pittsburgh-kitchen-remodelWe’ve said it many times before, yet it’s still true: the heart of the home is in the kitchen.

It’s where we make food to feed our families, to entertain our friends, and many times, the kitchen is where daily events or life’s milestones happen. A kitchen remodel is a huge—and very personal—undertaking. It can also be extremely expensive. Thankfully, there are several ways to develop strong budgeting strategies for your kitchen remodel.

Know What You are Comfortable Spending

Don’t just pull a number out of the air. A new kitchen can cost anywhere from $10,000 to $100,000. The first step is knowing your personal ceiling.

If you are dipping into savings, be smart. Don’t drain your account. If you’re taking out a loan or line of credit, shop around for the best rates and be sure to understand the interest rates and terms. Most importantly, talk it over with your spouse at length. Be sure both parties agree on the comfort zone, and make a pact to stick to that budget no matter what.

Work with a Top-Notch Design Team

This might be the most important thing you do for your kitchen remodel budget (and the final results). There are countless exciting design possibilities and it’s important to keep your new look cohesive and integrated with the rest of your house. A kitchen design team will help you do this and they’ll help you stay within your budget. They know tips and tricks that the average homeowners may not know.

Designers will also be able to help you make smart choices when it comes to the layout of your kitchen. You may want to knock out a wall, but the team will be able to tell you right away if the wall is load-bearing or not. They can instantly tell you how much impact other choices will have on your budget, as well.

You may want a bay window, but you might not want it after you hear the price. Be up front about your budget ceiling, and then let your designer help you make your dream kitchen a reality.

Plan, Plan and Plan Some More

It’s easy to want to dive in and start making massive changes, but withhold the urge to move too quickly. A remodeled kitchen is an investment in your home’s value—if you do it right. Unfortunately, there are times when kitchen remodeling ideas don’t make sense for the layout or structural features of your home.

If you’re going to be moving cabinets around or changing an island, make sure that those switches make sense for you and your family before anything is uprooted or changed. You never want to have to redo your work.

Again, this is where your design team comes in. If you try to plan your kitchen alone, you won’t know the best order in which to do things, the right layout for your kitchen remodel, and you’ll be stuck hiring contractors on your own. All of these things can lead to very expensive mistakes.  Choose a remodeling team with their own, vetted project managers and contracts.

Look Beyond Custom Features

Cabinets are one of the biggest line-items in a kitchen remodel budget. It is natural to be drawn to custom design, however, choosing stock cabinetry is a great budgeting strategy. Ask your designer to help you choose stock cabinets that look like a million bucks. Then, make your cabinets look unique with your choice of hardware. You can often find beautiful pieces at wholesale prices, or clearance hardware that may be in line for the discontinued pile. There are so many ways to customize the details of your kitchen remodel, you may forget you ever wanted custom cabinets in the first place.

Most household kitchens don’t need a commercial stove or oven, even though they’re beautiful. Who wouldn’t love a gourmet stove? But if you aren’t cooking for an army or you don’t make gourmet meals, do you really need one? The same can be said for the newest, deluxe refrigerator. There are so many desirable appliances, but most of them are much more than you would ever need. Sure, go for the finish you want, but keep your appliances realistic to your need.

Embarking on a kitchen remodel is exciting, but it can be daunting. If you aren’t careful, new kitchen costs can quickly get out of control. The best budgeting strategy for a kitchen remodel is to choose a design team that will help you make choices that will balance out your wants vs. your wallet. If you are ready to transform your old kitchen, contact the team at Legacy Remodeling in Pittsburgh today.