As you look at organizing your kitchen this month, you may find yourself dreaming about that kitchen you saw on Instagram. But is a kitchen remodel really necessary? Maybe small changes like new appliances, or adding a dishwasher are all you need to create your dream kitchen. Perhaps your cabinets could use new doors or even just a fresh coat of paint.
In some cases though, a complete fresh start is needed. There’s just no making the best of what you currently have. In that case, I’ve complied the numbers by state so you can begin to plan your remodel, and prepare for the inevitable costs coming your way. Of course these are just basic statistics and your project may or may not require more than these figures indicate, but I tried to find the highest prices I could.
The National numbers indicate you may spend up to $150,000. A major upscale kitchen remodel with structural changes, which increases kitchen size by 15% to 25% but without enlarging your home, will likely cost $95,000 to $150,000. So this would include moving walls and appliances, custom cabinetry, stone countertops, and tile backsplashes. All the bells and whistles, really, and probably some I’m not even mentioning, and it could be even more if you do want to increase the size of your home to accommodate that new kitchen.
For most people though, this kind of renovation is probably not what they need. If your kitchen is small, less than 70 square feet, your remodel could run you as little as $5,000 or up to $20,000, while a medium sized kitchen, 100 to 150 square feet, usually comes in between $15,000 and $40,000, with kitchens larger than 200 square feet costing between $30,000 and $60,000. Below you’ll see the numbers based on your state. Again I’ve pulled the highest number I could find so hopefully this will give you a guideline to plan.
1. Arizona - $37,000
2. Alabama - $54,000
3. Alaska - $52,000
4. Arkansas - $35,000
5. California - $75,000
6. North Carolina - $44,000
7. South Carolina - $25,000
8. Colorado - $34,000
9. Connecticut - $33,000
10. North Dakota - $40,000
11. South Dakota - $40,000
12. Delaware - $42,000
13. Florida - $70,000
14. Georgia - $65,000
15. Hawaii - $40,000
16. Idaho - $59,000
17. Illinois - $50,000
18. Indiana - $40,000
19. Iowa - $40,000
20. Kansas - $50,000
21. Kentucky - $38,000
22. Louisiana - $36,000
23. Maine - $67,000
24. Maryland - $90,000
25. Massachusetts - $155,000
26. Michigan - $64,000
27. Minnesota - $146,000
28. Mississippi - $35,000
29. Missouri - $90,000
30. Montana - $39,000
31. Nebraska - $38,000
32. Nevada - $60,000
33. New Hampshire - $42,000
34. New Jersey - $145,000
35. New Mexico - $41,000
36. New York - $250,000
37. Ohio - $113,000
38. Oklahoma - $49,000
39. Oregon - $130,000
40. Pennsylvania - $126,000
41. Rhode Island - $41,000
42. Tennessee - $65,000
43. Texas - $90,000
44. Utah - $150,000
45. Vermont - $41,000
46. Virginia - $34,000
47. Washington - $60,000
48. West Virginia - $50,000
49. Wisconsin - $75,000
50. Wyoming - $40,000
So where should you start? As with a bathroom remodel, layout is key. The floor plan determines how functional your kitchen is in the end. Is there anything worse than a beautiful kitchen that doesn’t work? Maybe you don’t know, but you certainly don’t want to spend a hefty chunk of change to find out. Nailing the layout is more important than any other part of your kitchen remodel so take your time. How does your current kitchen work in regards to function? What do you like and dislike? With kitchen design the recommendation is to create a work “triangle” linking your refrigerator, sink and range. This ensures that you can cook your favorite meals efficiently.
Now some of this is going to be personal preference. Have you seen those absolutely gorgeous kitchens with the sink in the island and the range centered on a beautiful focal wall? The stone countertops of your dreams with an absolutely stunning tiled backsplash. Yea that’s nice I guess, but I personally hate it from a function stand point. I want to wash my veggies, cut them between the sink and range, and boom, drop them straight into that pan. I don’t want to transfer wet veggies over the floor. I just don’t. No matter how good it looks. You may agree or disagree with me on this matter because design is deeply personal. Your kitchen should be too. Even if you don’t actually use it to cook. So really mull this part over.
Ok once you’ve taken the time to put together the best floor plan for your space and needs, now it’s time to start planning the actual components. My biggest recommendation for your kitchen remodel is to consider IKEA cabinets. Why? Well for starters, they cost less, like WAY less. Check out these articles to see what I mean: https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/ikea-cabinet-review - this one helps explain the way they’re made and how it keeps costs low: https://www.housebeautiful.com/room-decorating/kitchens/a32394567/ikea-kitchens-cost/ .
The next reason is they have all the storage you could ever want already built in. I mean I have friends who work in the building industry and they tell me that they often use IKEA as a guide for their custom cabinetry. Not only that, but it’s free to design your own kitchen with them, either online or you can go into their stores and work with someone in the kitchen department. This means that you can plan, take time to save, and move forward when you’re ready.
And finally, there are many companies springing up making custom doors for IKEA cabinetry, so if you want to make those IKEA cabinets feel just a bit more custom, you can easily upgrade the fronts with companies like SemiHandmade. And no, I’m not getting paid to recommend them to you, I just really believe they are a great option. Also BONUS, let’s say it’s not in your budget to do those custom cabinet fronts during your full renovation - you can add them later! How awesome is that?
One final recommendation, if you’re going to remodel your kitchen why not spring for drawers instead of lower cabinets? This may be personal preference, but I have a hard time believing that anyone wants to climb around on their hands and knees looking for things in the back of their cabinets. I know it costs more up front, but it will be totally worth it in the long run. I would do this over custom fronts. You can add those later, but you’ll have to buy all new cabinets to add drawers when you realize that I was right all along! ;)
Here’s a few other “unrelated” things you should think about: 1. If you change the layout of your kitchen, or say get a bigger (read: different shaped) or smaller island, you may need new floors so remember to consider this in your budget. Also can you replace the floors in only your kitchen or will this involve changing the floors in the whole house, whole floor, or main living spaces? Sometimes it’s hard to figure out where to stop when it comes to floors.
2. Consider your dishwasher. You can keep it if you can fit it back under your countertops - basically are you raising or lowering the height of your cabinets? This is a more custom option, but there are a number of reasons why this might make sense in your home. Make sure you plan accordingly.
3. You may opt to reuse your sink, but if you aren’t thrilled with the one you’ve got, now is the time. Incorporate this into your plan and your budget. I mean have you seen the new “workspace” sinks? Gorgeous! Super functional! The whole package, but they are larger so you will need to have that picked out before they come to template your countertops. Also choose your faucet before that as well so you know all the accessories you’ll need to drill holes for. They may not note all this at the time they template, but this ensures you are prepared in case they do.
4. Again reusing your appliances is a great way to save money, but do you eventually want a bigger refrigerator or range? Make sure you plan for the space needed for the new models so it’s an easy switch when you’re ready. Or would you like to cover either your new refrigerator or your new dishwasher with matching cabinet fronts? It’s worth it to buy the pieces at the time you buy your cabinets so you don’t find out they discontinued them when you go to buy them later.
The bottom line is you need to have it all planned upfront even if you choose to do this in phases instead of all at once. Having a designer, contractor or both is a great way to keep the project moving in the right direction. Want help? Please reach out at any time!
XOXO, Kylie