Kitchen Remodel Bucket list Reality Check Costs/Tips/Warnings?

[Lstansbury]

We remodeled our kitchen a piece at a time. We replaced the tile countertops with granite tops and backsplashes. We also went with one big sink instead the divided ones. Now we can wash big pans flat.

As far as the cabinets, we had them refaced and the crappy drawers replaced.
We also replaced the white contractor grade appliances with better ones.

Nice!

 

[Lstansbury]

We are on our third designer now for a kitchen and bathroom remodel. This is DH’s pet project. My preference would be to do nothing. The first designer wasted our time and billed us $3,000 for some sketches that were worthless.

The second designer charged us $3,000 for a beautiful set of designs for the kitchen and bath. We went into the project with a budget of $80K for the kitchen and $50K for the bathroom. Her final budget came in at $223K for the kitchen and $132K for the bathroom. I was so floored by these numbers that I insisted we end the relationship and move on.

Now we are waiting for a design and budget from designer #3. I have not enjoyed the process so far. And we haven’t even started doing any construction yet. Even worse, lead times for cabinets and appliances are up to six months out. So if we do end up moving forward, I’m expecting down time to be several months, and whatever budget they give us will be lower than the actual amount. This is not a good time to do a remodel, at least not in my area.

Yes, this is what is concerning me -- someone expecting $3K just for the designs. She doesn't get paid any other way, doesn't sell products, etc. I wouldn't mind if she did in order to make more off the job, but it seemed to be an integrity issue to her.

So I'm leaning more and more toward lining up a big box store, or a local cabinet/countertop maker who has a designer on staff

 

[Lstansbury]

Unfortunately, I live in the south where the hurricanes snap power lines -- but gas is gold when you need to get a stove going and keep hot water heaters pumping.

 

[Lstansbury]

Most kitchens I re-face are between $6-8k. I replace doors with a new style, spray doors "in the flat" to get the smoothest finish. I'm a single person company, so I'm typically less than the big-box guys. If you want to pick my brain, give me a call.

Posting pics is always a good start.

Here's a link to some of my work
https://photos.app.goo.gl/gvm53NdGytYUoEkPA

Very nice work! Thanks for sharing the pics. I've been wondering about just refacing the cabinets in that way. To your point, I need to get a Pinterest or some other picture board set up with current pics of the ugliness that calls itself a "real wood" cabinet.

 

[OldShooter]

Unfortunately, I live in the south where the hurricanes snap power lines -- but gas is gold when you need to get a stove going and keep hot water heaters pumping.

Having tasted he nectar of induction, I think I'd back it up with something like this: https://www.campchef.com/cooking-systems/pro-90x.html either tied into the natural gas or to a 100# bottle.

 

[Lstansbury]

Just completed a major remodel that included tearing out wall to make an open concept instead of the galley kitchen. Worked with the contractor to design the entire project at no extra cost. All high end, Cambria counter tops, top end cabinetry, restaurant quality appliances. Brought propane in house to replace electric stove. Never considered hiring a design consultant. Total cost 80k. Very much worth every penny.
This was in our Florida home, contractor completed the project during the summer when we are up north. Worked out great! Also a desk/office at the far end that you can’t see. Before and after pics:

View attachment 40301

View attachment 40302

BEAUTIFUL pics. I wish I had $80, but alas, retired too soon for that!

 

[CRLLS]

FYI, there are gas ranges out there including from major manufacturers that use a battery (usually 9V) to ignite the burners & lights a pilot for the oven which goes out after you turn off the oven.

I wasn't aware of such a thing. Certainly ours doesn't have that feature. Now that we have a generator, the need is not there.

 

[Hdhead]

HDhead it's really nice but 80K

Quality costs money. All high end and amazing!

 

[ncbill]

Having tasted he nectar of induction, I think I'd back it up with something like this: https://www.campchef.com/cooking-systems/pro-90x.html either tied into the natural gas or to a 100# bottle.

One family we knew kept a used 24" apartment-size gas range (propane) in the basement.

Mostly used for canning, but also was backup for their electric range.

 

[MC Rider]

As long as it's show and tell time. We wanted a more traditional natural wood look.

 

[ivinsfan]

Quality costs money. All high end and amazing!

Your choice. But I find sometimes the flagship brands charge a lot extra for the name factor .I don't assume that is the only way to have quality

Enjoy your kitchen

 

[Janet H]

10 years ago or so I redid a kitchen and added a Thermadore gas range (converted to propane). Two of the burners and the oven work during power outages. It's fairly analog. There is no burner or pilot lighting after the stove is installed. https://www.thermador.com/us/products/ranges/30-inch-ranges

I liked this range so much that I bought the very same model again a few years ago when we moved and redid another kitchen.

Pics of 2 renos - the first was a mid-century modern and it's worth noting that shortly after this pic was taken we ripped out both the jennaire range and the over the range microwave. The circuit board on that fancy jenniare incinerated - twice, and then I cracked the glass top. We spent more on repairs than the initial cost of the range. as the vent was woefully underpowered. Gas stoves need big hoods. Expensive lesson. This kitchen had flat panel cabinet doors over frameless boxes - price increase for this but very easy to clean and the frameless cabinets mean drawers that are deeper.



The more recent reno (sorry about the duplicate pic if you are following my bathroom reno thread) has traditional framed cabinets which saved dough and seemed to fit the house style. I MUCH prefer the frameless but we saved about 20 percent of the cabinet cost by going with a more traditional style. I'm not sure it was a good economy. We did this kitchen ourselves as well, using the same model range and a nice big hood.




On both these kitchens we most of the work ourselves, save countertops and plumbing in propane.

 

[MC Rider]

On both these kitchens we most of the work ourselves, save countertops and plumbing in propane.

That's a whole lotta work. Nice job.

 

[ncbill]

One of the cooler layouts I've seen was in my grandma's early 1970s kitchen.

Cabinets above and below a long (Formica at that time, of course) countertop.

Wall ovens (standard residential size) but with French doors at either end.

Flip-down (standard electric coil) burners along the length of the counter...IIRC, 3 large, 3 small.

Flip them up & out of the way when not in use to reclaim the space for prep...sort of a "Murphy bed" cooktop.

Wall ovens & burners all SS.

 

[RobbieB]

I love Formica (trade name for high pressure laminate), yeah I know it's dated and nobody wants that stuff anymore, but it is amazingly durable for what it is.

And what it is is paper. Craft paper, like grocery bag paper is the body and a sheet of decorative paper on top. The trick is it's all impregnated with resin and then heat and pressure applied and the result is just amazing. Waterproof, grease proof, abrasion resistant and heat resistant.

Had an automation call at the Formica factory (now closed) in Sacramento and learned this stuff there.

 

[Gumby]

Your choice. But I find sometimes the flagship brands charge a lot extra for the name factor .I don't assume that is the only way to have quality

Enjoy your kitchen

Some of us spring for Super Bowl tickets, some for fancy kitchens. It would be a dull (and expensive) world if we all wanted the same things.

 

[ivinsfan]

Some of us spring for Super Bowl tickets, some for fancy kitchens. It would be a dull (and expensive) world if we all wanted the same things.

I don't mean to imply otherwise, I'm simply saying that those of us that can't/don't buy top of the line are still able to buy quality products...the idea that highest price equals higher quality isn't always correct.


Top of the line is a relative term as well. But that's something this board talks about often.

 

[Gumby]

...the idea that highest price equals higher quality isn't always correct.....

I agree with you 100% on that.

 

[oiseux]

Ok you had me almost sold on this idea, but then I was like... but wait the convenience of ice from the freezer....that's something I would not want to go out to the garage for every time.

Then I realized this would make the perfect justification for a really good stand alone ice maker, the kind that makes pellet ice (the good ice) and now I'm sold again and have filed this idea away in my future kitchen ideas.

You can get dedicated freezer and fridge towers, and the pairs don't have to match width. I would have installed twin 36" freezer and fridge pairs, had I had the space


Too lazy to quote the other responses but:



Regarding the magnet test -- some pans may pass the magnet test but still hum on an induction burner. Usually cheaper ones, however.


Regarding color: I agree that a color scheme from a designer can be good thing, and preclude arguments. We did pay for it once, and it was good. With a full palette of colors you can go to any store, shop or painter and go to town without any problem. You can also learn about colors online -- the (free or low cost) undertone tutorials/blogs from color specialist Maria Killam are very helpful and help explain why not all whites or greys work with each other.



Regarding designers: We also hired a designer who managed our overseas property and she did a fantastic job for a fixed fee. It was money well spent.

 

[Sunset]

.... We also went with one big sink instead the divided ones. Now we can wash big pans flat.

....

That is what I'm going with next time, one giant sink.

 

[Gumby]

If I had to do it over again, I'd go for two separated sinks - one for meal prep and the other for cleanup. Heck, a separate scullery would be ideal.

 

[Ronstar]

I ripped out our kitchen and DW wanted almost the same look on the new. The old backsplash did not come off easily. I had to take the drywall out too.

And the new has oven in a different place, so I had to run new electric to it. Luckily, sink, fridge and microwave were in the same places.

DW got the backsplash tile from a designer (meaning BTD). I had the factory cut the curved tiles behind the range to fit my dimensions.

This along with more flooring, 2 bathrooms, and other remodeling took about 5 months start to finish. We have a bar in our lower level that we used for a kitchen during construction.

 

[ncbill]

Ok you had me almost sold on this idea, but then I was like... but wait the convenience of ice from the freezer....that's something I would not want to go out to the garage for every time.

Then I realized this would make the perfect justification for a really good stand alone ice maker, the kind that makes pellet ice (the good ice) and now I'm sold again and have filed this idea away in my future kitchen ideas.

~$550 for the GE Opal countertop ice maker (version 2 w/ side water tank)

heck, buy two, they're compact enough to fit.

 

[ncbill]

Another confession:

I'll never use a hard surface (e.g. tile) in my current kitchen.

There's no point...all the units in my townhouse development sell only based on their size (sqft)...not on internal upgrades.

And I find sheet vinyl much more comfortable to stand on than any hard surface.

When I couldn't stand the look of the yellowing builder-grade sheet vinyl anymore I scrubbed it as clean as I could and had mid-grade sheet vinyl installed on top.

The kitchen's small enough that no seams were needed and the cost was only a few hundred bucks.

Now with two layers of sheet vinyl it's nice and cushy.

 

[RetiredHappy]

I ripped out our kitchen and DW wanted almost the same look on the new. The old backsplash did not come off easily. I had to take the drywall out too.

And the new has oven in a different place, so I had to run new electric to it. Luckily, sink, fridge and microwave were in the same places.

DW got the backsplash tile from a designer (meaning BTD). I had the factory cut the curved tiles behind the range to fit my dimensions.

This along with more flooring, 2 bathrooms, and other remodeling took about 5 months start to finish. We have a bar in our lower level that we used for a kitchen during construction.

Lovely kitchen! Like you, we have hardwood floor throughout the house. They are so much more comfortable on the feet and my dishes have not broken (yet) when accidentally dropped onto the floor.

Are the cabinets new or did you have them refinished?