I get questions all about timelines and budget in regards to our renovations. Did we have a budget? Did it take longer than expected? Did we tackle it all at once or a piece at a time? Did we wanna quit? Yes. Yes. In pieces. And absolutely. Frankly, you guys sure are interested in sprucing up your place and doing it for cheap! And nothing helps encourage DIYers than a little cost comparison and time line breakdown. So I thought it might be a good idea to go through room by room of our house and give you all the details. Sound good?
Well, I thought it would be the best bet to start with the most expensive room in our house…the kitchen.
Our kitchen is like every other room in the house, a work-in-progress. The original footprint of the kitchen was actually quite small. It had a wall separating it from the den (which I demolished two weeks after closing). And we knew that the space would be like a Kardashian (it would require new everything). So going into closing, we bargained for an appliance allowance of $3000 instead of having the previous owners install stuff we wouldn’t like anyway. They took the bait & we bought new stainless appliances when the right time came. Now that you got a little background info, let’s take a look at our kitchen timeline and the budget:
2007
March – Started demolition
April – Stained cabinetry
June – Installed hardwood flooring
July – Removed wallpaper
August – Installed cabinetry
October – Installed granite countertops
November – Installed dishwasher
2008
March – Installed lighting
December – Purchased Ventilation Hood, Tiled backsplash, Installed vent & painted trim, Repainted
2009
February – Bought golden rug
March – Installed undersink rack, Replaced golden rug with green rug, Replaced stools
April – Created art
December – Installed new hardware
Budget
Flooring – $2000 (that extends into foyer) $700
Dishwasher/Fridge/Stove/Microwave – free (included an allowance for appliances with our purchase price)
Cabinetry & hardware- $1300
Hood – $375
Granite/Sink/Faucet – $2600
Backsplash – $300
Paint & Trim – $100
TOTAL – $6,675 $5,375
***CORRECTION*** Jeremy just called and told me that the flooring cost I quoted above is incorrect. When I asked him the total, he gave me the total for the flooring in our basement…not our kitchen. Sorry for the confusion!
We definitely splurged on the countertops…and on the wood flooring which we extended from the kitchen into the foyer and into the small hall that leads from the kitchen into the dining room. But seeing as how we did all the work ourselves, and I mean ALL of it….everything from the electrical to the flooring to the tiling we did with our own four hands. For a little more of our kitchen before & afters, you can check out this oldie but a goodie.
So there you have it…the first of many timeline/budget breakdowns. Anybody else start a project two years ago and still workin on it? Or maybe you think we didn’t get our money’s worth? Did we overspend? I mean, $6000 is like a fishing dingy filled with one dollar bills. And that my friends is a whole boatload of money 🙂 Have you ever redone your kitchen? How much did you spend? Spill those breakdown beans ya’ll.