This is such valuable advice, Sophie! Putting actual figures instead of words is very, very useful.

Thanks Sophie, very helpful info...saved!

I know that I'm in the minority, but we went with American Woodmark from Home Depot for our new construction. We did our own GC. It was a very positive experience. They are American made and had great customer support and communication during the ordering and delivery process. We had a wonderful support person at our local HD, which I know is key. and not always the case. Everything was delivered on time. We had a week to open and examine everything. We had a couple of doors that had small scratches. I called my local HD contact, and they shipped replacements within a week for free without any hassle. We've been in the house for over 2 years, and I've had no issues with the finish, hinges, or the quality. I installed them myself and found the boxes to be plumb and square without any issues.

They were running some specials so we got the upgrade to all plywood, softclose doors and drawers, and free hardware for all the bathroom vanities. Could we have spent more and gotten a higher line? Sure. But we spent under $12,000 for 12 base cabinets (mostly drawers), 11 wall cabinets, and 5 vanities (3 were 48", 2 were 36"). I had the luxury of designing the kitchen with this in mind, so I could keep the walls at standard lengths so I didn't need custom sizes. We are in a LCOL area, in an established nice but not extravagant neighborhood. With appliances and 63 sq ft of granite, my kitchen budget was under 10% of my total home cost to build. It's all about choices, and we decided to stay on the conservative side. My kitchen is still beautiful and functional, and people still comment on how nice it is whenever they see it for the first time. And every day it makes me smile when I walk in the door.

I think you should look for particular cabinetry characteristics, features, material, color, and finish, instead of focusing on particular brands. It's best to figure out what do you need, then go and look for it. You may even run into some specials. But keep in mind that your cabinets should unite quality, functionality, and style you'll be happy to live with. Cabinet features like solid wood material, full overlay, butt door, natural finishes, concealed adjustable hinges, undermount, full extension with soft closing drawer glide feature, dovetail construction, and wood corner brackets will always provide the best value for the money you spend.

Good advice Sophie but I don't think there's a set formula. You can have an expensive kitchen that's unattractive and an inexpensive kitchen that's beautifully done style wise. A kitchen that doesn't appeal is not going to help sell your house no matter what the cost. I think what a kitchen looks like is as important as what it's made of, and often looks win over substance. Except for a very traditional kitchen with very intricate cabinetry, I think you can replicate a look across all price points. Yes, get what's appropriate for your home but I think a nicely designed wow kitchen that looks great but at a lower price point would add more value than an expensive not so visually appealing one, so no set formula.