If you’re truly passionate about your home, it’s likely you’ve thought about doing a few renovations here and there to improve your home’s general look and feel. One area that most people wish they could renovate is their kitchen. Unfortunately, many people keep postponing the project because kitchen renovations in Melbourne can be expensive. However, it doesn’t have to be that way – you can still remodel your kitchen while keeping to a tight budget. This article will share a few tips to help you carry out kitchen renovations on a budget.
Make a Budget and Stick to It
Before you call or hire a contractor, do an assessment of the things you want changed in your kitchen. Write everything down and visit hardware stores to find out the cost of the materials you need. While you’re at it, ask the store if they offer any discounts to customers that purchase certain items in bulk. You should also find out the labour costs of installing some of your new kitchen items. Calculate the total costs and add an extra 20% for unexpected emergencies. Next, take a look at the costs you’ve written down. Are these the best deals that you can get? If you feel that you can reduce the costs further, visit other hardware stores and check out their prices. Once you’re satisfied, create a budget around these estimates.
Consider Refacing Instead of Replacing Your Kitchen Cabinets
Buying new kitchen cabinets can really eat into your budget. Instead of replacing those cabinets entirely, why not use refacing torestore them to their glory days? The good thing about most old houses is that they’re built with quality materials. You’ll likely find that your kitchen cabinets are in good condition and don’t need complete replacement. Refacing is where another thin layer of quality wood is added to the cabinet surface. This gives your kitchen cabinets a refreshed look at a fraction of the price of replacement. Alternatively, you can repaint your kitchen cabinets with the same colour or a new one.
Consider Doing Some Work Yourself
Kitchen renovations in Melbourne can be quite costly if you hire professionals to do everything. The smart move is to do some of the renovations yourself. Examples of things that you can easily do by yourself include hanging kitchen cabinets, installing laminate, and painting the walls and cabinets.
When you do the above things yourself, you can save on labour costs. But one thing that you should keep in mind before doing renovations yourself is time. Are you going to be able to balance work as well as kitchen renovations? If you don’t have the time, you could always ask some of your friends to help you out.
Final Thoughts
You can carry out kitchen renovations in Melbourne on a tight budget as long as you’re financially disciplined and determined. You should never pay more for something if you know that you can get it somewhere else at a cheaper price. You should also consider doing some of the renovations yourself if you want to save on labour costs.