Smart Buying
Kitchen Face-Lifts
You can cook up a new look without spending a fortune.
By Jessica L. Anderson, Associate Editor
From Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine, December 2007
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Remodeling your kitchen isn't cheap. But you can expect to recoup much of the cost when you sell your house. Even if you don't get all your money back, a face-lift should make your home easier to sell in a competitive market. Plus, a spiffed-up kitchen with new appliances is bound to enhance your enjoyment of your home.
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SLIDE SHOW: Six Great Kitchen Makeovers | ||
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Appliances to Spice Up Your Kitchen | ||
According to Remodeling magazine's "2006 Cost vs. Value Report," a "minor," midrange kitchen remodel averaged $17,928, and 85% of the money was recouped at sale. A "major," midrange remodel averaged $54,241 and returned 80% of the cost. Both projects include replacing the sink, faucet, countertop, flooring, oven and cooktop.
A minor redo includes refacing the cabinetry. A major redo features semi-custom wood cabinets (which are fancier than stock units but not built from scratch), an island, custom lighting and more new appliances -- a built-in microwave with ventilation, a dishwasher and a garbage disposal. The budget buster in any kitchen redo is the cabinets. Skipping the custom or semi-custom cabinetry can halve the cost of a remodel.
To let you know how far your remodeling dollars could go, Kiplinger's teamed up with designer Jessica Cannon, of Expo Design Center in Fairfax, Va., to plan a minor and a major remodel of a typical kitchen. Although Remodeling's report is based on redoing a 200-square-foot kitchen, we chose to renovate a 125-square-foot space to reflect the size of most older, ready-to-remodel kitchens. Both the major redo and the less-expensive job include installation and appliances.
For a major remodel
Cabinets are the building blocks of your kitchen. They take up the most space and have the greatest visual impact. But they can be among the most expensive parts of a remodel. Even semi-custom cabinetry can run $20,000 or more. Our goal was to stay under $40,000 for the major remodel, so we chose a less costly alternative: refacing the existing cabinets by putting new doors and drawer fronts on the frames and re-covering the frames with plywood stained or painted to match the new finish.
"Refacing your cabinets is like a makeover for your whole kitchen," says Michael Stiles, who owns Kitchen Solvers, of Tallahassee, Fla., with his wife, Rachel. Expo's estimate for refacing our cabinets with custom, champagne-maple doors was $13,000.
An easier -- but by no means inexpensive -- project is replacing the counters. Stone is the most popular material right now by far, says Darius Baker, a certified kitchen-and-bath remodeling specialist from Sacramento, Cal. Silestone (an engineered stone made from quartz and resin) and granite surfaces lead the pack, with prices ranging from $55 to $95 per square foot (including installation). Cannon chose Imperial Splendor Stonemark granite because the company's material comes presealed and includes a 15-year warranty against staining.
Under-mount inks (which have no lip to meet the counter) are pricier than drop-in models, but spills wipe right into the basin. Cannon chose an undermount stainless-steel sink and a Grohe pullout faucet to complete the counter makeover. The German faucet costs almost three times more than the low-end project's faucet, but it is all stainless steel and engineered to last.
One of Cannon's favorite ways to give a kitchen a new look is to add a backsplash. "So many people don't even think about it, but it can really dress up a kitchen," she says. She chose 4-by-4-inch unpolished marble tiles, and added under-cabinet lighting to show off the marble's warm gold and red tones.
Reader Comments (23)
Posted by: Roz at 12/10/2007 11:12:44 AM
I love this magazine and have been reading it for over 20 years. (My dad introduced me to it). I am thinking of giving my kitchen a facelift and came to your website to see your other offerings after reading your article which seemed to imply that a modest facelift ($16K) could add significant updating and asthetics. How surprised was I when you don't show the kitchens that were detailed in the article but monstrous projects from $36K to $100K? Also it looks to me like the kitchens featured in the slideshow are all huge, not the 125SF that you used in your article...Please be more authentic in the future.
Posted by: Michele at 12/14/2007 01:13:35 PM
How about showing examples of realistic "redos" for the average homeowner. The idea of spending over 1000.00 for cabinet knobs, over 1000.00 for under cabinet lighting & 6,000.00 for appliances, etc... just boggles my mind. I'd be interested in an article that exlains and pictures alternatives that can be used to essentially create the same ambiance, while being practical, on a very modest budget.
Posted by: Ken at 12/26/2007 06:38:18 AM
I agree with both Roz & Michele. Please consider an article with four upgrades between say $3,000 and $10,000.
Posted by: carmel at 12/26/2007 09:54:43 AM
Why don't you give the dimensions of the Kitchens, then we would get more of an idea about what is possible in a "normal" sized hiome instead of a McMansion.
Posted by: Celia at 12/26/2007 12:15:59 PM
My husband and I live in a 35 year old Ranch style home and having a fixed income - need to stay under $10,000 to update our kitchen. We will sand and stain the cabinets ourselves, so that saves some, but what about all the new Formica and Wilsonart? What are the pros and cons of using something more economically feasible like that?
Posted by: Roland at 01/04/2008 09:50:37 PM
Who are these people willing to pay $17k for a minor kitchen upgrade,Im in the countertop business and see only maybe 3% of the population willing or able to throw that kind of money at a kitchen,and the ones that do are not reading your article...
Posted by: jg at 01/04/2008 11:12:04 PM
We updated our 30 year old kitchen for around $10k (Canadian). We shopped around a lot and found great deals at manufacturer's warehouses. Originally we were willing to refinish our old cabinets but it was very time consuming and the results were far from fabulous. We purchased new cabinets from Ikea, left the layout the same with the exception of a new slide-out pantry, added granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. I think if you're willing to take your time, do your research and complete portions at a time, a kitchen renovation can be beautiful and very affordable. BTW - completing small pieces at a time allowed us to pay cash for most of our new kitchen!
Posted by: Alicia at 01/05/2008 11:20:26 AM
There are some pretty renovations here, but way out of our price range. Im glad to see Im not the only one who thinks there should be cheaper options shown for those who are truly on a budget. We are looking to update our cabinets, but not for $$$$. Thanks!
Posted by: Gerry at 01/06/2008 09:58:45 AM
Cut costs even further by using old cabinets that were replaced by "rich" folks. The classifieds can help. Contain costs even further by offering to remove the old cabinets.
Posted by: Annie at 01/06/2008 11:24:57 AM
my husband and I are weekend warriors, so we love to go out and price materials for fun. without a doubt the prices in this article are WAY too high for most folks we know especially with all the home improvment stores there are now,but you also must be willing to get your hands a bit dirty to save $$$$
Posted by: James at 01/06/2008 04:25:08 PM
Yes, these are some nice renovations, but even with these $$$$ minor kitchen upgrades, houses are not going recoup the money in our neighborhood....Our (house) is paid off so why put this much money into a home unless you are planning on staying in the house?....
Posted by: Jack at 01/18/2008 08:40:42 PM
These folks clearly do not know how to shop or else they have more money than they need. These kitchens are way too costly for most of us.
Posted by: bostonsobe at 01/19/2008 02:07:00 AM
i totally agree with previous post.... we recently renovated our VERY small kitchen in 1926 California bungalow style house. total "legal" square footage of 750! we actually knocked out part of wall from our bedroom closet to make kitchen larger.. used granite custom counters, tile floor, stainless appliances - yessss I now have a dishwasher! and all new cabinets...Of course.. final cost was higher than we'd planned... but FAR lower than this article. i can say right off the start.. knobs and pulls, while can be costly, can also be far less. as can the downlighting.
Posted by: Beth at 01/19/2008 10:17:58 AM
I'd prefer to see an article comparing counter tops -- price, durability, amount you might recoop when selling, etc. Or comparing refrigerators, cabinets, floors using the same parameters. Most of us can't begin to afford a $100,000 redo, nor would I want all those hassles. So how about something more realistic?
Posted by: cynthia at 01/19/2008 12:30:23 PM
Having done a kitchen because of Katrina, I found that shopping around gives you opportunity to save $$ on appliances, cabinets, hardware and flooring. Wilsonart formica is a alterative to some of the pricer countertops and it looks great and expensive. When lowe's or HD close out a color or how they cut the sizes they sell, you can get a buy. Our cost was less than $20,000 and we did get higher end stainless appliances. This was not a huge kitchen, but the results were more than we had expected.
Posted by: Linda Burnley at 02/12/2008 10:01:24 AM
We are building our own home and have found many ways to cut costs. My new kitchen cost approximately $6000. which includes everything. For the cabinets we built the frames ourselves and then bought unfinished maple doors and did all of the staining and finishing ourselves. We designed and purchased stained glass inserts and we mounted them in the upper cabinets. All of the pewter hardware was purchased online for a cost of about $400. For the countertops we used the granite tiles which we installed like any other tile countertop and used the same shiny black granite for the backsplash running it all the way to the top of the cabinets....The appliances are not high end but are stainless steel as is the sink and high arc faucet. I bought pendant lighting from Ebay and an antique stained glass window is mounted above the sink (also purchased on Ebay for $50)...Everyone who sees our kitchen can't believe their eyes...We have no experience as carpenters or remodelers we are just everyday folks with more time than money.
Posted by: Carol at 02/16/2008 11:48:49 AM
...you quote a minor face lift at $17,000. I have a friend who did a whole kitchen replacement/remodel with new granite, cabinets, and appliances for $10,000. I did a minor redo - granite countertops, porcelain floor, new kitchen island, with wall teardown and added lighting for $7,000. I carefully screened my contractors and installers, by seeing former projects done by them. I managed my own project, which I am sure saved a bundle also. I priced my own granite and purchased it installed for less than $40.00 per sq. ft. For those who are on a budget, it can be done inexpensively but you have to be there and manage it. Also do some of the installation yourself...
Posted by: Andrea at 03/17/2008 03:25:51 PM
I have recently remodeled my kitchen. For those people who do their homework, why do you choose granite countertops? Yes, if price is the only factor, but what about maintenance? Did you allow for $100.00 to $150.00 PER year to have it resealed? Did you take into consideration mold and mildew will grow underneath it? By far, the best money you can put into your new kitchen is Quartz Countertops. We (did and) couldn't be more happy. I never have to worry about maintenance again!! NSF rating of 5, can't get any better than that!
Posted by: AL STANGER at 04/11/2008 03:06:46 PM
I recently remodeled a small but elaborate kitchen in a beach house in San Diego. I refaced most of the cabinets. My bids were from $5,700 to $7,000 to reface. I did it myself buying the doors and drawers at Lowes quality doors for $1,400. I did solid slab granite for $2,000 and granite tile to match back splash for $400. I have been remodeling kitchens for 30 years and am always surprised at the exorbidant prices I hear people have had to spend. You can buy a box cabinet at Home Depot or Lowes for a 10 by 10 kitchen for about $8,000. Our next door neighbor spent $35,000 for custom cabinets that look just like our $8,000 cabinets. Shop around your will find some great deals.
Posted by: Debbie at 04/20/2008 07:58:43 PM
Granite Shield created the first lifetime granite sealer in 2002; the difference is the sealer will last a lifetime without maintenance or reapplication of the sealer. You don't have to worry about wiping up spills immediately, worry about acidic liquids, using coasters or placemats ever again. You can even use an over the counter window cleaner with ammonia. Granite Shield recommends Windex or Clorox wipes on glossy granite sealed by Granite Shield to clean the granite...
Posted by: kobus de wet at 06/17/2008 04:31:09 AM
Just read the various items on granite kitchen tops and thought i should just add that out in south africa we have large quantities of stone surfaces to chose from and we also don't have mildew or any other such problems to contend with. Being a renovator myself i think that often people don't do their homework prior to starting a d.i.y. project because prices do vary greatly and even $1,000 saved is worthwhile.
Posted by: Michele Shumate at 07/23/2008 10:09:07 AM
I'm sorry, but for many of us, if a kitchen remodle can't be kept under $10,000 it isn't going to happen. There are plenty of other repairs/upgrades to eat up the other $20-90,000 you talk about in your story.
Posted by: Annie on the Hill at 07/27/2008 05:50:46 PM
It is possible to remodel a kitchen for under $10K. You just need to shop around. E.g., I paid only $20/pendant lamp. Since I needed 6 I saved a bundle. I also saved a lot by hiring a contractor who let me assist him & do some of the lighter work.