The ONE Question You Need to Say “Yes” to Before Having Your Kitchen Cabinets Refinished

While budgets often determine the remodeling strategy in most homeowners’ quest for the “perfect” kitchen, we believe there is one question you should address before you establish your budget:

Do you love your kitchen’s layout?

You may think this question is irrelevant if you already “crunched the numbers” and decided that new cabinets are too expensive and that refinishing your existing cabinets is your only choice.

But before you look at your budget, sigh, and go in search of a contractor to repaint or refinish your current cabinets, you should know that Remodeling Magazine reports that, in the Seattle area, you can expect to pay a remodeling contractor approximately $25,000 for a minor kitchen remodel. Included in their calculations are painting/refinishing the existing cabinets, new countertops, new sink and faucet, new cabinet pulls and a fresh coat of paint on the walls and ceiling. An average kitchen remodel with new cabinets is around $58,000, with an upscale kitchen running about $115,000. These figures will vary somewhat depending on the size of your kitchen, age of your home, and the scope and quality of the work you want to have done (but it gives you a general idea).

With these figures in your head, ask yourself, can I be happy with my kitchen layout for $25,000?

Maybe the cost of doing a full remodel suddenly makes your current kitchen layout seem just fine. If that’s the case, refinishing is a great option for updating your kitchen’s look. Done properly, refinished cabinets can be beautiful! The only downside is that your kitchen will continue to flow exactly as it always has.

But what if you really don’t like your kitchen layout and the thought of spending $25,000 to keep the same dysfunctional layout gives you heartburn? What then?

In theory, the easiest option is to increase your budget to allow for all the work you want done. If you’re not willing or able to dip into savings or to refinance your home to gain the budget you need, then you need to decide whether it makes sense to wait until your budget is more flexible. If you’re a talented do-it-yourselfer with plenty of time and patience, you can always refinish your cabinets yourself as a stop-gap measure until you can afford your dream kitchen.

When it’s time for your dream kitchen, let us know. We can deliver on that dream.