How to Keep the Cost of Kitchen Remodeling to a Minimum

A kitchen remodel can be a major improvement to your home and a boost to its resale value. It can also be a significant investment that can put a strain on your finances at a time when home budgets are being squeezed.

Some careful research and planning can help to keep costs down without compromising the kitchen design you are aiming for.

Before you begin, call some local realtors for advice on how much a kitchen might add to the value of your home. Unless you plan to stay in your home for a number of years, you don't want the additional cost of remodeling your kitchen to cause the total cost of your home to exceed its resale value.

Tips for Limiting Kitchen Remodeling Costs

• Save any kitchen cabinets that are still in good condition--paint, reface, or resurface them instead.
• Keep plumbed-in items in the same position--it costs more to install new plumbing and pipework.
• If your existing appliances are still in good working order but don't fit into your new kitchen design, you could build them into your new kitchen cabinets or even overlay them with stainless steel.
• Shop around for discounts and end-of-line deals.
• Do as much of the work as possible yourself. If your DIY skills aren't great, you could do the preparation work yourself so you're not paying a professional for work you could do yourself.
• Spend your money on the most visible elements of the kitchen and save on those that don't need to be expensive. For example, a modern new faucet could bring an old sink back to life without replacing the whole thing; scrubbed or painted walls tiles can come up as good as new, leaving more in the budget for your countertop.

With a little thought, your kitchen remodeling project could make a big style statement with a minimal impact on your budget.