Can I build a new kitchen for 150,000?

amother

Natural

Sun, Jan 12 2025, 11:29 pm

amother OP wrote:

Would be built on stilts. Siding . Haven't given windows much thought but it isn't a priority to me. Meaning I would put in a standard style window but not looking for a huge bay window.
Maybe a kitchen around 500 square feet. Is that large?
I was hoping for
30,000 for cabinets
18,000 counters and backslash
1,000 electric and plumbing
8,000 appliances
2,000 floor
1,000 knobs and pulls

Then 100,000 for the 500 square foot extension on stilts. Including windows.

I guess I really need to get a contractor in to price out. But I don't want to go there if it's not even a possibility because I would becomes so disappointed.

Just as a heads up- I can only comment on the one thing I’m familiar with- my husband is an electrician. You can expect to pay much much more for electrical & plumbing. That cheap and you should be extremely suspicious of shoddy work.

amother

↑ Dustypink ↓

Sun, Jan 12 2025, 11:32 pm

amother Natural wrote:

I just paid 500 to connect one gas cooktop

amother

Salmon ↓

Sun, Jan 12 2025, 11:45 pm

I think it can be done- but by working with your budget out meaning start with the extension & then only spend whatever is left on the actual kitchen- even if it means very basic materials & finishes. Perhaps you can start with your existing appliances & laminate countertops... it doesn't need to look magazine worthy from the start as long as it's functional.

I built an entire house like that & I'm very happy.

amother

Nemesia ↓

Yesterday at 12:39 am

I don’t know the construction costs bec was part of larger renovation but just did a kitchen and here’s some costs
67k cabinets
38k appliances
30k counters and backsplash
3k floor
8k sinks faucets knobs etc
5k lighting
We did go on the high end side, and it’s a decent size kitchen but still… the costs add up very quickly
Also there’s windows, window treatments,

amother

Forestgreen

Yesterday at 5:25 am

My kitchen is midrange and is just under 500 square feet and here are the costs I remember
Cabinets 37k
Installation 9k
Handles 2k
Appliances 35k
Countertops/backslash 20k
Floor 4k
Plumbing and electric I have no clue because it was part of a bigger project but let me tell you those guys are not cheap.

I don't know how much the actual extension will cost you but if you think it's 100k for extension then no I don't think you can do it for 150 total even going with the cheapest version of everything. The kitchen is the most expensive room when it comes to construction.

amother

RosePink

Yesterday at 7:30 am

I think of all your pricing the electric was too low. But get in a few contactors and see the price. At least you'll know what you're looking at. Dobt look at it as expecting to do it so you won't be disappointed. Expect it to be out of your price range and see what happens.

amother

Obsidian ↓

Yesterday at 7:59 am

amother Dustypink wrote:

The contractor did a lot more than that…

Total was a few thousand

My friend recently did their kitchen.

First they got a quote from a contractor who was hiring ppl for each job
Then they got a quote from a contractor who did the job himself.
The difference is in the 10s of 1000s.
If the contractor hires someone to connect the oven it is $500. If the contractor connects the oven himself it is included in the overall price.
Like lights. If you hire the lights out each one is an over hundred. If the contractor does the work himself it’s part of the price.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Yesterday at 8:03 am

DH (who is very knowledgeable about construction ) is thinking about doing that now
He is talking about not hiring a general contractor and subcontracting out each job. He says the savings are tremendous
Im just worried about it taking too much of our time.
He will hire a company to build the extension. Then we will use a cabinet company who will also design layout. Then an independent plumber and electrician. Then a tile guy. In my current kitchen I went to the stone yard myself and chose myself stone myself and used a fabricator to cut and install.
He is saying we can save 20% by doing it this way. So savings of over 30,000.

We may have to if this is the only way to have it done

amother

Cinnamon ↓

Yesterday at 8:20 am

amother OP wrote:

You will Def save money. But as a wife it will be very frustrating. You will have to keep your mouth closed a lot or else you will end up fighting with dh. When things go behind schedule, don't work out as planned, cost more money you won't have a contractor to blame. Any criticism you make will be criticizing dh. And he will be stressed and overwhelmed. So if you go this route prepare yourself to get annoyed and frustrated, but keep your mouth closed. Know things may take longer, cost more etc...

amother

Mimosa

Yesterday at 8:21 am

Funny because I asked my husbands friend who’s a contractor about being our own contractor and hiring each specialty by ourselves and he said it will come out to much more. So we did our kitchen using a really cheap newer contractor and we’re happy with the results.
500 sq/ft kitchen, cabinets 20,000
Counter backsplash 10,000
Used mostly old appliances so added for that 3,000
Flooring scraped existing wood floor 1000
Electric plumbing we had labor provided by contractor 1,000
Faucets, pulls, lighting, outlets 1400
Windows, doors 2000
I was expecting to pay less, but it adds up.
There’s a website Aroura that sells used kitchens. I was very tempted to use them to save thousands

amother

Antiquewhite ↓

Yesterday at 8:49 am

We did our kitchen from scratch after we moved in- we demoed what was there to the walls, and then did a floor, cabinets, mostly kept the appliances that were there, did a new granite countertop, added a sink. It cost us about 15/20k. Not a tiny Brooklyn kitchen but not a huge suburbs kitchen.

We didn't use a contractor, and our friend who is a contractor estimated that that saved us a third of the cost. It definitely slowed us down, and was a bit more work in our end to find everyone and buy everything, but we were on the same page about it and it didn't add any friction between us.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Yesterday at 8:56 am

amother Mimosa wrote:

These prices are super helpful. Thank you. I also have current appliances I can use as well. K redid my kitchen very very cheaply when we moved in and probably spent 15,000 total
So I have those appliances I can bring over if needed. Just short 1 dishwasher.

I would be hesitant to take the word of a contractor on this lol as it's certainly not in his best interest for people to go off on their own! Dh is very involved in the field so he would know when he is being ripped off and who to call for what ...
It's not the idea of cost savings vs not. Of course it would save. It's a matter of if it's worth the effort.
Your numbers sound fantastic. Is 500 square feet a large kitche,? I'm trying to gage what size that is.

amother

↑ Nemesia

Yesterday at 8:58 am

Plenty ppl do cheaper kitchens and are happy. There are cheap cabinet places, you can use laminate counters, get things on sale etc. it will be nice and fresh and still be pretty. I’ve seen budget kitchens that I’m shocked how nice they are. You do have to be comfortable with those options. Pricing today is insane. I wouldn’t skip a good contractor. He’s essential to getting a good quality product. If something goes wrong you need somebody they’ll all listen to to fix it. I have two friends who skipped the contractor for new kitchen. One actually is great but he’s in the business and really knows his stuff and used workers who he already has a business relationship with. The other is semi in the industry and their kitchen looks like trash. Tiles are laid terribly, things just are misssing a sharp look. It wasn’t money well saved. And it took forever bec why would workers prioritize coming to their job when they have no ongoing relationships?

amother

↑ OP

Yesterday at 9:42 am

amother Vanilla wrote:

We built a medium size kitchen in Brooklyn without a contractor. It was a lot of stress on my DH and on our marriage.
Kitchen is a U shape with an island in middle. Everything mid range and it cost us $50k.

Do you know around the size of your kitchen? This would be ideal for us. 50 to 60,000 for the kitchen and 100,000 for the construction. Thank you everyone for your help

amother

Apple

Yesterday at 9:51 am

amother OP wrote:

I’m not sure you’ll save 30,000 but you’ll need to spend more on a good couples therapist when you’re done.

amother

Lavender

Yesterday at 10:18 am

amother OP wrote:

We did this when we did construction and definitely saved a lot of money. But my husband is in the real estate industry and has lots of connections who gave him very good pricing. I'm not sure how much you'd save if you pay full price to every subcontractor. My husband also ran electric himself to save money.