I live in the suburbs of a major midwestern city with a very average COL. We are readying for a kitchen remodel. I have gotten estimates for 31" feet of painted cabinetry, which includes 2 pantries, an oven cab and all the lower cabs are drawers. Got estimates from Wellborn - 21K, Shiloh - 19K, and local-made custom- 19K. This does not include installation.

52 SF of solid surface counters 3.5K - 4K.

Just bought appliances yesterday. 5 products, all Bosch -$7700 including rebate. Includes delivery AND 5 year extended warranty on all items except exhaust fan.

For what it is worth, our last kitchen was IKEA. We had it for 14 years and couldn't have been more pleased with it. We assembled everything ourselves and had the contractor install. People often say that paying someone to install eats up any savings from going with IKEA, but that wasn't our case at all, we still saved a significant amount of money.

With this kitchen I wanted to do IKEA boxes with custom doors, but DH said no. While he didn't mind doing it before, now that he is older he doesn't want to do anything more strenuous than writing a check.

IKEA doesn't sound convenient for you. Further, they are having a lot of supply issues and people's projects have been held up for months as they wait for cabinets. However, there are other RTA options that could save you money. Consider Scherr's or Barker, both mentioned a lot here. I don't know if you can get frameless however.

Depending on where you live, you don't have to plan on at least 60K or nothing, which is often the impression one gets reading the advice here.

Best of luck to you! Nicole

@nicoletouk Thank you, very helpful and encouraging.

I am aware of the issues IKEA is having even a year into this pandemic. It is nuts! I read a complaint from a customer who spent $6k on cabinets last year, and is still waiting. Unreal!

As far as budget goes: even if I had a suitcase with $60k, we simply cannot spend that kind of money on a kitchen when considering our location and the value of the house. It just wouldn’t make sense.

We saw an actual KD at a local, family owned home improvement store, and will hopefully have a rough/basic idea on possible cabinet cost next week. It will be a good starting point and something to work off of.

We are in the process of remodeling our kitchen. New cabinets, new quartz counters, new induction range and microwave, new backsplash, removed the soffit, hardware, sink and new lighting. We’re in around $39k. Our kitchen is about 9x 15. We are doing some of it ourselves to keep costs down. My original budget was $20k. Lol.

@nicoletouk - It's so interesting that you can get custom at the same price as some of the mid range cabinet companies. That happened to me as well. I'm totally going custom as I can get better quality for the same or less.

You have not shown pics of your actual kitchen. Do you have wood cabinets? Are they in good shape? Wood for cabinetry is very much en vogue now + is classic. New lighting, including under cabinet lighting, new hardware, new appliances, paint. All of these things can potentially make a huge difference and sigificantly update a kitchen. So if money is an issue, maybe consider whether you really need to replace the cabinets that you have. Especially if they are better quality than what you would be bringing in.

@freedomplace1 The cabinets aren’t in good shape (old, ugly, some cracks) and we don’t like the existing layout with a giant floor to ceiling cabinet housing a tiny wall oven, minimizing counter space. We explored the idea of refacing the cabinets and replacing countertops and appliances a few years ago, but ultimately decided that it was too much money to spend on something that wouldn’t end up looking like what we have in mind.

The problem isn’t even so much that we can’t afford it, it’s mostly a feeling of being overwhelmed by what easily could be spent, in combination with thinking about what should be spent - in relation to the house.

@Lindsey Burnett That‘s quite the jump from your Original budget. LOL

Does that number include labor? And, what shape are you doing in the 9x12? L shape? U shape? Uppers and lowers on all walls? Which cabinet line did you choose? Do you have any design pictures you could share? Sooo many questions...

The labor was about $10k of that budget. It’s only for the cabinet install and soffit removal/drywall work.

Cabinets are Schuler and are $15k
50 ln ft of hanstone montauk quartz $8800 (installed)
Ge cafe induction range $3500

We are keeping our dishwasher because we just replaced it last year. The fridge will be replaced next year.

We’re doing lighting, painting, backsplash install, trim work, and building a custom range hood to save money. We also did our floors ourselves through the entire house.

Our kitchen is a u shape with a peninsula. We kept the original layout to avoid plumbing and electrical costs.

Our cabinets are arriving Monday, so no pictures yet.

Uppers and lowers on 2 walls.

Here’s a couple before pictures and a picture from today without the soffit.

Hope all goes well with your kitchen remodel! I did a complete kitchen remodel a few years ago with custom European slab front cabs. I hope what I learned will help you. First, if you say you have $30k to spend, a general contractor or big box store kitchen department will tell you what materials and products you can afford and work out a budget for you. It should include a reasonable reserve for unforeseen costs. Second, my general contractor did not expect any money due at signing; he built in milestones and I paid the contract amount due only when each milestone was reached. Third, read the contract carefully; specify if you want the tile laid in a specific pattern so you get what you envision, be clear what walls will get painted, if cabinet under-lights are included, the cost for the demolition bin rental, etc. Forth, understand what the contract budget includes and doesn’t; my contractor included a budget for things I needed to select such as countertop and tiles and lighting, and did not include a budget for things I needed to pay directly to the vendor over and above the contract budget (disposal, major appliances. he said so I would qualify for the product warranty); we reworked his part of the budget so I could afford the major appliances I had my heart set on. Fifth, don’t scrimp where it will impact your daily life. In an open plan it is super critical to have a whisper quiet dishwasher and cooktop vent motor, for example. Sixth, save money by not moving the plumbing for the DW and sink. Seventh, some major appliances like microwaves need their own dedicated electrical circuit, and building codes change as others have commented, so make sure the budget includes the cost if your electrical panel needs an upgrade. Eighth, if you pick a countertop stone with a veined pattern, consider how well the edges will match up at the seams. The stone showroom will show you slabs in your price range, but won’t give you the price sheet because the contractor is their customer not you. A stainless steel kitchen sink is included in the cost, and it costs extra if you want a different sink. Ninth, your contractor may consider any change after the contract is signed to be a Change Order and charge a fee in addition to the change in price and completion date. Tenth, the contractor will give you deadlines to make certain choices...but it helped me stay on budget to have made my appliances and tile and lighting and faucet choices before signing the contract and knew their costs. Also, he needed to know appliance measurements so he could order the cabinets. Eleventh, ensure the contract includes plastic sheet protectors to keep construction dust away from the rest of your home, and daily clean up responsibilities. Twelfth, my contractor agreed to take some items to the Habitat for Humanity restore for me; he also bought my old fridge for his garage. Thirteenth, my contractor set up zones for me that have made my kitchen super efficient - a food storage zone with fridge and pantry, cook zone with cooktop and deep drawers for pots and pans, bake zone with oven and microwave and storage for bake ware, cleanup zone with sink, DW, trash, and cabinets for dishes and glasses. Drawers are expensive, so consider how many you really need and where. Because I had a dining area off the kitchen, I opted for wider island top work surface and no island seating. I love my kitchen and I hope you will love your, too.

My husband and I are gutting our entire (tiny) apartment in Brooklyn. We are working with Form Kitchens to design and build our 9'1x11 kitchen - all new slab cabinets, a mix of drawers and cabinets on the lowers, building out a pantry, double-sided storage on the peninsula, etc. We're spending $13.3K on it, which doesn't include our appliances (Bosch and Fisher & Paykel) or the price of quartz countertops, (countertops are built into our overall budget with our contractor). I budgeted $15K for cabinetry alone and was glad this came in under. I think I only got a quote after we put down the deposit, but they do have an estimator on their site that I feel was pretty accurate. You can also set up a free consultation with them. I told them my budget upfront and they respected it. I've attached a render of our initial design (has been slightly modified since). We're spending $9K on appliances, so coming in around $25K for the kitchen, not including labor since that's all rolled up into our overall price with our contractor. Hope this helps give you a bit of perspective!

Two neighbors bought kitchens from Cabinets to Go. They look nice.

@Lindsey Burnett Thank You for sharing the details and pictures. This is very helpful!

@marylut EXCELLENT list! Thank you so much!!

@Amy Yakuboff Love that look, and thank you for sharing the details. That total seems like a steal with the pantry and peninsula considering you are in Brooklyn. Good luck with everything & enjoy your amazing new space....soon!

@Miri D, You've gotten great feedback here. To answer your question, hubbie and I are not DIY'ers. Similar, to another poster, we paid a professional IKEA installer and was worth every penny. We handled design, ordering, and making sure all pieces were accounted for upon delivery. With the money saved, we were able to utilize it for stone countertop, undercabinet lighting, in cabinet lighting, etc. This time, we also need to save money because it's a huge project that we'll be working on.

Apples to apples, IKEA is great. I did not and would not sacrifice function in my kitchen. We want all drawers in our kitchen due to how well they function, and we know that it would cost a lot of money to get that with other cabinet choices.

Continue exploring your options until you come to a decision that makes sense for you.

@Amy Yakuboff Now that I looked into that line, the price is even more insane. These are manufactured in Germany, which coincidentally is where I am from. Between cost of labor there, freight, and an exchange rate not in favor of the USD, it sounds like a great deal. Nice find!

@maddiep67 I HAVE gotten great feedback - including yours. Thank you! I‘ll take any excuse for a trip to IKEA, so it is definitely something I will take a closer look at. It probably wouldn’t be easy logistically - especially if something went wrong or parts were missing - and finding someone around here who is willing to take on the project could be a challenge, too.

You really have to take everything with a grain of salt here. This board is populated by a lot of people who have enough money that they can afford not to make compromises and have translated that ability into a bunch of "rules" about what is acceptable or not in a kitchen. Spending an absurd amount of money on a kitchen given the value of your home is just plain silly. Given your circumstances, making compromises from the "rules" people like to talk about here is perfectly acceptable.

You have gotten a lot of good advice in this thread. All I have to add is that you should start a thread here asking for assistance with a layout. Once you have that layout finalized find a few local general contractors using resources like recommendations from neighbors, a community email list if you have one, or a community website nextdoor. When meeting with the contractors present them with your layout/ scope of work and let them know what your budget is. They will be able to tell you what is doable and what isn't.

We are in MA also. Mid end cabinets with upgrade to all plywood 3/4 inch frame alone were I think around 22k plus install cost. Quartzite counters requiring 2 slabs will likely be 8-10k. That doesn’t include skim coating from needing to relocate lighting, new lighting, electrical, plumbing and fixtures, new floors, floor refinishing, hardware, paint, new appliances. We are not done yet. It’s definitely not cheap which is why we put if off for years. Good luck!

Yes, there are those here, but there also those of us who did DIY almost of it ourselves and those of us who have a good understanding of what can be done and what can’t be. Yes, $30,000 is a lot of money. But it’s really not that much when it comes to any home project these days, unfortunately. You can hit that number pretty easily even on a simple, non-kitchen project. Especially now, when prices for materials and labor are all going up and up. Even before the pandemic, I had a small kitchen by Houzz standards and I still spent close to $10k at IKEA, and I only did cabs, doors, and interior accessories there. No appliances, sink, faucet, countertops, or hardware. We also had some surprises that cost even more money once we got going. S%*t is expensive period. Whoever posts here doesn’t change that.

Two years ago this spring, we did kitchen, laundry room, powder room and two hallways for about $30K. We used a local contractor who had one helper, and had Ikea assemble and install the cabinets. I purchased all but the actual building materials and paint. Did not move appliances or plumbing. Lighting was already updated, except 1/2 bath.

Ikea cabinets Torhamm (most expensive line), all drawers, $7000.

Ikea assembly and Installation of cabinets $3000.

Appliances: range, DW, OTR MW/hood (less that optimal but that's what we had to do), new disposal with air switch. Sink.

Counter top, granite, one slab $3000

backsplash 4x16 subway tile

Kitchen wiring (unexpected) $800

Toilet and pedestal sink in 1/2 bath, mirror and light fixture

flooring

wall repair, remove soffit, painting all areas.

@sushipup1 Thanks for the breakdown. Do you have any pictures of your kitchen? How close is the nearest IKEA to you?

Be honest with yourself about how much you will be willing to compromise to stick to your budget. Stock cabinets can be really tricky in a u-shaped kitchen. Would you be ok with more than an average amount of filler? Cabinets that might not reach the ceiling? Laminate or level 1 granite countertops instead of quartz? Maybe a $30k kitchen is possible. But will it be the kitchen you want? Be open to creating an "updated" kitchen and not necessarily your "dream" kitchen and you might find more wiggle room in your budget.

@Kristin Petro Interiors, Inc. All good points to consider, thanks.

I would definitely be happy with an updated kitchen, but will I regret too many compromises once it’s too late? Possibly...

It looks like we will be able to get a couple of rough estimates in the next couple of weeks or so, which will be very helpful. I think, I just need a starting point to even get an idea of what costs what.

Following........

@marylut- That was an extremely helpful, comprehensive list for any person considering a remodeling job. You’re always so clear and factual here.
@Miri D - uploading, on a new thread, the layout of your kitchen will get you a TON of pro help. Then you will have a better idea of what estimate you’re looking for (I.e number and size of cabinets). It will clarify your appliances and other accessories too. That is the best way to see how your money can be spent, and possibly rearranged.
You have already gotten so much good advice here!

Sorry, no pictures. We are right outside of Philadelphia, so Ikea is very close. We had everything delivered and I returned several hundred dollars of miscellaneous stuff. Planning was done online.

Since you are just starting out, that should work for you. As the pandemic eases (fingers crossed), cabinets should be more available. I think I started "thinking" of my project a good year ahead of time, really getting into the details 6 months ahead. I'm the one who ordered and picked up the assorted items, from flooring to toilet to backsplash tiles. So my labor was 'free'. My contractor had another small job that he took off a week to do, while the Ikea people came in and did their thing. Yeah, I had a couple of dead days, no problem. Whole thing was about 5 weeks, not really full-time 8 hr days.

17 cabinets, several modifications. All lower drawers except corner lazy susan.

$30,000 is reasonable to spend on a kitchen in a $200,000 home and your kitchen will be lovely. Generally, 5% - 15% of the home value is what a real estate agent recommends. Here are 2 example budget breakdowns. NKBA is the National Kitchen & Bath Ass’n.

Thanks for your kind words, Red Ryder!

@RedRyder Thank you! I took your advice and made a separate post.

@marylut Great breakdown, thank you! Even if we had to spend $40k to get close to what we have in mind, it probably wouldn’t be a deal breaker. We are planning on staying in this house, so this will be a long term investment. I am optimistic that we will find a perfect (for us) kitchen once we start the actual process - we have an appointment with a local designer on March 3rd. I am excited to hear what she has to say!

@Miri D - Best of luck to you. You may get great results with a local cabinet maker who can give you better quality for your budget. I was shocked that's what happened to me. No middleman I guess. It's great to have a kitchen designer, but beware, as some work for kitchen showrooms and want to sell you cabinets. The more cabinets, the more they make. I helped someone in Ma get a better layout and for less money by using fewer cabinets. Not only did it look better, it was cheaper in the long run. Keep us updated on your progress.

@Design Girl Thank you! Another good point. The designer we are meeting with has an excellent reputation in the area, so it will be interesting to meet with her and talk face-to-face. I will definitely reach out to cabinet makers, too. And: I will keep you posted!

My only regret was not insisting the cabinets go up to the ceiling. Not for the storage but for an unbroken visual line for my slab style cabinetry—and no dust would be collecting up there. I later learned stock cabinets can be turned on their sides to fit and glass front for display and handle centered. Lesson learned.

I have done many Ikea kitchens ( no new appliances ) for a heck of a lot less that 30K

@marylut I do want my cabinets to go to the ceiling, and we are doing slab doors, too. I was told that there has to be a small tolerance in case the ceiling isnt completely level. Makes sense In an old house, I guess. As long as I can get rid of the 5” decorative border at the top, I’ll be happy.

@Patricia Colwell Consulting The problem I am encountering just by doing internet searches is that we are too far from the nearest IKEA and/or metro area (Boston), that we are out of the service area for IKEA installers. Having built many pieces of their furniture myself over the years, I believe it would be hard to find someone willing to take on that task. Do you think it would be worth contacting GCs in the area, to see if anybody would take on that assembly? Or would I be wasting my time?

Time=money. If push comes to shove, assembling them yourselves would save you money to hire someone to do the jobs you can't do. You can find someone to assemble cabinets, but labor is expensive.

People on here will show photos of lovely kitchens they redid for $$. But their uncle is a plumber, aunt is an electrician, they refinished the hardwood floors themselves and spent three months refinishing the cabinets they found at ReStore.

It looks like you are adding more cabinetry than just the kitchen.

We are in south central PA and paid about $52k for a full remodel, sans appliances. It took me nearly two years, 6 designers, 5 contractors and a month-long vacation in Sicily to get to the point of go. We continued to save money during that time which helped relieve some of the financial burden. We invested more money in better cabinets which are not as easily replaced as appliances, countertop or flooring.

$30k is a fair chunk of money for most people. I live in an area where the median home sale price is $91k, so the often toted Houzz line that kitchens cost $100-150k is a bit out of touch with average people.

My mon got Kraftmaid cabinets from Lowe’s 10-15 years ago and is perfectly happy with them.

For a $30k budget, quartz is not going to be an option. I have white LG HiMacs (solid surface like Corian) that was around $23/ft installed; I am very happy with it and I don’t think you’ll find negative posts on white solid surface from owners of it.

Could you keep your existing appliances for now then replace in a few years?

While I understand Ikea is not overly close for you, in reality it may only be a 1.5 (Springfield) to 2.5 (Pittsfield) hour drive from Western Mass to the location in Stoughton, MA. For the savings you may want to consider it and assemble the cabinets yourself. For the install, I would search for someone with a good balance between quality and cost. Labor in Western Mass is significantly less expensive than the Boston metro area. As for counters, consider butcher block for all but the sink area.

The other option which someone suggested is to find a local cabinet maker. When we did our kitchen over in 2019, we found this option to be the most cost effective for the quality.

I gotta add that the salesman I worked with for my Corian countertops replaced his granite countertops with Formica. Everyone I know with solid surface loves it.

@Indecisiveness I will check out those countertops, thanks! The kitchen studio we are considering in town works with KraftMaid, so those are on the list.

Our appliances are very outdated - we’ve been in the house 10 years now, and I am guessing everything but the fridge that we bought after we moved in has been here for at least another 10.

@tdemonti Sounds like an extended stay with my mother in Germany is in order! LOL

@moosemac Yes, IKEA New Haven (CT) is actually the closest to us, about 1 1/2 hours away. It is definitely something I will reconsider and take a closer look at. I have many friends in Germany who have had their IKEA kitchens for years and are very happy with them.

Miri, sounds like your home has lots a charm. Every house has uneven ceilings and walls that are not plumb. A narrow trim is used to hide the uneven ceiling.

I did my first Ikea kitchen in 2001, when we lived in California. The Emeryville store was almost 2 hours away from where we lived in Monterey County. You should have no trouble.

Absolutely go with ikea. We’ve had two done. We are close to a store so used a planner and installer. Well worth the cost. Well under 30k including appliances. This is our suite in current house. Two years ago. Appliance package was $2500 ish. Cabinets $5k, install $2500. Counters I can’t pull out from our other purchases as we built a new house. Sorry photo isn’t great

A 30K budget is doable, with DIY labor contribution, and selecting the right budget products that give you value of utility. You have to weigh for yourself if the tradeoff of a basic new usable kitchen, vs the kitchen of your dreams, is worth the 30K difference. If your current kitchen fits that “basic usability” description already, you may want to keep saving for the dream kitchen. If the current kitchen is falling apart, then you may go for basic and functional, as fast as you possibly can.

A lot of things get forgotten about in a kitchen remodel. Be sure that you’re thinking about the big picture. Here’s a pie chart abstract of the projects of the last few years, excluding the 2020 outlier, that I hope isn’t the map for the future!

(That's a pie chart, not a Venn.) ETA: All fixed!

Thanks for the correction! I was watching it snow and working on a Venn for another presentation, with it on the brain. I edited.

@the cook’s Kitchen No worries, I got what you were trying to convey! Thanks for the breakdown!