7 Tips for Installing an Affordable Kitchen

In the world of home construction and remodelling, the words kitchen and affordable are rarely used in the same sentence. A variety of reasons fuel this issue. Most of the time when kitchens are built or remodelled, it is to bring them up to state-of-the-art condition including upgraded appliances and fixtures. By the time that cabinets are purchased and installed, most budgets are in the trash can. Sink upgrades with modern fixtures attached can push the thousand dollar mark without a lot of effort.

Stainless steel appliances that are extremely energy efficient only make matters worse for cost. If the flooring is changed to hardwood, stone, or ceramic, the idea of affordable has long since become a memory. All is not lost. With some up front planning and a willingness to compromise on specialty items, the cost will begin to drop. The same is true if enough time is taken to reduce cabinet cost without huge sacrifices in quality.

Begin the savings by enlisting the help of someone to lay out a reasonable kitchen floor plan.

If you go into the large home centers armed with the dimensions of your kitchen floor space, they will assist you with laying out your cabinet needs. Use the drawings they will provide to get competitive bids from other stores and custom cabinet builders. It is common to find a cabinet maker who will build your custom cabinets with extras for half the cost of modular cabinets.

You can realize similar benefits from using local custom counter top manufacturers.

Most of the cabinet makers also either make their own counter tops or have a custom builder who will manufacture them to your specifications. You may have to give up granite or high end counter top materials to maximize savings if it is needed. The cost savings on counter tops alone can run hundreds of dollars or more.

Save money by buying knock off sinks that look expensive.

A heavy duty cast iron sink is a great addition. However, today, many of the sinks made from synthetic materials look nearly identical and cost a great deal less for the modern designs. These can be purchased for under counter or with raised borders. If you plan on expensive faucet sets, saving a chunk of money on the sink can actually pay for your faucets. These sinks have the added benefit of being much lighter and easier to handle than their iron cousins.

Install everything that you can without using the professionals.

With just a modest amount of ability or experience, most kitchen plumbing can be done by you. The same can be said for some types of flooring installations. If there is painting to be done, get in line to save some dollars. Even replacing windows or adding extra electric outlets can be doable if you have modest carpentry skills. Do not become too sweet on doing everything yourself. Some areas can actually be cheaper to higher the professionals if it saves significant time and wasted materials.

Act as your own general contractor.

You can frequently get better prices from mixed and matched skilled labor than just using a general contractors friends. The quality rarely goes down, but the cost almost always does. It will mean a few more areas may need some creative thinking to get it all done, but it is almost always more than worth the effort. Call on friends and relatives to get referrals for competitive bids from several contractors on each part of the job 

Do not rush the purchasing process.

By taking the time to shop and seek other places to look for the same or similar items, you can cut your material bills by as much as one half. You may also find that some places will give better discounts if you allow them to install the product. Their real profit comes from installation charges. They can give you the product at near cost to get to do the labor. You may find that the cost of the item installed does not vary much from the retail cost. In some cases, it is less.

Kitchen furnishings should be purchased with functionality as the primary purpose.

Appliances can always be upgraded later when money may not be as tight. There is always a market for used appliances. So, part of your price can be recouped if  you decide to replace them. Shop for features and price when trying to hold a budget down. Get as close to what you want as is reasonable and settle for what is available that will work for you. Go for the aesthetics later on when you upgrade.