Who Says You Can’t Afford the Kitchen of Your Dreams?

Originally in 2017, we were quoted between $50,000-$75,000 for a complete kitchen makeover from contractors. For $50k, we would get cheap cabinets, low grade appliances and formica countertops. We couldn’t afford that (we were only making $50k at the time), so we decided to research and do it ourselves. Man, am I glad we did that! I was able to get the kitchen of my dreams, for the price that we could afford, and complete the project from start to finish in less than 3 weeks!

Below you will find my kitchen reno tips so you can do it yourself! Keep in mind, we did our kitchen renovation in 2017, so obviously prices have increased in recent years. However, if you apply our kitchen renovation tips and do most of the work yourself, you WILL save money.

Kitchen Reno Budget tip #1:  Buy high quality and affordable cabinetry direct to consumer. 

Our 1989 kitchen had stock oak cabinetry (see the gallery above). It was dated and ugly and I wanted floor to ceiling white shaker cabinets which were really popular at the time (Think Joanna Gaines in her original Fixer Upper series). We quickly became discouraged when we started researching cabinetry.  So many cabinets were overpriced and low quality at big box stores.  It wasn’t until we discovered Cabinets.com that we found shaker cabinet doors, plywood boxes and beautiful trim that felt expensive without the price tag.  

I highly recommend their company!  Their designer helped us lay out our kitchen design and order the correct pieces for free. We were able to order enough cabinetry for a 7 foot island, a pull out garbage and recycling drawer, and floor to ceiling cabinets for $9,000! Mitch installed the cabinets with the help of a friend who was a contractor. We paid him hourly to help with the cabinet install. We also hired a guy to install the crown molding as we didn’t want to make a costly mistake (crown molding is tricky to install).  

TIP:  if you are going to buy stock cabinets, make sure to order sample doors to make sure you like the color.  I ordered multiple doors (some were free, others were a couple of dollars) and some whites were more pink or brown in hue.  This particular white (oyster) was PERFECT (it’s similar to BM White Dove) and I highly recommend it.  

This kitchen design choice saved us THOUSANDS of dollars.  Next up, choosing countertops.  

Kitchen Reno Budget Tip #2: Shop countertops at multiple places for different quotes and ask friends. 

We researched MULTIPLE countertop stores, including big box stores, so I knew there was a drastic range in prices for the SAME material.  Our countertops are Colorquartz Bianco Gioia, bought in 2017. There is also another similar countertop called Jumbo Carerra available. 

I found my white quartz countertop at a fabricator in Grand Rapids, but after talking with a friend who recently renovated her kitchen, I found it $3000 cheaper at a Ma and Pop shop in South Haven called Classic Stone Creations.  It’s the same exact material for WAY cheaper.  

All I can say is be patient, do your research, and shop around because you probably could find it cheaper (ask me if you live in West Michigan for my favorite resources). Ask friends who have recently renovated their kitchen and you like their countertops. Sometimes word of mouth is the best way to find out good kitchen supply companies in your area.

Next up, where we SAVED money and where we SPLURGED in our kitchen renovation.  

Kitchen Reno Budget Tip  #3: SAVE on specific items and SPLURGE on others to fit your budget. 

This is a FUN part of renovating for me.  I determine where we splurge and where we save in our budget.  For our kitchen, we SPLURGED on my beautiful Blanco farmhouse sink linked here.  I wanted a large white fireclay farmhouse sink so I chose a 33″ wide sink. Our cabinetry took up most of the budget and countertops were our second most expensive item.  

We SAVED by finding a bridge faucet for $229 (YIPPEE!) linked here, white beveled edge subway tile at Home Depot for only $2.32/square feet linked here and Gold Series appliances by Whirlpool which are quality, mid grade appliances.  

I did not need high end appliances but I also didn’t want ones that were cheap because I love to cook.  I went for appliances in the middle and seven years later, I am so happy with them. We have had no issues with them.   You can find my Whirlpool Gold Series stainless steel appliances here.

Before and After Pictures

I am hoping that this post will inspire you to finally take the next step and renovate your outdated kitchen. Use the money saving tips I outlined above to create the kitchen of your dreams and hopefully save money in the process. Comment below on what you hope to achieve in the kitchen of your dreams.