A Few Thousand Dollars to a Whole New Kitchen

by Sue Booth
Face Your Kitchen Columnist

So the $50,000 to $100,000 price range to renovate your kitchen is out of your reach? Don't despair. You can get a whole new kitchen for only a few thousand dollars- and you'll even increase the resale value of your home.

Renovation on a Budget

A few thousand dollars can go a long way in your kitchen. You can transform it for approximately $1,000 to $10,000 by upgrading what you already have. As long as the layout is good and your existing cabinets are sturdy, you can achieve an upscale look on a shoestring budget.

Here's what to do:

• Reface your cabinets. If your cabinets are in decent condition, you can reface them for between $4000 and $6000. A contractor can replace the doors, drawer fronts and cover your cabinet boxes with maple or cherry finish. Refacing can cost about one half the cost of replacing your cabinets. Another bonus: refacing can take up to three days as opposed to the three months needed to replace cabinets.
• Add a backsplash. You can spend from $50 to $800 to add a backsplash that will fill the space between your counter and upper cabinets. Colored glass, stone, wallpaper, paneling, or ceiling tiles are all options.
• Lighten up. Get rid of the annoying overhead shadows from that single ceiling light. From $200-$500 you can brighten the entire kitchen with recessed ceiling lights or under-cabinet lighting.
• Refinish a hidden hardwood floor. Hire a hardwood flooring company to rip out the linoleum, then sand and polyurethane the floor for about $5 to $7 a square foot.

With a few thousand dollars, you can have what looks like an upscale kitchen in the $50,000 to $100,000 cost range. You'll also see the dollar for dollar return on investment when you sell.

About the Author
Sue Booth is a freelance writer and a former product analyst for Good Housekeeping magazine. She holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering.