When renovating your kitchen or entire home and looking to get a new kitchen installed, you may be concerned about the cost, and rightly so. A new kitchen can often be one of the most expensive renovations you might opt for, but there are some ways of saving money on the items you want and need. Note a few money-saving tips for your new kitchen installation and then discuss these with your contractor as needed.
Get a kit
A kitchen kit includes prefabricated cabinets, benchtops, and appliances, which fit into a standard kitchen space. These kits are much cheaper than buying individual cabinets and cupboards along with individual appliances. You may have a more limited selection with a kitchen kit, but it can mean saving quite a bit of money overall.
Downsize
Some years back, it was very popular to choose larger kitchen appliances that resembled commercial-quality items, with an oversized refrigerator, six-burner stovetop, double oven, and the like. However, ask yourself if you really need these items or even the size of standard kitchen appliances. If you're single or are a retired couple, you might make do with a three-burner stovetop and compact dishwasher. An apartment-sized refrigerator might also be sufficient. You might be surprised at the options you have for smaller appliances but these are usually much cheaper than standard models.
Avoid solid materials
Solid granite for countertops may be very attractive, but it's also very expensive. A granite overlay is a thin layer of granite that is placed over plywood or another cheaper material and glued into place. You have the look and durability of granite without the cost of a solid piece. Composite wood floorboards that work the same way might also be available; cherry or mahogany or another expensive hardwood is glued over a layer of plywood or pine. This gives you the wood floors you want without the cost of solid hardwood.
Reuse
Can your old cabinets simply be repainted and reused? If you remove them for other renovation work, this might make it easier to fix them up and then reinstall them. Recycled wood can be cut for slats for a wood floor, and you might find recycled tile that you can break into pieces to create a mosaic benchtop. An old metal piece can be cut for a splashback or you might opt for recycled glass. Talk to your contractor about what pieces can be reused during your kitchen installation so you save on the cost of new materials.
