How to renovate your kitchen for less
Kitchen renovations can be wildly expensive. It’s not hard to spend north of $50,000 and it’s difficult to make many changes for less than $10,000. But if you’re smart with your reno and make a few tricky choices, you can make your money stretch further.
How much do I have to spend?
- According to Smith and Smith most Australians spend between $20,000 and $40,000 on a new kitchen.
- Typically you’re going to spend at least $5,000 for a budget reno.
- And expect to spend over $45,000 for a high-end kitchen.
With all that said, the amount you spend is totally up to you. If you’re willing to compromise, do a little work yourself and get creative you could renovate your entire kitchen for even less.
Do the prep work yourself
If you’re getting tradies in to install new cabinetry or a benchtop, ask them what you can do to minimise costs. You may be able to demo and remove your old kitchen, prep surfaces or remove old flooring – anything to save tradies time (and save you money).
Minimise structural elements and don’t move utilities
The most expensive part of most high-end kitchen renovations involves changing the structure of the kitchen space itself to alter its layout. Keeping yours the same could save you thousands. Moving utilities, like your water or electricity, to other parts of the space can also be expensive so avoid this if possible.
Go ceramic
If you’re tiling your splashback take a good look at what’s available. Consider using ceramic tiles as these look amazing, but tend to cost less than porcelain and cement.
Try repurposing
If your cabinets look great but they’re just the wrong colour with old handles, why not keep them? Just change the handles for something more modern, then sand and repaint the cabinetry in a more modern and attractive shade. Voilah.
Sort price low to high
It helps to start shopping for fixtures and fittings, like sinks and taps online first to get an idea of cost. Jump on Abey.com.au and view our kitchen range to get started.
To find the best value items simply visit the kitchen section and sort by cost low to high.
Go stainless
Stainless steel is one of the best kitchen materials, and it also happens to be one of the most affordable. So why not go for stainless fittings and fixtures?
The Abey Princess Double Bowl, for example, looks amazing, will last for years and costs just $173. A matching, modern gooseneck sink mixer by Gareth Ashton goes for just $221.
Consider quartz
A large portion of the cost for renovating your kitchen will inevitably come from changing your benchtop. If you can’t get around it, consider using quartz. This attractive material comes in a range of shades and is much cheaper than granite.
See budget fittings in person
Abey Australia stocks a huge range of kitchen fittings, including everything from premium to budget. The best way to get an idea of what you like, and what you need to spend to outfit your kitchen is to drop in to your nearest Abey Showroom, see our fittings and fixtures in person and speak to an expert.