22 Budget-Saving Kitchen Tips

Even if your idea of an elaborate meal is a frozen lasagna paired with a young boxed wine, you still probably have fantasies of the perfect kitchen. There’s something so alluring about the kitchen: the place where both Thanksgiving meals and science-fair projects are concocted. So it’s understandable that you’ll want to get the most bang for your buck in that room, even if the most often-used appliance is the microwave. And you’re in luck.

According to designers, the kitchen is the easiest place to cook up a budget compromise. Read on for some clever ways to limit your costs, yet create a kitchen that lives up to your expectations and then some. Keep in mind that the total cost of your kitchen should be between 5 and 15 percent of your total construction costs. If you spend less or more than that, you may not get a good return on your investment if you ever need to re-sell your timber frame home. Of your kitchen budget, your cabinetry should account for about 50 percent of the total cost.

Don’t Fear DIY

There are plenty of simple, do-it-yourself projects when it comes to finishing a kitchen. Tiling a backsplash is relatively easy, as is tiling countertops. Hooking up appliances yourself can save you the installation costs. And try a dummy-proof faux finish or stencil on drywalled surfaces to impart some personality in your kitchen.

High Ambition

Instead of going with pricey ceiling detailing in your kitchen, install ceiling-mounted racks to hang copper pots. The pots’ golden-auburn color will fill your kitchen with a warm glow and add textural interest. But make sure you get pots coated with permanent varnish so they don't have to be constantly polished.

Phase It Out

Before you begin construction, ask yourself: What is essential for a useable kitchen? What can be put off until later? What can you do without? A prominent kitchen designer from SEN Design Group suggests a two-phase building plan. In Phase 1, install base cabinets without accessories, like crown molding or built-in organizers. Phase 2, to be constructed when your budget permits, includes add-ons and upgrades, such as roll-out shelves, tray dividers, utensil dividers, and double garbage inserts that will make your kitchen uniquely your own.

Mixed Grill

Need extra burners? Including a wood-burning stove in your kitchen plans—one with two ovens and several top burners—can be less expensive than installing a top-of-the-line six-burner stove and a double wall oven. Plus, you’ll get the added benefit of the cozy ambiance a wood-burning stove provides.

Stay Indoors

Adding an outdoor kitchen or a patio cooking station is great for entertaining and allows the resident chef to still be a part of the party. However, before committing to this expensive add-on, consider your climate. If you’re building a second home in an area where winters are long and snows are heavy, you’ll probably only use the outdoor cooking area eight to 10 times a year.

Hot Stuff

Plan to build a single hearth wall for back-to-back fireplaces in the kitchen and an adjoining dining room or great room. The most economical such design utilizes a “see-thru” unit, which is simply a fireplace that opens both in front and in back. Another option is to build two separate fireplaces with two separate flues (exhaust vents), but a common chimney and wall.

Are You An Iron Chef?

“Don’t spend more than 15 percent of your total kitchen budget on appliances,” recommends Ronnie Fryman, a senior designer at Ventura, California-based Kitchen Places and member of SEN Design Group, a professional organization of independent kitchen designers. “One way to cut costs is to indulge only in the appliance you use the most. Only serious cooks need all professional-grade appliances. If your menu repertoire consists mainly of casseroles and microwave meals, select an appliance with just enough BTUs to keep you from burning scrambled eggs.”

Shop Smarter

Buying regular appliances instead of going pro can help keep lower costs, but so can shopping around. Discount stores, such as those operated by Habitat For Humanity, sell building items donated by major home supply chains, contractors, demolition crews and individuals for a fraction of their normal prices. Go to www.habitat.org and click on “Restores” to save money, while also helping fund the construction of Habitat houses within your community.

Location, Location, Location

It pays to compare floorplans. Stacking a main-level kitchen beneath a second story bath is the most cost-efficient arrangement, since your plumber won’t have to run water lines all over your house. The money you save on plumbing systems can be used for more visible and glamorous items.

Size Is Relative

In creating your dream kitchen, size does matter—but bigger isn’t always better. A smaller footprint with an efficient work triangle will allow you to splurge on details and upgrades that will have a much greater impact on your guests than a cavernous space with nothing in it but basic items.

Go Faux

‘Decorative laminated veneer’ (DLV) doors look like solid wood but cost far less. Ronnie suggests checking out cabinetmaker UltraCraft’s Vision series and Amero Cabinet Collection’s Nouveau style by Pacific Crest Industries. “You’ll be amazed how the DLV process mimics the look of real wood,” he says.