Can A Kitchen Remodel Be Made Affordable?

By Author: Dennis White
Total Articles: 3
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Everyone knows how hard it is to be upgrading or getting anything more than the essentials during this economic downturn. There are many ways to improve your home's value in a low market with very practical upgrades.

The first question you need to ask yourself is what's my budget? Defining your budget is going to help you eliminate what you can and cannot do first. No matter how small the budget, there are easy ways to create significant results.

One way that you can save money is to conserve your costs on major appliances. Many times when a homeowner puts their home on the market, potential buyers will attempt to lower their offers because they do not like the color of the appliances. It doesn't matter if the new fridge is the top notch, ice making, water cleansing, non-freezer burning, self cleaning or anything else because it could be the wrong color for the potential buyer. If you plan to sell your home after remodels, let the next home-owner worry about the, ice making, water cleansing, non-freezer burning, self cleaning fridge they love - in the color of their choice.

The part of this journey that ...
... is going to save you the most is consolidating the number of contractors you have to use. Depending on your skill and confidence level, there are certain things you may or may not be able to do by yourself. The easiest kitchen remodel Do-It-Yourself is painting.

Painting is a simple task. The preparations are simple and the task is pretty self explanatory. However, painting can go horribly wrong by not following simple procedures such as mixing the paint properly, taping adjacent structures, neglected dripping or even getting the wrong colors. If you decide to take painting into your own hands, take this otherwise simple step seriously before you make a catastrophic mess.

If your courage is still strong enough to stand the test of plumbing, installing your own new kitchen hardware can save you money on paying someone to install it. While looking for a new sink, check to see if the store you buy it from provides free installation and a guarantee on their work. Sometimes you may run onto one but not the other. In that case it might be a good idea to install it yourself. If you decide to install be sure to follow standard procedures of installation to avoid messy leaks and breaks.

If your counters are new, you have the option of buying any size sink that you prefer but if you have a pre-cut hole in your counters, be sure to purchase a sink of those dimensions. Upon placing the new sink into the hole, turn the water off. Then make sure your sink is properly sealed with silicone caulk or plumber's putty around the entire edge of the sink. When the sink is place in. make sure to clear out excess sealant from the top to prevent drying on top which makes a rough surface around the edges. After you tighten the ad hoc manufacturer clamps, connect the P-trap by hooking up the faucet lines to the cold and hot supply lines using flexible supply tubes and then the strainers to the waste line. Upon completion, turn the water back on and take out the aerator to flush the system by running water, then put the aerator back on.

Tile installation is another easy task that brings a sense of workman's' therapy to those that are doing the work. Tile installation can be used for flooring as well as created a decorative backsplash to your counters or even countertops. Before you start laying tile sporadically, map out how much the tile, tool rental or purchase is going to cost you, then draw out an overlay of how you want your tile design, and prepare your floor by cleaning and leveling. A clean and level surface will provide a solid foundation for beautiful flooring, and counters.

Kitchen Cabinets provide the highest ROI in regards to kitchen remodels. They are however, a very specialized form of work that can cost a lot of money. Unless you have the building confidence or are a skilled woodsman, putting some more time and money into your kitchen cabinets could prove to bring back a better value than taking it into your own hands.

Saving money on kitchen remodels is at the discretion of every workman, the deals they find and their skills of installation.

Dennis White is the owner of Arizona Custom Cabinet company Cabinets by C & F. Cabinets by C & F has 50 years of experience in building quality cabinets that have kept up with the times of change. Visit www.CabinetsbyCandF.com or call (480)833-0561 for more information on custom or eco-friendly Cabinets for Bathrooms, office, closets and media centers.