You're standing in your kitchen or staring at the MLS listing for the home you're about to purchase. The more you look, the less you love the space. You start hitting Pinterest and dreaming of all the changes you want to make, if only you could.
We've all been there. Racking our brain to see how we could do a full remodel and make our home a space that truly reflects our own personal style and has the functionality for our lifestyle. You're probably thinking of ways to refresh your space, versus the time and financial commitment of a total gut remodel.
Sometimes a refresh such as new countertops and backsplash or a fresh new shower can make a world of difference in how you feel in your home. Sometimes not, and a full gut remodel is the best course of action. Let's go through which may be best for you.
Understanding Your Pain Points
Let's start by looking at the condition of your existing kitchen or bath. Ask yourself: What are my plans for the home in the next 5 years? Do I plan to sell or is this my forever home? Are my cabinets in good shape? Do they provide the organization and functionality I would enjoy being in day in and day out?
Is my kitchen closed off to the rest of my home? Do I want a more open floor plan? I like my cabinets, but the countertops are hideous and I can't see myself cooking in or entertaining in this kitchen. Is my shower too small, or maybe just old 90's style pink tile?
Answering these key questions puts you ahead of the curve in making the decision that's right for you, your family and your bank account.
The Full Remodel Route
A full kitchen remodel typically involves replacement of all cabinets, relocating some plumbing and electrical, adding additional lighting, moving or tearing down walls and soffits, replacement of all countertops and backsplash, and new flooring.
When you do a full kitchen or bath remodel, the choices are infinite. Anything can be done, for a price. You want to partner with a contractor who also offers design services, sources the material, can bring your vision to life and gets real with you on your budget.
The cost for a full kitchen remodel can vary greatly. A major kitchen remodel of an average sized kitchen (12–15 cabinets) can range between $40,000 and $79,000, depending on structural changes, plumbing and electrical. It can be more with fully custom cabinetry.
Real Life Example: A Full Kitchen Remodel
A full gut kitchen remodel in Glendale included removing a partial wall, removing soffits, and relocating plumbing, electrical and HVAC vents. It's a small but mighty kitchen that completely changed the look and feel of the house. It came in at just over $40,000, plus new appliances, and included an entire home of new flooring. The project took 4 weeks from demo to completion.
Real Life Example: A Spa-Like Bathroom Retreat
A primary bath full remodel in Fountain Hills included custom cabinetry, a quartz shower bench, integrated quartz vanity sinks, paint, adding a wall, a water closet door, closet doors, new electrical and plumbing, and an entire suite of new tile flooring. This spa-like retreat cost about $85,000 and took 8 weeks from demo to completion.
The Vibrant Refresh
You may be thinking, "that's not in my budget." The good news is you don't always have to do an extensive remodel to get a space you love being in.
For your kitchen: new countertops and backsplash, new flooring. A mid-range countertop (quartz, granite, sometimes quartzite) runs $75–$90 per square foot, with an average cost between $6,000 and $15,000.
For your bathroom: a fresh new shower or a tub-to-shower conversion, extending your primary tub/shower combo to a bigger shower with benches, rain shower heads and other features. A tub-to-shower conversion runs $12,000–$15,000 and includes all materials, a glass enclosure and labor.
New flooring can change the entire look of your home, especially if you're reducing the number of flooring transitions throughout the house. Hard surface flooring ranges $10–$17 per square foot, including demo, material, installation and new baseboards.
Hopefully this gives you real-life examples to help on your remodeling journey. We're always here to help and ready to answer any questions, and we love providing straightforward, transparent answers. Schedule a call today and we'd be happy to help.