#Kitchen Remodeling Tips and Budgets - Consumer Reports

Three scenarios from a $5,000 facelift to a full $55,000 renovation

Kitchen remodels come in all shapes and sizes, from the mostly DIY cosmetic update to a full-scale multi-month renovation, with price tags ranging from a few hundred to hundreds of thousands. Fortunately, wherever you fall on the scope-and-spending spectrum, creating a do-it-all kitchen is easier than you may think: Prices have plummeted for premium features like detailing on cabinetry, induction on ranges and cooktops, and energy-saving insulation in refrigerators. You’ll also see a veritable explosion of products that blend performance and value. Here are some tips and budgets from the experts at Consumer Reports.

Make your wish list early. Take the time—anywhere from a few weeks to several months, depending on your project’s scope—to talk with and vet contractors and other pros, browse online, and check out showrooms and home centers. Try not to make design changes midstream. “Change orders,” as contractors and builders call them, can add significantly to the cost of the job.

Sidestep supersizing. In addition to being expensive, huge kitchens can be exhausting to work in. You need only about 4 to 9 feet of space between the sink and the refrigerator or between the sink and the stove, according to the National Kitchen Bath Association. Islands should be only 3 to 4 feet deep and 3 to 10 feet wide. Anything bigger than that can be hard to use and to reach across to clean.

Avoid budget busters. “While we’re at it. ” are words that can break any budget. Unexpected structural repairs are one thing (in fact, you should leave a 10 to 15 percent cushion in your budget for just that). But it’s another to ask your skilled carpenter to pile on decorative flourishes as he handles the essentials. Also avoid the temptation to “save” with shoddy choices now, assuming that you’ll replace them with what you really want later. You probably won’t.

Get it in writing. Whenever you hire a professional the written contract should list each phase of the project, every product, and include copies of each contractor’s license as well as his workers compensation and liability insurance to confirm that they’re in effect. Call the contractor’s references and, if possible, ask to visit recent jobs.

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