Cutting Costs for Kitchen Reconstruction

After receiving my much awaited first-time homeowner's check from the government (that's $8000+ in my pocket!) I've started hunting around for a new kitchen.  The refrigerator and dishwasher are in working condition, but both them and the oven appear to be the original appliances that came with the house upon construction (which dates them back to about 1983), so obviously they can use a facelift.  The cabinets, countertops, and lighting in the kitchen are also dated and in need of either repair or replacement. 

The problem with that?  None of the quotes I've gotten so far fit within my budget of $8000!  Go figure, but redoing an entire kitchen seems to be expensive.  The lowest quotes I've gotten thus far is from Smart Buy USA in Doral, that quoted me at $6700 for cabinets and granite countertops.  They also offered a $1999 package deal for all of the kitchen appliances (Frigidaire), in stainless steel.

My father says this is a good deal.  My mother says the price is completely ridiculous.  I'm not purchasing anything yet - and I probably won't come to a decision until I scrounge up some extra money - but these conflicting opinions aren't helping me.  I've never redone an entire kitchen before, so how am I supposed to know what is reasonable and what is over-priced?  At this point all ll I can do is keep shopping around and comparing prices. 

Any advice from people who know a little something about home reconstruction, or someone who just knows where to get a good deal on a small budget?

Comments

[Kathy]

I have re-done my kitchen, bathrooms and one bedroom. If you are not changing the foot-print, I would start at IKEA for the cabinets; they are not bad at all and have many different designs. You can go look for granite for the coutertops in all the shops near Hialeah as well as tile. Ask to see tiles they are discontinuing, you will get a great deal. The real money comes in if you are changing plumbing or electric. A general contractor is more expensive than the individual installers and not always necessary. As far as appliences go, Lowes will meet any price, even on the web. Just bring in the quote, and they will meet it. If you are planning on painting, do it yourself. With the right equipment and some time, you will do just as good as any painter will and feel proud of yourself. Good Luck!

[Amanda]

Hello Kathy,

Thanks for all of the advice. I know I have to check out Home Depot & Lowes, but I never thought about heading over to IKEA. If you have IKEA cabinets do you mind telling me how they're holding up? I've noticed that my bedroom furniture (which I bought at IKEA) is easily scratched or dented.

Luckily I'm happy with the layout of the kitchen and thus I don't have to worry about plumbing or electric, but since the lighting I have currently is dated I might want to look into recessed lighting if my budget allows.

I'll let you & everyone know when I have any future updates and, again, thanks for the advice!

[Kathy]

I don't have IKEA, however, my friend in Norway has them and I am sure they take a beating with her 4 children. She said they were holding up well. There are many different lines there. Don't go for the cheapest.

As far as the lighting goes, if you are not moving the outlets, it shouldn't be expensive. Go to the lighting store and take a look, they may also have someone that installs.

Hard to find a good handyman, ask friends, co-workers etc.

[Ashley Labrie]

Is that for completely ripping out the cabinets or just refacing? I "refaced" mine myself to the tune of under $100 in materials and some time though I still need to put a final coat of varnish (Bridget has seen them). As for lighting, I was lucky to have recessed but if you check the clearance section at Lowes and Home Depot you can get a deal. For ex, I got my light fixture marked down from $200 to $80 on clearance, then to $30 after negotiating with the manager (-ahem- asking nicely lol). I did the same thing with the faucet--as long as you know the kind you need you can keep an eye out. You can order new cabinet pulls & knobs on ebay and there's one place here in Florida that ships fast and offers free shipping which is how I replaced all mine. As for appliances, you can wait for the clunkers program in April, or check out the Black Friday deals (Sears is running some nice specials), or check out the local Best Buy ad. They have been running a full stainless suite (fridge, range, over-the-range microwave, and dishwasher) for $2k and a silver model for $1700. Last tip--if you have a smallish kitchen try to buy granite remnants. They are a lot cheaper than going in to the retail big stores. However the big chains have been offering things like a free custom edge upgrade or free sink. Another DIY option if this isn't your "forever" home is granite tile or a nice tile, which if done well can actually look amazing. Overall, when you see the cost of the materials, it's hard for me to justify dropping so much on the remodel. Especially when things like the sink connections are running $1-$2 and the knobs are $1-$5, paint is $20, etc... I plan on upgrading the appliances when I find a price that I like, but for now I have all white appliances and I turned my fridge into a chalkboard fridge. Why not have fun with it for now since I have to replace it anyway?

[Amanda]

Ashley -

The $1500+ is for ripping out everything & starting from scratch. I might end up looking into just refacing (since the cabinet structure itself is in fairly good condition) but from what I understand it's "easier" to re-do it. Easier for who? My wallet???

The appliances are really more of a concern for me than the actual cabinets - because two of the four don't actually work!

[The Older Wiser One]

Amanda check brandsmart for the appliances. Josh and I got a great deal on 4 stainless steal appliances by fridgidare that work great. Also if you like the way we recently redid our kitchen let me know and I give you the guys number he was very reasonable and he only works with granite. He could come by and give you an estimate.

[Shelly]

We re-did our entire kitchen about 2 years ago for $5,000. We did it all for really cheap because our neighbor is a part-time carpenter. My DH volunteered to help him make the cabinets so the only cost we had was the materials. We got granite countertops at an outlet place and our appliances were on sales from Sears (stainlesss steel). We took down a wall into the dining room and made an island. Since we did it all ourselves we didn't have labor costs. There are lots of people out there that are willing to work for cheap or free if you have a service that you could barter with them for.

[Amanda]

Shelly,

Luckily I have one or two family friends who work in retail businesses that directly relate to my kitchen project, but unfortunately I don't have any such friends in the construction business.

Do you live in FL, and if so do you remember where you purchased the granite?