Saving money on kitchen cabinet remodeling can be very difficult. Everything you want in your dream kitchen could drive the cost higher than the anticipated budget.
Average kitchens can range from $4,000 to $13,000. Massive numbers like this during the kitchen estimate may deter customers from buying the cabinets or even completing the remodel.
Cost-Saving Design Guide on Kitchen Cabinets
The “perfect” kitchen will not always be able to be recreated, but some changes upon further thought can drastically change the price—not by just a little, but by a fraction of the price.
As expected, the more you add on, the higher the cost of the kitchen remodel will be. Here are some tips on trying to save money on your kitchen remodel.
Custom versus RTA
Custom cabinets are the biggest price change for someone looking for a kitchen remodel. These cabinets offer options beyond one’s imagination. Custom raised-panel doors, glass doors of a specific size, and even very specific tones of colored paint are available with this option.
The price tag for these options may be double or triple what one would normally get from a regular kitchen remodeling project. This may always be the first adjustment to save money on kitchen remodels.
Who would go for a custom cabinet remodel?
Interior designers looking to raise a home’s value will probably go with custom. They will want to choose an aesthetic that matches very specific color palettes, lucrative doors, and even unique cabinet support columns that are unavailable for typical ready-to-assemble stock cabinets.
A standard person looking to remodel a home can choose ready-to-assemble cabinets and save on the costs of other parts of the remodel.
You don’t need multiple trash bin cabinets
Cabinets will have the option for trash bin cabinets. These commonly are 15” or 18” wide. The 15” cabinet has a single bin, while the 18” has two bins.
The recommended option is that households that want a trash and recycling bin option would choose the 18” trash cabinet. Customers looking for a single bin to store more would select the 15” cabinet.
However, one should not choose more than one trash bin cabinet for their home. The difference between the regular cabinet and the trash bin option typically ranges from $100 to $150 increase.
Two 15” trash bin cabinets can cost close to $900, whereas a single 30” cabinet with lots of storage costs half that.
Although it is nice to have your trash concealed from the public, trash cabinets eat up your storage space. One 15” cabinet for trash should be more than enough for the average kitchen.
Even homes with a large island should not need more than one trash cabinet. For some people, simply buying an individual trash bin to have in the kitchen can also save a lot of money and increase the storage space in the kitchen.
Only one lazy Susan
Arguably one of the most expensive cabinets in the kitchen. People will defend the lazy Susan as being the king of corner cabinets. The L-shape makes the best use of the space to be accessible with the revolving turntables.
The inside components and amount of wood to construct the cabinet shape drive the price higher than most banks of drawers. Having only one of these behemoths is enough. These cabinets require a large amount of space committed to put one in the corner and do not offer the best storage space out there.
Cost-wise, the lazy susan almost equates to one and a half large cabinets on its own. Choosing a different cabinet than the lazy susan allows you to either upgrade another cabinet to a larger size or simply add more storage to a different one.
So, what else is there if one does not go with the lazy Susan option? Dead corner? Of course not.
The blind corner cabinet is 36 “deep and has an 18” door, deep enough to fit into the dead corner. It can store a lot more than a lazy Susan. It’s called a blind corner because the space it occupies is hidden from view.
There are upgrades to the cabinet, like the Magic Corner, that can maximize the ease of access to the corner. Switching one lazy susan to a blind corner can save you a lot of remodeling costs, so never go with more than one.
Only one large bank of drawers
Drawers are the kings of storage. Their ease of access, durability, and size options make them a must for all kitchens, no matter the shape. However, customers should avoid having too many drawers.
Many homeowners require a one-drawer bank to store large pots, baking trays, and heavy pans. Multiple drawers are excessive, especially in larger versions. Large drawers are available in 30” or 36”, but multiple drawers are unnecessary.
Base cabinets, excluding full-height door cabinets, typically have a drawer on top that is the same width as the cabinet. The drawer does not have the same feature, but it does have the same storage capacity.
Should people not have any drawers? No, each person should only have one bank of drawers.
Having multiple does grant a lot of needed storage for the homeowner, but at what cost?
Do you really need a spice rack?
This cabinet is a cabinet many customers can pass on because of the purpose it has. It only stores spices and is a very narrow cabinet. They are typically available from 9” to 12” wide and have 2 to 3 layers for spice and sauce storage.
Spice racks are helpful to have next to the stove when cooking, but they are not necessary. Some factors must be considered when adding one to a kitchen.
Are spice rack cabinets pricey? As surprising as it is, yes, they are.
A single spice rack cabinet can cost as much as a double-door cabinet. The storage space is 24” compared to 9 or 12”. A 9” spice rack can even replace a small cabinet to store large pots and pans by the stove.
Spice rack holders that hang inside cabinet doors are a budget-friendly option that does the job the same thing. Smaller add-ons later on really help save money on the kitchen remodel.
Fewer custom modifications
“How do I save money on kitchen cabinets with fewer modifications?”
Doing less costs less. The fewer out-of-ordinary changes needed, the cheaper the cabinet will be.
This affects the cost of installing the cabinets more than people who have a contractor. Although most people will have the cabinets built how they see them in the cabinet store showroom, some may be looking to elevate their cabinets even more.
These may include elevated crown molding, building a platform for island cabinets, or cutting a cabinet to fit due to an obstruction. Doing these requires extra labor on top of installing cabinets and will typically be calculated when counting labor costs.
A few situations require modifications. These include water lines, gas lines, soffits, and wall obstructions. Due to construction limitations, water and gas lines may not be able to be moved.
Cabinet installers will simply just need to cut a hole in certain cabinets to accommodate the pipe that needs to connect to the specific location.
Soffits and wall obstructions can be adjusted with a filler. These cases can be solved easily, but adding many technical details may require more costs. Best to avoid going too crazy here.
Glass doors are pretty but a hassle
The glass doors on display are beautiful. They show the interior of the cabinet with light shining through, which may convince one to decorate their kitchen to replicate the glass doors they see.
However, glass doors require a lot of maintenance. Just like car windows, glass doors collect dust and need to be cleaned constantly.
The showrooms will constantly be cleaned to show the luminosity of these doors. However, these doors can get grease stains from the stove that are not present in the showroom.
What do glass doors have to do with cost? Quite a lot, in fact. Glass doors are not always made of individual glass panels.
Certain cabinet doors with 5-piece construction will have a cheaper option of selling just the glass panel insert, with which one can swap the center panel.
Otherwise, glass doors are an extra cost to the cabinet itself. They can range from $100 to $150 per individual door. Multiples of these will start stockpiling to the total costs.
Don’t go crazy with roll-out trays
One might think that adding roll-out trays to a cabinet will be cheaper than a bank of drawers, right? Yes, but adding many of these can add a whole chunk of the cost.
Depending on the size of each roll-out tray, each drawer can cost around $100. Adding one or two where needed is logical and may not change the final cost too much. Adding too many can surprisingly change the kitchen’s function and cost.
A roll-out tray is mounted on the shelf of the base cabinet. The space removed to add the roll-out’s functionality is not much, but putting tall appliances in there could be a struggle.
So what’s the best option?
Use the roll-out trays for a cabinet that will greatly benefit from the ease of access. Do not splurge and get too many. The overall cost will otherwise spike out of control.
Premium… cabinet handles?
Cabinet handles should balance functionality and design with kitchen cabinet doors. They do not need to be luxurious, and they should not exceed a few dollars, as the whole kitchen usually needs the same handles.
Having premium handles that exceed $10 each will drive the cost in the blink of an eye. These will be the last thing you expect to drastically change the total cost. Keep the handles simple without overspending. Many people will choose simplicity with a price that won’t hurt their wallets.
Trends versus functionality
Some people want to be trendsetters and follow the latest styles and designs. This may be true of their home decor and remodeling projects.
A common trend is the farmhouse apron sink. Some people love its design and decor, while others want to keep the sink traditional.
Fashionistas and hype beasts pay a fortune for luxury clothing. That translates to trends for kitchen cabinets as well.
Trends like the apron sink can cost double the price of a regular double-basin sink. Are styles and kitchen trends worth the additional fortune, or is functionality more important?
Countertop counter argument
The countertop has changed the most in terms of material and can typically be the last thing to tip the price tag of the cabinets one way or another. Depending on the material, the countertop can change the aesthetic appeal, visual contrast, and even the functionality of the kitchen surfaces.
The ever-common quartz has many variations that mimic marble countertops. Higher-end stones like Caesarstone will cost a hefty fortune. The stones can be the cherry on top of the nail in the coffin.
If the cost is too high, there are quartz options that look identical to high-end brands. Countertops are the last additional cost when remodeling cabinets, but they can be the biggest way to save money on kitchen remodels.
