kitchen remodle recomendations

[Anonymous]

Hi all, we're looking for contractors that could help us with reconfigure a kitchen without breaking the bank. We do need to relocate some plumbing and electric, but we don't think this requires a full designbuild firm (we're moving a sink, but not walls and we can do some project managment ourselves) has anyone managed to do something like this on a budget? do you have any recomendations?

[Anonymous]

What do you define as not "breaking the bank"? Because you're talking about relocating plumbing and electric, I assume you will also need new cabinets and countertops (e.g., moving the sink requires a new set of countertop cut outs). Ikea can help you mock this up, but it's going to be a 100k+ project.

For reference, we just got quotes for a "facelift" for our kitchen. Not moving plumbing, but moving the fridge would require:
- 45k just to re-face cabinets (same boxes, new doors, all painted)
- 10k appliances (mid-range stove, vent, DW, fridge)
- 10k electric (adding under-cab lights, redoing overhead)
- 10k plumbing

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What do you define as not "breaking the bank"? Because you're talking about relocating plumbing and electric, I assume you will also need new cabinets and countertops (e.g., moving the sink requires a new set of countertop cut outs). Ikea can help you mock this up, but it's going to be a 100k+ project.

For reference, we just got quotes for a "facelift" for our kitchen. Not moving plumbing, but moving the fridge would require:
- 45k just to re-face cabinets (same boxes, new doors, all painted)
- 10k appliances (mid-range stove, vent, DW, fridge)
- 10k electric (adding under-cab lights, redoing overhead)
- 10k plumbing

PP is correct. You're looking at 100K easy, and depending on your area, likely more than that.

And especially because you're moving plumbing and electrical, you have to get permits. You'll risk holding up a future house sale if you don't.

[Anonymous]

I mean, we did it ourselves 15 years ago in a small L-shaped kitchen, where the long part of the L was about 18' and the short part was 10'.

Cabinets were $1000, removed from a friends remodel. A used sub-zero fridge was $1500, a used wall oven was $300, a used wine fridge $150, a clearance farmhouse sink was $650, new faucet $600, new stove and hood was $3000. about $3000 for clearance countertops cut to size but installed by us. Flooring (again off craigslist, $150) installed by us. When I had the place prepped for sale 8 years later, I spent another $2500 on painting the cabinets, new fridge & new cabinet hardware, etc.

We moved the sink and dishwasher but the plumbing stack actually went under the new location. So it was a reasonable cost but only because all of our time and labor did not cost hard dollars, and no structural work was done. (we didn't need to move electrical circuits or the plumbing stack.)

The list price of the items I put in was closer to $45,000, and that was in 2010. I spent untold hours scouring marketplace and craigslist and auctions for what I needed.

So yeah, if you can't reuse cabinets, even ikea is going to cost you a pretty penny.

[Anonymous]

OP you need to develop a budget and not say things like “break the bank” and “on a budget.”

Figure out what you want to spend.

Then figure out what things cost and how you want to prioritize.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What do you define as not "breaking the bank"? Because you're talking about relocating plumbing and electric, I assume you will also need new cabinets and countertops (e.g., moving the sink requires a new set of countertop cut outs). Ikea can help you mock this up, but it's going to be a 100k+ project.

For reference, we just got quotes for a "facelift" for our kitchen. Not moving plumbing, but moving the fridge would require:
- 45k just to re-face cabinets (same boxes, new doors, all painted)
- 10k appliances (mid-range stove, vent, DW, fridge)
- 10k electric (adding under-cab lights, redoing overhead)
- 10k plumbing

This doesn’t sound right at all. I’m n a much higher COL area and adding under cabinet lights and overhead is not 10 K and plumbing when you are not doing relocating is not 10 K.

Refacing can get up to 45 if you are going for good quality door or more drawers and pull outs. If your contractor is just doing standard doors then you are getting ripped off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What do you define as not "breaking the bank"? Because you're talking about relocating plumbing and electric, I assume you will also need new cabinets and countertops (e.g., moving the sink requires a new set of countertop cut outs). Ikea can help you mock this up, but it's going to be a 100k+ project.

For reference, we just got quotes for a "facelift" for our kitchen. Not moving plumbing, but moving the fridge would require:
- 45k just to re-face cabinets (same boxes, new doors, all painted)
- 10k appliances (mid-range stove, vent, DW, fridge)
- 10k electric (adding under-cab lights, redoing overhead)
- 10k plumbing

This doesn’t sound right at all. I’m n a much higher COL area and adding under cabinet lights and overhead is not 10 K and plumbing when you are not doing relocating is not 10 K.

Refacing can get up to 45 if you are going for good quality door or more drawers and pull outs. If your contractor is just doing standard doors then you are getting ripped off.

Yeah I've noticed people on scum really overestimate renovation costs, and I'm in this market (NW DC) and have had many of these renovations done recently (after COVID). I think it's a combination of people really getting ripped off and not knowing what they're talking about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What do you define as not "breaking the bank"? Because you're talking about relocating plumbing and electric, I assume you will also need new cabinets and countertops (e.g., moving the sink requires a new set of countertop cut outs). Ikea can help you mock this up, but it's going to be a 100k+ project.

For reference, we just got quotes for a "facelift" for our kitchen. Not moving plumbing, but moving the fridge would require:
- 45k just to re-face cabinets (same boxes, new doors, all painted)
- 10k appliances (mid-range stove, vent, DW, fridge)
- 10k electric (adding under-cab lights, redoing overhead)
- 10k plumbing

This doesn’t sound right at all. I’m n a much higher COL area and adding under cabinet lights and overhead is not 10 K and plumbing when you are not doing relocating is not 10 K.

Refacing can get up to 45 if you are going for good quality door or more drawers and pull outs. If your contractor is just doing standard doors then you are getting ripped off.

Yeah I've noticed people on scum really overestimate renovation costs, and I'm in this market (NW DC) and have had many of these renovations done recently (after COVID). I think it's a combination of people really getting ripped off and not knowing what they're talking about.

Haha that should be DCUM. Autocorrect!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What do you define as not "breaking the bank"? Because you're talking about relocating plumbing and electric, I assume you will also need new cabinets and countertops (e.g., moving the sink requires a new set of countertop cut outs). Ikea can help you mock this up, but it's going to be a 100k+ project.

For reference, we just got quotes for a "facelift" for our kitchen. Not moving plumbing, but moving the fridge would require:
- 45k just to re-face cabinets (same boxes, new doors, all painted)
- 10k appliances (mid-range stove, vent, DW, fridge)
- 10k electric (adding under-cab lights, redoing overhead)
- 10k plumbing

This doesn’t sound right at all. I’m n a much higher COL area and adding under cabinet lights and overhead is not 10 K and plumbing when you are not doing relocating is not 10 K.

Refacing can get up to 45 if you are going for good quality door or more drawers and pull outs. If your contractor is just doing standard doors then you are getting ripped off.

Yeah I've noticed people on scum really overestimate renovation costs, and I'm in this market (NW DC) and have had many of these renovations done recently (after COVID). I think it's a combination of people really getting ripped off and not knowing what they're talking about.

I would love it if you posted the vendors you used.

[Anonymous]

We are doing a kitchen remodel. 12 by 17 - so decent sized kitchen. No walls being moved. Electrical and plumbing work. All new very expensive cabinets and mid appliances. Flooring, etc.

We are looking at 125K and we are getting a deal on the labor.

It is far more expensive than what I would have thought.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are doing a kitchen remodel. 12 by 17 - so decent sized kitchen. No walls being moved. Electrical and plumbing work. All new very expensive cabinets and mid appliances. Flooring, etc.

We are looking at 125K and we are getting a deal on the labor.

It is far more expensive than what I would have thought.

This sound correct- we spent about the same in 2022. We kept the floors (refinished) and replaced a sliding door and window.

[Anonymous]

Someone told me that a kitchen remodel revolves around cabinetry. That new cabinets usually make up about the 30% of a job and resurfaced cabinets about 50%.

Not sure if that is true.

I guess if you got really cheap cabinets it would not be the case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What do you define as not "breaking the bank"? Because you're talking about relocating plumbing and electric, I assume you will also need new cabinets and countertops (e.g., moving the sink requires a new set of countertop cut outs). Ikea can help you mock this up, but it's going to be a 100k+ project.

For reference, we just got quotes for a "facelift" for our kitchen. Not moving plumbing, but moving the fridge would require:
- 45k just to re-face cabinets (same boxes, new doors, all painted)
- 10k appliances (mid-range stove, vent, DW, fridge)
- 10k electric (adding under-cab lights, redoing overhead)
- 10k plumbing

This doesn’t sound right at all. I’m n a much higher COL area and adding under cabinet lights and overhead is not 10 K and plumbing when you are not doing relocating is not 10 K.

Refacing can get up to 45 if you are going for good quality door or more drawers and pull outs. If your contractor is just doing standard doors then you are getting ripped off.

This. Usually people downplay costs, but PP is insane if they think electrical for undercabinet lighting and recessed lights will be $10k. Undercabinet is low voltage and a one day job. Recessed lighting is also a one day job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What do you define as not "breaking the bank"? Because you're talking about relocating plumbing and electric, I assume you will also need new cabinets and countertops (e.g., moving the sink requires a new set of countertop cut outs). Ikea can help you mock this up, but it's going to be a 100k+ project.

For reference, we just got quotes for a "facelift" for our kitchen. Not moving plumbing, but moving the fridge would require:
- 45k just to re-face cabinets (same boxes, new doors, all painted)
- 10k appliances (mid-range stove, vent, DW, fridge)
- 10k electric (adding under-cab lights, redoing overhead)
- 10k plumbing

This doesn’t sound right at all. I’m n a much higher COL area and adding under cabinet lights and overhead is not 10 K and plumbing when you are not doing relocating is not 10 K.

Refacing can get up to 45 if you are going for good quality door or more drawers and pull outs. If your contractor is just doing standard doors then you are getting ripped off.

This. Usually people downplay costs, but PP is insane if they think electrical for undercabinet lighting and recessed lights will be $10k. Undercabinet is low voltage and a one day job. Recessed lighting is also a one day job.

PP with the numbers here - would love your electrician rec's if you think you can do better! I had expected closer to $500-1k.... but once you layer in >150y house in 20003 that somehow always creeps up (plus the plaster repair, plus removing the old track light, plus swapping the old (unsafe) plugs, plus....))

[Anonymous]

We're getting very nice new custom cabinets for 30K. It's a smallish kitchen, but there's an island and full height pantry. The quote above to redo doors for 45K seems high.