When setting a budget for any improvement
project around the home, it can be difficult to know where to start. When
setting out to renovate, there are often hidden costs that can creep in and
sink your budget, especially in an older home. When renovating a kitchen,
a good place to start is at at 15% of your home value. Adding a 20% cushion to
your kitchen renovation cost estimate will cover you if anything unforeseen
arises.
It can be difficult to stick to your budget and keep it under your target, but research, planning and a solid estimate can help you to keep costs down. A good place to start is with a middle of the road estimate at about $45,000 for a $250,000 home. Things like kitchen cabinets, appliances and countertops are the highest priced items in a kitchen renovation along with flooring, lighting, fixtures and hardware. Electrical, plumbing and gas add to the costs, making a kitchen renovation a much pricier change than any other room in the house.
Your kitchen renovation estimate should be your guide. Everything else should be documented and added as things come up. Begin with your absolute necessities and things you cannot live without. Then move to your most desired items such as increasing workspace in your kitchen for preparing meals or the type of materials used for your countertops, cabinets and flooring. After that you can add in your “wish list” such as a television, computer, kitchen nook, bay window, etc. A kitchen renovation cost estimate can and should include everything, including your cushion. Keep a separate spreadsheet of items you would like to add and add them later if you can.
It can be difficult to stick to your budget and keep it under your target, but research, planning and a solid estimate can help you to keep costs down. A good place to start is with a middle of the road estimate at about $45,000 for a $250,000 home. Things like kitchen cabinets, appliances and countertops are the highest priced items in a kitchen renovation along with flooring, lighting, fixtures and hardware. Electrical, plumbing and gas add to the costs, making a kitchen renovation a much pricier change than any other room in the house.
Your kitchen renovation estimate should be your guide. Everything else should be documented and added as things come up. Begin with your absolute necessities and things you cannot live without. Then move to your most desired items such as increasing workspace in your kitchen for preparing meals or the type of materials used for your countertops, cabinets and flooring. After that you can add in your “wish list” such as a television, computer, kitchen nook, bay window, etc. A kitchen renovation cost estimate can and should include everything, including your cushion. Keep a separate spreadsheet of items you would like to add and add them later if you can.
If you
choose to and have the ability to do the actual work yourself, this will be
where the estimating process will end, however if you choose to have a
contractor such as Lakeside do the work for you, you will need to estimate the
labour cost as well. Over the years, I’ve noticed a pattern in all the projects
that Lakeside has done for our clients. By the time you add in labour,
permitting, overhead, profit and taxes, when all is said and done, the original
material estimate accounts for approximately 40% of the finished project. This
being the case, if you take your original estimate and multiply by 2.5, you
will be very close to the cost of having a contractor handle the project for
you.
A few things to take into consideration when planning your kitchen renovation is your family size, your entertainment style, your frequent guests and how much counter space you will require. If you have a large family you will want to have enough seating in the kitchen. If you entertain a lot, a big table and lots of counter space is nice. If you love to cook and cook a lot, design your kitchen with appliances that are strategically placed for optimum production.
A refrigerator all the way across the room from the sink or counter top makes for repeated trips and unnecessary steps. Moving appliances can drive up costs for plumbing , gas and electrical, but it can be well worth it to you if you end up with the kitchen of your dreams.
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A few things to take into consideration when planning your kitchen renovation is your family size, your entertainment style, your frequent guests and how much counter space you will require. If you have a large family you will want to have enough seating in the kitchen. If you entertain a lot, a big table and lots of counter space is nice. If you love to cook and cook a lot, design your kitchen with appliances that are strategically placed for optimum production.
A refrigerator all the way across the room from the sink or counter top makes for repeated trips and unnecessary steps. Moving appliances can drive up costs for plumbing , gas and electrical, but it can be well worth it to you if you end up with the kitchen of your dreams.
This article was published by:
Keith McGorlick,
Author, Blogger,
Home Improvement Expert &
President of, Lakeside Interiors
Windsor & Barrie
Ontario
226-946-9651 in Windsor or,
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