Home and Garden Repairs

Although a kitchen remodel can sometimes be expensive and time consuming, there are times when it's simply needed and cannot be put off any longer. Floor tiles may be peeling away, there may be chunks missing from the benchtop surface, or the cabinets may be damaged beyond repair, so that the kitchen isn't even safe, much less ready for food prep! Because a remodel may be very expensive, even when it's very necessary, note a few tips on how to save money on that remodel. This will ensure you end up with a kitchen you love but that doesn't break your budget.

Cabinets

Cabinets that come in pieces and that need assembling before or during installation will be cheaper than cabinets that are preassembled. This might mean a bit more work, and of course you need the right tools for assembly, but these cabinets can greatly decrease the cost of your kitchen remodel overall. You might also opt for open shelving in place of some cabinets; you can use reclaimed wood, or salvageable wood from your old cabinets that you cut to size and mount to the wall, for an inexpensive alternative to a cabinet or two.

Flooring

A good way to save on flooring is to choose tiles that can be placed over the existing floor, if it's in relatively good condition and offers a solid base for new tiles. Peel-and-stick tiles don't need glue or adhesives, and can often be placed right over old tiles. An affordable linoleum roll can also be cut to size and installed over the current floor. You might look for remnants or overstock of such linoleum rolls or tile, and especially if the home has a smaller kitchen that doesn't require much flooring material.

Benchtops

As with flooring, look for wholesale materials that can be applied over the current benchtops, such as large tile or sheets of stainless steel. You can save you quite a bit of money if you don't need to rip out the old benchtops, and many larger tiles can be placed right over an old benchtop, even if it's chipped and worn.

Note, too, if you can find remnants of solid materials like quartz, granite, or steel sheeting. These remnants are often much cheaper than fresh materials, and they're also a good choice for smaller benchtops where you don't need much material. You might even be able to use remnants of wood for a butcher-block benchtop, and then stain or paint it to hide any imperfections or mismatched pieces!