Kitchen Remodeling Doesn't Have to Break the Bank

If you've been considering kitchen remodeling for any length of time, you may have become convinced that it's not even worthwhile to consider starting a renovation unless you're ready to spend fifty thousand dollars.

You can certainly be forgiven if you've adopted that attitude, but there's a good chance you're mistaken. Many people, perhaps yourself included, first start considering remodeling their kitchen because of things like nicks in the laminate or cracked tile and missing grout in the counterop. Or they may have drawers that don't have drawer glides, or cabinets with broken hinges. Or maybe they just think the color of the cabinets is ugly, or the vinyl floor tiles are peeling up. Perhaps their appliances are a wonderful shade of avocado.

So they start investigating the ins and outs of kitchen remodeling. At first they're just interested in replacing or fixing the things that are lacking in their kitchen. But as they continue to research, they start to see all these wonderful things: Oak cabinets, granite countertops, commercial stainless steel ranges with six burners and massive hoods, etc. And then they begin to lose sight of why they started this quest as AD1their desires become more and more grandiose.

But maybe they (or you) don't need granite countertops, oak cabinets, or a six burner stove. Perhaps a coat of paint and some refacing would work fine for the cabinets. Maybe a nice linoleum floor and a new sink. Possibly replace that old scratched laminate countertop with a new one. You might be surprised how much some of them look like granite nowadays. Add in some new stainless steel (or black or white if you prefer) appliances and a coat of paint on the walls, and you might think you're standing in a brand new kitchen. And for one-fifth of what you thought you'd have to pay.

One popular change that you might want to keep under consideration is the removal of a wall. If done right, this can work wonders for making a small kitchen feel spacious and open. Of course, you must make certain that any wall you remove is not structural. If removal of the full wall is not feasible, consider removing part of it and making it into a 'half wall' where only the top half or so is taken out, or creating a 'pass-thru' - more or less a square or rectangular hole in the wall. These can also make a world of difference in the feel of the finished room.

Of course, it could be that your kitchen does need major updating. Maybe your stove and refrigerator are right next to each other. Any remodel worth the name has to change that. Maybe there's just not enough room for the four or five people that normally prepare meals in your house - so you really do need to expand outside the current kitchen walls.

But make sure that any major (and expensive) changes occur because you need them or you really want them - not because you see them in every magazine you pick up or every TV design show you watch.

To get more kitchen remodeling ideas, such as how to design a kitchen, check out http://www.bestkitchenremodelingideas.com.