KITCHEN REMODELING DO'S AND DON'TS
You can easily spend $100,000 for a kitchen remodel like the kind you see in home-décor magazines. Or you can spend a fraction of that price for a kitchen that only looks as if you splurged by avoiding blunders and saving money. Below are a few tips from our Consumer Report's August 2004 report on custom kitchens for less.
Do get a plan. According to a Consumer Reports Questionnaire, people who did less homework before they began their home-improvement projects reported more problems. Of the 2,000 readers who remodeled a kitchen in the three years prior to the survey, nearly 25 percent said they wished they had done more research or chosen a pro more carefully. The same percentage said the job wasn't finished on time.
Do create a planning workbook. Keep a file of clippings of styles and products you like. You can also order a free workbook, which includes tips and ideas, online from the National Kitchen & Bath Association ( www.nkba.org ).
Do set a spending limit. According to our survey, readers spent an average of $10,000 to remodel an existing layout and $20,000 when changing the floor plan. Be sure to factor in work. Installation for kitchen essentials such as cabinets can easily cost more than 50 percent of the cabinet cost. Set your budget accordingly.
Do consider faux-pro appliances. Popular pro-style appliances can easily add thousands of dollars to your kitchen remodeling project. Thanks to a growing array of sleek, top-performing appliances, you can achieve a pro-style look at the fraction of the price. Ranges are a prime example. Gas models that offer stainless trim can now cost $1,000 or less, while smoothtop electrics start at just $450.
Don't forget the refrigerator. Fine-performing, low-priced refrigerators are available with bottom-freezer designs and stainless styling, so you needn't sacrifice performance for aesthetics.
Don't confuse cabinet price with performance. Put your money where it counts. Well-built drawers and guides are critical since they get the most use. Many brands allow you to upgrade the drawer guides. But you can probably get away with cabinets made of particleboard rather than plywood.
Don't settle for unattractive countertops. Countertops are one product where beauty and practicality can coexist. Engineered stone and granite are top performers. If you want to spend less, you'll find laminate both economical and versatile. While all countertops are priced by the square foot, what you pay can vary widely among and within materials. You'll also find many different brands and models for engineered stone, laminate, and solid surfacing, though there are no significant performance differences among them.
