What is the Most Expensive Part of a Kitchen Remodel?

If you’ve been saving to do a kitchen remodel, you’ve probably already looked around at the cost of various elements that are needed to make your kitchen the room of your dreams. No doubt you’ve been adding up all the costs in your head – or on paper – wondering how you’ll ever afford to do it.
As you made your way through places like Lowes or other home improvement superstores, you were probably figuring you’d spend the most money on the appliances you’ve been coveting, like that 6-burner stove or the stainless-steel refrigerator with the ice and water in the door. But did you realize that you won’t be spending the bulk of your hard-earned money on those shiny appliances. The most expensive part of a kitchen remodel is the kitchen cabinets!

Why are cabinets costly?

Look around your kitchen. What takes up most of the space in your room? Your kitchen cabinets, of course!
But we often take our cabinets for granted, don’t we? We expect them to be hanging on the wall or sitting on the floor. We use them to store our dishes and glasses, our jars and cans and boxes of food. If they weren’t there, we’d certainly miss them, but it’s likely most days pass without giving them a second thought.
Yet when it’s time to consider a kitchen remodel, they become the center of the discussion. Suddenly, you realize that the cost of kitchen cabinets is going to eat up at least half of your budget, maybe more depending on what you choose.
There’s a lot to think about when choosing kitchen cabinets. You need to consider what style you prefer – modern, mid-century, traditional, country. Will you want maple, cherry, or walnut? Is white the best color for your kitchen or do you prefer something new and trendy? Will you spend more on something made-to-order or go with a stock product that’s readily available? And then there’s the labor involved in installing the cabinets. That adds to the cost as well.
So, it’s easy to see why the most expensive part of your kitchen remodel is the cabinets.

Return on investment

But remodeling your kitchen is a worthwhile investment, as research has shown. A kitchen renovation greatly improves the value of your home and you’ll recognize a return on your investment when you take the time to craft a well-designed kitchen. This involves investing in cabinets that not only you will love but that will also be attractive to the next owner of your home, especially if you’re planning to sell your house in the next five years.

Cutting down the cost of cabinets

However, the cost of kitchen cabinets doesn’t have to consume most of your budget if you open your mind to other alternatives. For example, instead of completely tearing out your existing cabinets, you can choose to reface your current cabinets. If your cabinet boxes are in good condition and if you’re satisfied with the layout of your kitchen, you’re a great candidate for cabinet refacing.
Refacing involves removing the doors and drawer fronts of your existing cabinets and replacing them with new doors and fronts of your choice. Exterior cabinet frames are covered with a matching materials to make them look like new as well. You can also replace the hinges as well as the knobs and drawer pull to add a new twist to your kitchen’s appearance.
Homeowners who’ve chosen kitchen cabinet refacing over replacement will likely be pleased with the savings. Most sources note that you can save about 30% to 50% over the cost of full cabinet replacement! In addition, cabinet refacing takes far less time to complete than if you were to tear out all your current cabinets and replace them with new ones. Most refacing jobs take 3-5 days while total replacement can take weeks in some instances. That’s far fewer interruptions to your home life!

Getting started with cabinet refacing

If you’d like to learn more about how the kitchen cabinet refacing process works and you’d like to see what’s available as far as styles, designs, and colors, head over to KCR at www.kitchencabinetrefacing.com to view our selection of products. Be sure to look at our amazing before and after photos as well and listen to testimonials from our satisfied clients who were delighted to save money on their kitchen renovations.