recipe for a new-ish kitchen
If you want a new-looking kitchen but don't have much money, here's what you can do:
(1) Sand down kitchen cabinets, apply new stain and 3 layers of polyurethane.* Cost: under $100, unless your sander finally dies and you have to buy a new one.
(2) Clean out grout between tiles if it's in bad condition and install new grout. Cost: $20 or so. I managed to get my grout on closeout for $2.
(3) Install new sink if yours is gross, otherwise leave in place. Ditto with faucet. Cost: $250 or so
(4) Paint any exposed wall surfaces. Cost: $25
(5) Install new glueless vinyl flooring. (I think this will cost us ~$100--haven't chosen stuff yet)
Total cost: about $500. Ours will cost a little more because I had to order a new door & drawer front for the space where the trash compactor used to be, because some of the veneer was trashed and had to be replaced, and because our sander died. Still, I'm getting out at about $700. Refacing the cabinets myself would have cost about $2000.
Original recipe from my Mom, who did this for around $100 back in 1983. She didn't have a sander so everything was hand sanded. *rolls eyes* On the plus side, the sink and faucet were still good and the insurance paid for a new floor (water leak ruined the old one).
*unless, of course, you have painted cabinets, in which case you can skip the sanding step and just repaint
(1) Sand down kitchen cabinets, apply new stain and 3 layers of polyurethane.* Cost: under $100, unless your sander finally dies and you have to buy a new one.
(2) Clean out grout between tiles if it's in bad condition and install new grout. Cost: $20 or so. I managed to get my grout on closeout for $2.
(3) Install new sink if yours is gross, otherwise leave in place. Ditto with faucet. Cost: $250 or so
(4) Paint any exposed wall surfaces. Cost: $25
(5) Install new glueless vinyl flooring. (I think this will cost us ~$100--haven't chosen stuff yet)
Total cost: about $500. Ours will cost a little more because I had to order a new door & drawer front for the space where the trash compactor used to be, because some of the veneer was trashed and had to be replaced, and because our sander died. Still, I'm getting out at about $700. Refacing the cabinets myself would have cost about $2000.
Original recipe from my Mom, who did this for around $100 back in 1983. She didn't have a sander so everything was hand sanded. *rolls eyes* On the plus side, the sink and faucet were still good and the insurance paid for a new floor (water leak ruined the old one).
*unless, of course, you have painted cabinets, in which case you can skip the sanding step and just repaint