11 easy ways to reduce the cost of your kitchen renovation

Renovating your kitchen will be one of the most expensive investments in your home however, it's often worth the investment as a new kitchen will transform your living space and can often add value to your house. Here are our great tips that will help you reduce the cost of your kitchen renovation while still getting the kitchen of your dreams!

1. Do the preparation yourself

If you can, pull down cupboards, scrape wallpaper and remove tiles. This might save a couple of days work for the builders which will help to reduce the cost of your kitchen renovation. Just don't go knocking walls down or do any work you are unsure of - leave anything technical to the experts.

2. Choose everything before the work starts

The budget may over-run when you make pressurised decisions during the renovation. Make sure you have chosen everything carefully beforehand, that you have found the best deals and have given yourself time to haggle in advance of the work starting.

3. Re-use your existing kitchen where you can

It might be that your existing units are good quality, just not to your taste. Can you paint them or change the handles? Or you might like your units but are not keen on the worktop, so you could change that which would make a huge impact!

4. Buy items in the sale

Look out for high street chains having sales, particularly at the start of the year. You don't need to get everything from them but they might have a work surface or cupboards that you like, so keep your eyes peeled. Also remember to haggle and always ask for a discount!

5. Use your builders trade discount and contacts

You builder will likely have trade discounts for tiling and kitchen manufacturers. If you have a good relationship with your builder, ask if they can pass the discount on to you. Similarly, your builder will know where to source items such as lighting, paint and skirting that is good quality and could be cheaper than on the high street. Talk them through every aspect of your kitchen and ask for their contacts.

6. Look out for ex-display items

Some brilliant showrooms will regularly sell off old ranges of stock as ex-display. You can get a really good deal here on units, appliances and worktops, so shop around to see what is available and what the quality is like. There is no rule that you need to get everything for your kitchen from the one supplier, so pick the best deals in different shops.

7. Incorporate open shelving rather than wall cupboards

Fitting shelves in place of wall cupboards is growing in popularity as it can make the kitchen more streamlined, whilst opening up the space. You can store anything from crockery to baking products, just make sure it looks quirky and tidy! This will significantly reduce the cost of your kitchen renovation whilst also making your kitchen look very modern and stylish.

8. Consider your materials carefully

Do you really need to have granite or would a lovely thick wood look just as good? If you really want the granite, think about mixing worktops with wood on the island unit and granite everywhere else. Also carefully consider the flooring. Would a well chosen rubber or laminate flooring make as good an impact as solid wood? Flooring and worktops are often the most expensive parts of the kitchen, so opting for cheaper materials can significantly reduce the cost of your kitchen renovation.

9. Don't move the appliances

One of the most labour intensive parts of a kitchen renovation is moving the appliances around the room. Consider carefully whether moving your appliances will make a difference and try to keep them in the original place if you can. Fitting the kitchen units can actually be a quick process for your builder, it's moving the plumbing and electrics that takes the time and is often more complicated.

10. Go easy on the wall tiles

Tiling is time consuming and you don't need an entire wall covered in tiles to complete a kitchen. Consider tiling only the splashback or, cheaper still, going to your local glass merchants and having a piece of glass cut for your splashback. This will significantly reduce the cost of your kitchen renovation as it is less labour intensive and you are also cutting down on the materials.

11. Phase your project

If there are items that your really want in your new kitchen, hold of until you can afford them. Consider whether you really need to buy the expensive American Fridge Freezer now or could you continue to use your old one until you find a good deal? It's far from ideal as we all want our new kitchen to look perfect but you will get your dream kitchen in the long run!

Published: July 19, 2018

Sign Up

minimum password length is 6 characters

Facebook Sign up with Facebook Google Sign up with Google

Already have a Love Renovate account?

Log In

Facebook Sign in with Facebook Google Sign in with Google

Don't have an account?

Reset Your Password