has an inspirational kitchen.