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How To Budget Remodeling Your Kitchen

Current Kitchen Layout Is Satisfactory

Part 3

  1. Sinks & Faucets:
  2. There is no end to the styles, types and finishes of kitchen sinks and faucets (Figure 1) that are available for your kitchen remodeling project. Prices for a basic stainless steel kitchen sink start at a $100 and can easily exceed $1,000. Prices for faucets start as low as $25 and can exceed $1,000 depending on the finish and style.

    kitchen sink and faucet

    Figure 1 - Kitchen sink & faucet

    For budgeting I always recommend that the homeowner set a price that is affordable and then go shopping to choose a kitchen sink and faucet that is below the budgeted amount. One thing to remember about faucets is that they can generally be easily changed and upgraded at a later date if the budget will not allow you to purchase exactly what you want today.

  3. Lighting & Circulation Fans:
  4. The variations available in kitchen lighting include hanging ceiling fixtures, recessed lighting, in cabinet lighting, under cabinet lighting and surface mount ceiling fixtures. In these lighting fixture styles you can find inexpensive, mid-range and very expensive light fixtures.

    It is important to choose your light fixtures not only for the aesthetic value that they bring to the kitchen but they should provide the functional lighting necessary to work.

    There are three types of lighting that may be required or used in any specific kitchen design or layout in order to obtain the correct illumination:

    • Area lighting,
    • Task lighting,
    • Decorative lighting

    Unlike kitchen sinks and faucets it is important to consider the kitchen lighting requirement before commencing the kitchen remodeling project as it may be necessary to add electrical fixture boxes and light switches in new locations in order to handle the new kitchen light fixtures.

    In the same manner as kitchen sinks and faucets, surface mounted light fixtures are relatively easy to change in the future.

    You should also consider if you desire the addition of a ceiling fan to the kitchen. Ceiling fans have an effect on the lighting considerations as well as electrical wiring requirements. If you are considering a ceiling fan it is important that you size the ceiling fan properly for the square footage of the room.

  5. Appliances:
  6. The primary consideration for major appliances is the size and configuration.

    • Ranges:
    • While the standard kitchen range is 30 inches wide, there are also a lot of ranges that are bigger and a few that are smaller. You must also determine if you want an independent cooktop and a separate oven or ovens and if you are going to use gas or electric or a combination. With a cooktop you have to determine the ventilation requirements. All of these items will have an effect on what you decide to do about your kitchen cabinets.

    • Refrigerators:
    • Refrigerators do not have a "standard size". It is important to determine the overall maximum size of a refrigerator that will meet your needs and requirements and adjust both the width of the adjacent cabinets and the height of the above refrigerator cabinets accordingly. You also need to consider whether or not you will require a waterline for an ice maker and/or refrigerated water dispenser.

    • Dishwashers:
    • If you are planning on installing a built-in dishwasher, they take the place of a standard 24 inch cabinet. For convenience of use and installation they should be reasonably close to the kitchen sink as they need to be connected to the drain line and hot water pipe. They also require power to operate. An independent 15 amp 120VAC circuit is recommended.

    • Microwave Ovens:
    • Microwave ovens are no longer a luxury and there are very few kitchens that do not have a microwave oven. Consideration must be given to the placement of the microwave in your new remodeled kitchen. Will it sit on a counter, or be built-in? Microwave ovens should also have an independent 15 amp 120VAC circuit.

    Major kitchen appliances can add thousands of dollars to a kitchen remodeling project.

  7. Exhaust Fans & Ventilation:
  8. Kitchen exhaust fans are a critical element in the overall comfort of the kitchen and the rest of the home. Kitchen exhaust fans remove unwanted odors, but more importantly remove excess humidity from the kitchen. Many homeowners underestimate the importance of the kitchen exhaust fan and will use the exhaust fan style that re-circulates the air. While the carbon filters in these units may eliminate unwanted odors from the kitchen, they do nothing to eliminate the humidity which is created while cooking.

    The installation of a properly sized kitchen exhaust fan, vented to the outside, should be a high priority in any kitchen remodeling project.

  9. Window Treatments:
  10. Many homeowners will leave the choice of window treatments to the end of the kitchen remodeling project. They become an afterthought. However, if you are budgeting properly then consideration to the style and hence cost of the window treatments should be considered at the beginning of the kitchen remodeling project.

    Knowing what window treatments are planned also allows you to consider what window trims should or shouldn’t be used and whether or not valances will be appropriate.

    Once you have decided on the design criteria of your new kitchen you can commence to create a budget by shopping each of the items required.

Part 1

Part 2