Quick Kitchen Makeover on a Budget

While it is definitely true that renovated kitchens and baths help sell houses, many homeowners fall into the trap of  overdoing the renovation; spending far more than they can reasonably expect to realize in the increased sale price of their homes.

Regardless of the size or scope of your renovation it is important to establish a budget and stick to it.  There are several relatively inexpensive things you can do in a reasonably short time frame if you want to do a quick makeover without spending a lot of money.

First, you’ll need to be prepared to provide your own labor.  That’s always a huge share or renovation, so even if you plan to do little more than painting, doing it yourself will save plenty.  Cabinetry, appliances, and countertops are generally the components of a kitchen that get the most wear and tear and are in biggest need of a makeover.  Here are some quick and cheap ideas for each.

First, don’t ignore simple soap and water on your cabinetry.  Well, not exactly soap, but rather a degreaser.  Some of the best degreasers are actually automotive products so you can check a local automotive supplier.  Any industrial strength degrease will yield surprising results.

A more expensive but still very affordable alternative is to remove the cabinet doors and paint them.  Use a roller to create a textured finish which will hide imperfections.  It’s possible to use spray paint, but the paint will cost you more and it is difficult to get a perfectly smooth finish as the paint attracts dust particles as it dries.  If the cabinet surfaces are in reasonable condition before or after a cleaning, replacing the handles is a great way to get a fresh look.  If you have older cabinets with exposed hinges, replace them as well.

Appliances are more difficult to get a quick makeover.  Once again, don’t ignore a thorough cleaning, especially for the oven and cook tops.  If you have white appliances it is possible, although difficult, to spruce them up a bit with a little spray paint.  If your refrigerator door is scratched and stained, it can be removed and repainted.  Oven doors and dishwasher doors are also removable and although it will take some time to mask the areas you don’t want painted you can still do a reasonable job with spray paint.  Because they rarely provide completely flat and unobstructed surfaces, painting them with a roller is not possible and brushes leave brush marks.  Although it is rarely cost effective, some homeowners actually take appliance doors to automotive paint shops for professional spraying.  This will yield a great result but it can be expensive.

Finally, there’s the countertop, and unfortunately, there are few quick and easy solutions here.  If you have laminate countertops, there’s little you can do.  They cannot be repaired and the existing laminate cannot be resurfaced.   There are expensive “resurfacing” products which are little more than cleaners and polishes.  Depending on how bad your counter tops are, they might help a little.

If you have Corian countertops they can be sanded lightly and can be made to look as good as new but you need to make sure you know how to use a power sander and be very careful.  You can search the Internet discussion forums for advice on this and you’ll find people who will say no one but a professional should approach the job.  Others disagree and you’ll find illustrated step by step instructions on how to do it and what equipment you’ll need.  Then you can decide for yourself.

This isn’t cheap nor is it quick but if your laminate counters are really bad you can remove the existing laminate, thoroughly sand the surface, and then apply new laminate.  This requires precision cutting tools and skills and is generally seen as a job for professionals.  As an alternative you can use ceramic tile to create a new surface once the old laminate has been removed.  This will raise the level of your countertop so it will require resetting the sink, but it is something moderately skilled homeowners can do on their own.