Home Project Summary

Update Kitchen

Ideas, costs, tips and plans - the information you need for a successful Kitchen Makeover project

February 2011

Homeowners have many important questions about their Kitchen Makeover Project. How much will it cost? How long will it take? What problem areas do I need to watch out for? Can I recover my Kitchen Makeover investment when I sell? Can I do some of the work myself? What can I do to make sure that the work is done right?

Costs, materials and best practices for the example Kitchen Makeover project will help you answer these questions. Use this information to develop a budget, bid requirements, hiring contracts and a project plan.

Use the following information to understand your options, make good decisions and get quality work at a fair price.

Kitchen Makeover - Project Overview

The approximate costs and value of a typical Kitchen Makeover project are summarized below. Use higher estimates for larger metropolitan areas and the lower estimates where home prices are below the national average. Adjust costs for substitutions or refinements in the last section. For size differences of up to 25%, scale total costs in direct proportion to the size of your project. Use the adjusted costs as a basis for setting a material budget and for comparing contractor bids (if you choose to have a professional perform the work).

Project description	Replace cabinet doors and refinish cabinet frames. Update countertops, plumbing fixtures, and lighting. Use average, "contractor" grade materials and average finishing detail.
Project size	165 square feet
Material and labor cost	$5,166 - $6,027
Material cost	$2,921 - $3,407
Do-it-yourself assessment	The typical Kitchen Makeover project can be completed by a moderately skilled do-it-yourselfer; as with any project, high quality Kitchen Makeover requires attention to detail and careful planning.
First year Return on Investment - ROI	Returns vary widely and are affected by the range of home prices in your neighborhood, the overall condition of your home and sensible design choices. A high quality Kitchen Makeover project in an appropriate neighborhood can return as much as 77% - 91% of its initial cost.
Long term Return on Investment - ROI	Results vary widely and are affected by the range of home prices in your neighborhood, the overall condition of your home and prudent design choices. A typical Kitchen Makeover project completed with good or better quality will return less than 60% of its initial cost.
Green rating	Kitchen Makeover projects can incorporate renewable or sustainable resources and environmentally friendly materials.

Kitchen Makeover - Proven Ideas and Project Tips

Review these tips, design suggestions, options and lessons learned before finalizing your Kitchen Makeover project plan.

To maximize return on the Kitchen Makeover project, limit cost to no more than 3% of home's total, post project value
For best resale value, select a taste neutral design for your Kitchen Makeover
To keep Kitchen Makeover costs low, do not move walls or relocate plumbing fixtures or electrical boxes
Install an ABC type fire extinguisher in a location that can be easily accessed
To minimize risk of electrical shock, have all circuits protected by GFCI
Mount low profile fixtures underneath wall cabinets for inconspicuous, countertop task lighting
Use low voltage interior lighting to illuminate pathways used at night

Kitchen Makeover - Project Plan and Details

The following list includes major work tasks commonly performed during Kitchen Makeover. Use this list to understand the timing and sequence of different steps in the Kitchen Makeover project. Click any Task name for a complete written specifications, FAQs and quality checklist for the task - this essential information will help you control Kitchen Makeover project cost and quality.

Task

Service Provider

Duration

Do-it-yourself difficulty

Target cost

Develop Project Budget

General Contractor

2 to 15 d

Level 2 - Challenging

$140 - $234

Specify Materials

Interior Designer