A Beginner's Guide to DIY Kitchen Remodeling on a Budget

If a full kitchen remodel is giving you sticker shock, a DIY kitchen remodel could be the trick to bring down your costs. The average DIY kitchen remodel comes in at $20,000, and it is a great way to give your kitchen a fresh look while keeping it budget-friendly.

The key to a successful DIY remodel is to start with an informed plan. If a DIY kitchen remodel is on the horizon, you might be interested in knowing how to reinvigorate outdated cabinets or update your flooring.

Here's an expert's take on things to consider for your DIY kitchen remodel and how to complete popular projects.

Planning a DIY Kitchen Remodel

To plan a DIY kitchen remodel that stays on budget and on time, it's critical to go in with a plan that includes design, layout, fixtures, and every detail from the hardware on cabinets to the flooring.

Here are 5 pre-kitchen remodel steps to consider as you plan for a perfect DIY kitchen remodel.

Look for Inspiration

The first step in planning a DIY kitchen remodel is to find design inspiration. Look for colors and styles you'd like to bring into your space or other kitchen remodel ideas like updating finishes and materials for a brand new design.

Know Your Budget

One of the hardest challenges to any kitchen remodel is setting a budget and sticking to it. While the average DIY kitchen remodel is around $20,000, that cost is dependent on selections, appliances, finishes, and which items you hire out to professionals. You can save by choosing less expensive finishes, such as quartz countertops over laminate, a few cabinets or painting the ones you have, and making other changes to the biggest ticket items in a remodel.

After finding your design inspiration, determine how much you want to spend in total to help break down how much you need to spend on each renovation area. Here are the average costs for the following major expenses in a kitchen remodel.

• Countertops: If you decide on quartz, expect to pay $15 – $70 per square foot. Granite is $15 - $140 per square foot, and marble is a splurge at $15 – $200 per square foot.
• Flooring: You can go budget-friendly with vinyl or linoleum at $0.50 – $14 per square foot, opt for tile at $2 – $15 per square foot, or go for hardwood at $6 – $20 per square foot.
  
• Cabinets: The most budget-friendly cabinetry option is stock cabinets, which are $50 - $200 per linear foot. Semi-custom is $75 - $400 per linear foot, while custom are $300 - $750 per linear foot.
• Appliances: The cost of appliances varies widely depending on what you select, though a stove and range is generally $400 – $7,000, a dishwasher is $300 – $2,000, and a refrigerator is $400 – $10,000.
  

Research Projects

Everyone has to start somewhere when it comes to DIYing, so be prepared to research (that could include YouTube!). You don't need to hire an electrician to install new kitchen lighting, but you will need to know how to remove your current fixtures and safely connect new ones to specific wires.

Even painting your kitchen cabinets and installing vinyl flooring should be done in specific steps to ensure the projects are completed properly. Plus, reading up on your projects will give you confidence that you know what you're doing.

Speak to Professionals

Some areas of a kitchen remodel should be left to professionals, including countertops. Canter says investing in new, professional-grade countertops is worth it to have beautiful new counters that are installed correctly the first time around and last.

Since this will be a large portion of your budget, speak to several professionals to get multiple quotes before deciding on one that aligns with how much you want to spend and will do the job perfectly.

Determine Where to Start

Make sure your game plan includes remodeling in the right order and on the right timeline. For example, painting your kitchen cabinets can take up to a week or longer and contains a large surface area.

You don't want paint getting on any new appliances or backsplash you're installing, so it's smart to start here along with your countertops. Simple swaps like lighting, the faucet, and cabinet hardware should be done last with flooring since these areas aren't as messy.

Parts of a DIY Kitchen Remodel

It can seem intimidating to take on remodeling your kitchen yourself. Thankfully, Canter has a few expert tips on how to carry out a DIY kitchen remodel to bring your dream to life in every area of the room.

Cabinets

Replacing your cabinets is one of the most expensive portions of a kitchen remodel, and it can run hundreds of dollars per linear foot. Luckily, it's also one of the easiest areas of the room for a DIY remodel solution that helps bring down the cost.

Canter suggests simply swapping out a few of your cabinet doors to reduce the cost of cabinets in a remodel.

"Changing out the doors and drawers is a quick, easy thing that just takes measuring and ordering," he tells The Spruce. "Swap out your uppers for glass doors to add depth to your cabinets, or add a slab door that's more modern with included hardware to quickly change it up."

Painting your cabinets a new shade is a great way to give your kitchen a brand-new look, but it's important to know that it takes time and requires prep, a mistake Canter says he sees too often among homeowners.

"Painting is 90% prep—if you’re going from already-painted cabinets to a new color, make sure you’ve prepped by sanding multiple times, priming, and picking high-quality enamel paint that's cabinet-grade," he says.

Countertops

Other than your cabinets, countertops are the other big statement piece in your kitchen. If they're outdated, replacing them can make a big impact. There are some cost-efficient countertop options, and if you have a smaller kitchen, you may be able to purchase a smaller slab.

"This is an area where I tell people to take money and spend it wisely," Canter explains.

And, while Canter says there are types of paint available that claim to work on countertops, this isn't an effective DIY method for your remodel.

"Countertop paint isn't permanent and will wear over time, but it's a nice option for the interim if you're replacing," he says.

Backsplash

Backsplashes are crucial in any kitchen design since they elevate your design style and keep your walls safe from water damage or grease while cooking.

As you start shopping for your new backsplash, Canter says to look for a peel-and-stick or a new magnetic version. "Peel-and-stick is your most user-friendly option," he notes.

If you're wondering what backsplash you should choose, Canter recommends something to juxtapose your countertops.

"Go for something that has a clean look, but is durable for the kitchen with darker grout lines, like a white subway tile with black grout," he says.

Flooring

Flooring is a non-negotiable part of any kitchen. Luckily, there are budget-friendly kitchen flooring options available—and you can even install them yourself to save a little extra instead of hiring a professional.

But, while trying to keep this DIY kitchen remodel low cost, your flooring should still be of excellent quality to resist the high-traffic room.

Canter's favorites for a DIY kitchen floor remodel are LVT (luxury vinyl tile) or LVP (luxury vinyl planks). "Most people like these because they're mopable and can get wet," he says. "LVT and LVP look good, are budget-friendly, and anyone can install them."

Decor

When decorating your kitchen, Canter emphasizes that less is more.

"People like to put their expensive mixers or other fancy appliances on their counter, but that's the worst thing you can do," he says. "All it does is crowd your kitchen."

Instead, Canter says propping a small easel with your favorite cookbook in a free corner will do the trick since a well-decorated kitchen is an organized one.

"Try to keep as many things as you can hidden below in your cabinetry for a cleaner-looking kitchen," he says. If your kitchen is small, organize cooking spices in decorative boxes on open shelving to use vertical space for decor and function.

Lighting

Lighting is like the jewelry of your kitchen, and it can provide both decorative ambiance as well as much-needed task lighting. While there are splurge-worthy lighting fixtures on the market, this isn't an area where you need to spend a ton of money to get a high-impact look.

Consider installing budget-friendly pendant lights over a kitchen island or a great chandelier in a breakfast nook. Then spend your money on recessed lighting to give you ample task lighting when you're chopping vegetables for dinner or trying to flip through the pages of a cookbook.

To save money, you can learn to install light fixtures yourself. It's an easy DIY project that's less intimidating than it sounds, as long as you take the right steps.

Appliances

Get the best appliances you can afford on your budget, but don't feel as if you have to spend $40,000 to get the fanciest range. Compare models, look at appliances from reliable brands, and consider ratings like EnergyStar®, which could save you money on future utility bills even if they cost more initially.

Sinks and Faucets

Installing a new sink and faucet is typically an affordable DIY project. Neither the sink nor the faucet will generally cost more than a few hundred dollars and, with basic plumbing skills, installation can be done without the help of a professional.

Considering the cost, this project has an outsized impact, especially since it's a part of your kitchen that you use multiple times a day, every day.

When to Call a Professional 

It's not realistic or cost-efficient to DIY all aspects of a kitchen renovation unless you're a professional yourself. For anything that is structural, such as moving walls or adding windows, you may want to get the expertise of a professional architect or builder.

And, for plumbing and electrical work, unless you're an experienced DIYer, it may be worth the cost to bring in someone who understands the intricacies of these systems. Otherwise, you could end up wasting time and money only to call in a professional in the end.

This is also true for countertops, which could be prohibitive for DIYers based solely on the weight, or installing appliances or cabinetry.

Keep in mind that hiring a professional for part of your kitchen remodel doesn't mean you have to abandon the DIY aspect altogether. You simply bring in extra help for the areas where you need it.