I can’t believe that it has officially been a year since we moved into our new home. The past year has been a bit, unexpected. We kicked off our kitchen remodel basically the day we moved into our house, and it is just about done. There are a couple little things to finish up, such as baseboards, crown moulding, and grout.
When we purchased the home, we knew there were a few projects that we wanted to do in order to make the house perfect for us. The first project was the kitchen along with the dining/living room.
As we were planning out the budget for the remodel, I was pretty accurate on how much we’d spend for major items; however, I didn’t properly take into account the smaller items that quickly add up. I had some high expectations for the finished kitchen so I had to find ways to save money throughout the remodel.
Ways to Save on Appliances
Some stores and brands will provide discounts for purchasing an entire kitchen suite. I went with an alternate approach and sourced each appliance individually.
The first appliance we needed was a fridge. The fridge that was in our home when we moved in was a utilitarian laboratory fridge with a separate freezer tucked into a nook of the kitchen. Since it was something we needed pretty quickly, we headed to Sears Outlet because we had gotten a fridge from there previously. Sears Outlet can have good deals on appliances; however, don’t believe the percentage off signs because they go off MSRP, not what they’re actually selling for currently at other stores.
Our stove is one aspect where I had high expectations. I wanted it to be more of a focal point than just a standard slide-in unit. One way that I looked at doing this was going with a wider range. At one point I was looking at a 48″ wide range, but after Brad said that it was a bit overkill, we compromised with a 36″ range.
Both the Thermador Range, and our Wolf Microwave Drawer were found at a clearance center of a high end appliance retailer.
Between open box, scratch & dent, and close-out of the year end models, we were able to save quite a bit of money on all of our appliances.
Ways to Save on Hardware
Cabinet hardware can add up quickly. Heading to a kitchen design center, or even a big box retailer, can ring up a large bill just on drawer pulls and cabinet knobs.
I started looking online and found the exact style that I wanted in the Amazon Basics brand. We have loved these cabinet pulls, and we easily saved a few hundred dollars by purchasing them online.
We also had four new doors that we installed in the remodel. I found the door handles that I wanted, and then went hunting online to find the best deal. I actually ended up buying them from two different stores because the keyed version of the handle was cheaper at Overstock, and the privacy lock style were cheaper at Home Depot.
Throughout the remodel, I had a few “go-to” online stores, but I also utilized Google shopping to compare items across multiple sites. Just make sure to check out reviews on unknown sites before making large purchases, and take shipping costs into account.
Beware of Feature Creep
It is so easy to add “one more thing” to the scope of the remodel. There are quite a few things that we want to update in the house, and it will be done over the course of many years.
We had a couple items that needed to be done to a certain level, but then decided to hold off finishing the project until a later date. For example, one of the first things that we did was relocate the laundry room upstairs. We got as far as installing the washer/dryer into the new room, but held off on replacing the floors, painting the walls, and updating the cabinets for a later project.
We also replaced a few of the doors that were directly connected to the kitchen, and are doing all of the baseboards on that level of the home; however, there are multiple other doors that are on the same level which are now surrounded by the new baseboards. Despite how much I really wanted to swap out these doors, I’m holding off because I know that swapping out those doors will make me want to then re-do the rest of those rooms.
There are some times where adding another task is advantageous. When walls are open, that is the time to run any sort of cable you may want. While the kitchen walls were opened, we ran some cables down to the room below for a future TV. We also added a water line over to the coffee bar in case I ever decide to get an extra fancy-smancy espresso machine that needs a water input.
Be Inspired, Not a Copycat
You will find something you love and want to find that exact item for your home as well. It will drive you crazy to find that item, and if you find it, the cost will be 10x what you had budgeted for that item. #AskMeHowIKnow
I fell in love with some gorgeous handmade tile that I wanted for either our kitchen back-splash or an accent wall in the powder room. The only problem – it was $60 a square foot, and I hadn’t exactly planned on spending thousands on that part of the remodel. I had found a similar tile at a local store; however, it was sold out, was a product made in China and this was at the beginning of tariff situation so it wasn’t going to be restocked. After a few hours of online research, I found something similar for the back-splash, and went with a painted accent wall in the powder room.
While deciding on the pendant lights to go over the kitchen island, I saw some awesome lights while we were out to dinner. I figured that these were going to be way out of budget, plus could I really find the exact lights from a restaurant to put in my own home? After a couple hours of online digging, I found some that were similar. They were a bit more than I had planned on spending, but they are absolutely perfect for the space.
Save Easy to Replace Items, Spend on Hard to Replace Items
Items that are easy to replace such as cabinet hardware, door knobs, and faucets are a good place to go with a cheaper option. If you change your mind in a couple years, it takes a minimal amount of time to replace these items. However, the actual cabinets, counter tops, and back splash is a bit more difficult to just swap out later.
Coupons & Loyalty Programs
If you are doing any of the work yourself (which can be one way to save a good amount of money), you will be making a lot of trips to Home Depot. Do yourself a favor now and sign up for a Pro Account and link your credit cards to the account. This way, any time you make a purchase with that card, the receipt is added to your account (you also get an email with the receipt). With all your purchases tied to the Pro Account, it allows easy returns, and provides additional cost tracking.
Keep an eye on your email for coupons. We received quite a few $10 off $100 coupons to Home Depot, and even a 15% off entire purchase which we utilized for a few large items. If there are other stores that you’re looking at utilizing for remodel purchases, signing up for their promotional emails is a great way to receive random coupons (or learn about their sales as holidays approach).
Signing up for Rakuten is a great way to get a bit of cash back on purchases. It is mostly used for online purchases, but some stores have the ability to get cash back on in-store purchases as well.
As you plan your own remodel, hopefully these tips will help you fit your perfect kitchen into your budget. What are your dreams for your kitchen remodel?
