Three Cost Cutting Kitchen Remodeling Ideas

Homeowner's are divided into two groups: those who have remodeled their kitchens and those who want too. If you fit into the latter category and want to update your kitchen but a tight budget is hindering, consider these three cost cutting kitchen remodeling ideas that just may help move the project along ahead of schedule and under budget.

Fake a Banquette

If a custom made banquette is on your kitchen wish list, fake it until afford the read deal. A corner booth in a small kitchen is a practical space saver and can be very affordable when you use off-the-shelf, prefabricated kitchen cabinets for the banquette seating base.

Measure height and width needed for banquette seating and purchase the corresponding prefabricated, unstained (raw wood) kitchen cabinetry. Top cabinets with cabinet grade wood, finish off with kick boards around the base and stain or paint to match or compliment other kitchen wood colors. Add a few throw pillows and/or create a seating pad (piece of foam cut to fit and covered with fabric) and you have created a fake banquette that provides more kitchen floor space, more seating and more storage space.

Tile it

Need new kitchen counters but money is tight? Tile it. Ceramic or granite tile will give you a new kitchen counter surface without using up all the remodeling budget. Ceramic tiles are durable, economical, scratch resistant and stylish. Ceramic tile will need to be sealed regularly to prevent staining. Granite tile is also an option that will update kitchen counters for about one-half the price of slab granite. Tiles can also be used for creating a custom backsplash in the kitchen.

Time Your Tool Rental

Tool rental can take a huge chunk of the remodeling budget. $75 or more per day is not an uncommon rental fee. Timing your tools rentals can save a lot of money. For example, when needing to rent a wet saw for cutting tile, lay all the easier tiles that do not require cutting first. Then rent the wet saw and do all the tile cutting in one day (or at least fewer days than renting a wet saw and keeping it every day that tile is laid).

Other money saving options is to borrow tools from friends whenever possible and get advice from those who have just completed a kitchen remodel.