Kitchen Remodeling Costs

Our big, old, house has lots of character and potential but it also needs considerable renovations. One of the biggest projects that we are faced with tackling is our kitchen. My husband and I have lots of fantastic ideas. We very nearly drool when browsing through catalogs and while venturing through the aisles of our local home improvement center. However, typical kitchen remodeling costs are quite simply beyond our reach and we'd had to resort to modifications in our design plans and project scope in order to make this job more realistic.

In our community, there is an organization called Habitat for Humanity. They have a store called Restore that gathers new and used building supplies from manufacturers and construction sites throughout the city. These items are then made available for sale to member of the public at the store.

We have availed ourselves of all sorts of fantastic finds. My husband has made it a practice to visit the store on an almost weekly basis, to keep abreast of what's in stock and what we can make use of.

To minimize our kitchen remodeling costs, he has cleared a space in our basement and uses this area to collect together items he has purchased (at a fraction of their original cost) at the Restore. So far, he has acquired beautiful slate floor tiles, crown molding, and uniquely curved kitchen drawer fronts. He has collected beautiful brushed metal handles and knobs for a dollar a piece that will complement the decor of the kitchen. He also got enough brand new, natural wood kitchen cabinet doors to equip our kitchen with plenty of cupboard space.

The Restore also acquires kitchen appliances from time-to-time. We already have a newer dishwasher, however our kitchen and stove will need to be replaced in order to complete our kitchen remodeling. Therefore, my husband keeps his eyes peeled for the perfect set, as he makes his weekly rounds. We are also open to purchasing appliances that are a couple of years old, and we keep watch in our community newspapers and online forums to find the perfect set.

This may be a slower route to getting a beautiful kitchen, but we simply cannot afford to spend well over $10,000 in kitchen remodeling costs. I'm willing to live with a simply functional kitchen in the meantime, because in the end I know that we will be thrilled with the beauty of your new kitchen, and we'll have saved a ton of money as well.