Inexpensive Kitchen Remodel 2

The kitchen is going back together; I'm so excited!

We tried hard to stick to our budget, and have done a good job so far.  In case anyone is looking for ways to remodel a kitchen without spending a fortune, here are three ways that we cut the costs on this remodel.

1.  Bryan did the work (with the help from his Grandpa and my Step-dad).  We didn't have to pay for any labor expenses. They did the planning and layout, electrical, flooring, plumbing--everything. That was a huge money saver! I'm blessed to have a husband who can do so many things around the house (and family who can come to help!)

Hanging the microwave support bracket.

2.  We went with linoleum for the floor.  Someday, we'd love the beautiful hard wood or tile or something.  But for now, knowing that it'll just keep getting wet (the kids love to help wash dishes!) we went with the inexpensive linoleum.  I think it was a great choice for us! And it was only $400 for the floor--including the fancy roller and knife we bought and all of the glue and surface prep material. 

3.  By reusing everything possible.  We scrubbed cupboards.  Bryan used the staple gun to reinforce a few that were wobbly.  This way we didn't have to buy all new cabinetry--just the pieces that were missing for our new design.  We cleaned the microwave and decided to put it above the counter (where it used to be over the stove) instead of trying to buy a new one to put on the counter.  These simple moves kept expenses down.

4.  With our countertops.  We were able to reuse every bit that was in our old layout.  Then we realized we were short about 5 feet.  And were blessed at Home Depot to find one that has the same pattern in just a slightly lighter color.  We'll use that for the missing piece, and saved money by not having to special order!

And it's looking good.  I'm excited about not going over budget and about the new layout.  I've been playing around with different things on paper, and think I finally have my spaces all accounted for.  It'll be much less cluttered than before. 

In order to get the most bang for our buck, we tried to spend our money in ways that would really count.  Here are some areas that cost the most:

1.  Cupboards.  We were thankful that Home Depot still had the cupboard pattern that matched.  We spent a bit less than $1300 on cupboards for the new layout, and our full height pantries were almost half of that amount--but the amount of storage space has been increased significantly, so it was money well spent! 

3 pantries all in a row, just waiting to be filled. 

2.  A new sink and faucet.  I wasn't going to do it.  But Grandma and Grandpa convinced us otherwise.  We now have a nice deep stainless steel sink and a faucet that goes up quite a ways.  Washing my gallon glass jars for milk will be so much easier!

Bryan and Grandpa getting the sink installed.

3.  Plumbing.  Did I mention that we live in a really old house?  Our plumbing has been in need of upgrading for a LONG time!  Bryan increased the pipe size to maximize water flow, and added a vent.  We had to rent a tool to punch a hole through the foundation for the new pipes to come out.  I couldn't believe how many rocks were in there! This upgrade benefited not only the kitchen, but also the bathroom and washing machine.  It's so nice! But, all of the connection pieces really add up quickly.

4. Electrical.  Since we moved the stove to a different wall, we needed more of the heavy duty wire to support that move.  At $2.69 a foot for just the wire, electrical adds up almost faster than plumbing. Ouch!

But, the Lord provided exactly the amount we needed to tackle this project, and we are very thankful.  The electrical and plumbing should be finished up today, which means tomorrow my kitchen will be in full working order again and I can start unpacking boxes!!!  I'm looking forward to it.