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[-] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 48 points 1 month ago

My question isn't their taste, but their budget. How the hell did that kitchen cost $15,000? Even if they had to replace everything I couldn't see it being more than $5k.

Is the floor also marble?

[-] Steve@startrek.website 20 points 1 month ago
[-] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world -4 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

No, I just do a lot of stuff myself. I could do better than that kitchen for $5,000 with some smart shopping and elbow grease. I redid the floors, bathroom, and kitchen in an 1860s cabin for that much back in 2013

[-] Screamium@lemmy.world 15 points 1 month ago

Yes, 2013 is indeed the past. Inflation, shrinkflation, and price gouging has driven prices up and quality down

[-] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago

I’m not old you’re old.

[-] Takumidesh@lemmy.world 8 points 1 month ago

2013 was over a decade ago we've went through both a housing crisis and record levels of inflation since then.

[-] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

Yeah that’s why I can only do the kitchen for five grand and not the whole house

[-] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

The most expensive part here is the countertops, which is pretty hard to do on your own, especially if you're doing stone (super heavy, special tools to cut to size, etc). That alone is probably $3-5k.

The rest is pretty easy to DIY:

  • decent laminate flooring that looks like wood - <$1/sq ft; hard wood is $2-4/sq ft - <$500 including any tools, fixes to subfloor, etc
  • cabinet doors (assuming you don't need to replace the whole thing) - $25/door, plus cost of paint/stain (idk, $50? $100 max?); looks like ~$500 for the above kitchen?
  • sink, faucet, etc - quite variable, but probably <$500 even for fancier options

So you could probably do <$5k if you're in the budget range, <$10k for something a bit nicer, assuming you DIY most of it. This doesn't count appliances and whatnot, which IMO shouldn't be part of a reno unless you're specifically planning to change the size of the appliances (e.g. you want an in-set oven, larger fridge, built-in stove, etc).

If you ask a contractor, they'll probably say $15-30k, and it could go up from there.

This is just some back-of-the-napkin math after some light browsing on Home Depot.

[-] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago

One way I saved a ton of money adding a kitchen was to get cabinets and counters from people who were redoing their kitchen. Got that for the price of hauling it away. I also got 1000 sq ft of solid oak tongue-in-groove flooring for $250 from someone who overbought for their own home improvement project.

[-] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 month ago

Nice!

The more time you take to look, the more deals you can find. If you're planning to DIY, it's usually best to do things one-at-a-time so you don't end up with a half-finished project, but instead have small, attainable goals that can be 100% completed in a short period. For example, don't redo the countertops, cabinets, and floors at the same time, just complete one completely before moving on. That said, if you're going to hire someone, do it all at once, you'll end up paying less overall, though you'll probably blow your initial budget.

If you don’t pay for the labor and have the time.

[-] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

IMO, if you don't have the time, don't do the reno, unless there's something really dangerous that needs to go, or you have a lot of money. Having a nicer looking kitchen isn't worth adding even more debt, and it's most likely not going to pay for itself when you sell (and why would it? The buyer would factor the reno in to the purchase price).

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this post was submitted on 09 Oct 2024
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