A kitchen remodel can be quite the undertaking. You may only be updating a few things – the cabinets and countertops perhaps – or taking on the entire room floor to ceiling. Either way, you’ll no doubt agree it’s a time investment. But it can also be a colossal money investment, especially if you don’t plan before you start knocking down walls. Budgeting in general is not always easy, and remodels have a way of running over budget. But with a little planning and priority setting, you can effectively budget for your renovation.
– First, you need to know how much you have to spend on the remodel. You can find a helpful budget worksheet on The National Association of the Remodelling Industry’s website. Some questions to ask include: How long do I plan living in this house? What debts do I have? What is my gross monthly income? It’s especially important to look at how long you intend to live in your house. That will largely determine what you put into your remodel. Having the overall number that you have to work with will help you move on to choosing what to remodel.
– Now that you know how much you can spend, what do you spend it on? If you’re giving your kitchen a minor makeover, like adding a sophisticated countertop (like granite), a new paint job, and new appliances, you won’t have much to consider. If, however, you plan on gutting it and starting over, balancing your money will be more complicated. So unless you have unlimited funds, this means some picking and choosing is in order. One way to know where your money should go is to decide what means the most to you. Do you have your heart set on all granite countertops or stainless steel appliances? Then maybe that’s what you should focus on, compromising or scaling down on other features like intricate crown mouldings. Think about the things that are more permanent (cabinets and tile) that you won’t be replacing soon, if ever. It may be worth investing a little more in those things. Some recommend budgeting about one-third for labour costs. Of course, you may be able to save some money in this department by enlisting the skills of family and friends – or even yourself. By doing some of the labour on your own, even just the demolition (removing old countertops, for instance), you may save money you can put toward other features of your kitchen. Always leave a financial pillow. Even with excellent planning, you may experience the unexpected. Especially with older homes, problems may arise during demolition, or you may have to make changes in what you plan to buy. Whatever may turn up, leave enough space in your budget to handle unexpected payouts.
So when planning your budget for your future kitchen remodel:
Decide how much you have to spend on the renovation.
Choose what you should invest the most in and scale back on secondary features.
Save a little money by handling demolition yourself and recruiting family and friends to help with labour.
Budget for unexpected changes in your renovation plans.
A little budget planning will go a long way toward a smoother kitchen remodel.
Watch the video related to kitchen remodeling
With John’s help, the Matthewses save nearly $30000 on their kitchen redo. Thisvideo is part of 10 Grand In Your Hand show hosted by John Desilvia . SHOW DESCRIPTION :Every week on 10 Grand In Your Hand, DIY Network shows real homeowners how to cut as much as $10000 from their renovation and remodeling projects. In this original series, DIY Network comes into a renovation or remodeling project at the beginning, offering homeowners smart advice on new materials and technologies, plus essential how-to info on doing some of the basic work themselves. Homeowners are amazed at how much we can shave off their total budget, leaving serious cash available to spend on another project, a vacation or a new toy.
