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Kitchen renovation costs and ideas Renovating your kitchen is usually the most cost effective upgrade you can do to your home. Even in an old house, most people opt to renovate or replace rather than restore - I like the look of old coal burning or wood-burning stoves, but I want my dishwasher and garbage disposal, thank you very much. But, you can replace your kitchen in a way that is still sensitive to the age of your house. Cost expectations If you are remodelling your kitchen as a face-lift prior to selling it, it is recommended that you spent no more than 10-15% of the cost of your house. If you are going to remain in your house for more than 5 years, spend 25% or more -- in most cases you will recoup the entire cost of the renovation when you sell. For a kitchen renovation, you should expect to spend: $2k - $3k For a cosmetic facelift with no new cabinets, plumbing or electrical changes. Usually this means new cabinet doors, hardware, faucet, and fixtures. $4k - $7k For new low end cabinetry, counters, appliances. A few structural changes are possible, but this is basically "doing it cheap". $8k - $10k For new low end cabinetry, counters, appliances, flooring, paint. Some minor structural changes and some upgrades available. $11k - $20K For all of the above in medium quality, more elaborate structural changes, and some custom work. $20K + For all of the above in a high quality, with custom work and many upgrades. It's going to cost how much? Yes, kitchen renovation can be expensive. The first estimate we got on our kitchen was almost half what we paid for the house! Talk about sticker shock! We put off working on our kitchen for nearly eight years, until we could afford to do what we wanted. But, there are ways to cut costs without sacrificing quality. Regardless of what you do budget, don't skimp on design, appliances, or labor. These are the basis for a functional kitchen and you should get the best you can affort. Instead, to cut costs, use stock cabinets instead of custom work, laminates instead of corian, and keep your current appliances, if you can. Try to keep existing plumbing and electrical. Don't make structural changes to the room, and make the most of small improvements like new paint, new wallpaper, new curtains and decorations. Make sure that ALL planning is done before you start work. Any changes halfway through the process will be expensive. Approximate costs The following costs are for low-end, medium quality, and deluxe options for redoing your kitchen. There are options from one end of the range to the other. Item Low Medium High Cabinets 3k 8k 15k Storage Inserts 150 600 1200 Countertops 15-20/ft laminate 35/ft ceramic 200/ft granite Flooring 15-20/ft2 vinyl 7-10/ft2 tile 20-30/ft2 tile or wood Double Sink 250 700 1200 Faucet 100 300 800 Miscellaneous Notes Countertops Countertops should be 2-3" below the elbow. The standard is 36", but can be anywhere between 28" - 45" but remember that this may affect the resale value of the house if you pick one of the extremes. American base cabinets are normally 30 ½" tall, European based cabinets are 28". American toekicks are usually 4 ½", European toekicks are 7" Countertops are normally 1 ½ - 2" thick, depending on composition. Wall cabinets are placed 15-20" from the countertops A baking area should be 5-6" below the elbow. Always leave at least 38" between countertops, or if it is a passage, at least 64".

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