Reface the Facts: You May Not Need To Part With Your Cabinets

The kitchen is the most expensive room to remodel in the home, and new cabinets can account for more than half of remodeling costs. Instead of spending $30,000 to replace your cabinets, you can reface them for a third of the cost. But how do you know that hanging onto your cabinets is the best choice?

Find the best pros to transform your kitchen

Your zip code:

Do you own your house?

  • Yes
  • No

Think Outside (And Inside) The Box

Homeowners should use their existing cabinets if the cabinets have these things in common:

  • Everything inside is reachable. Cabinets are not worth keeping if they're too narrow for storage or they have dark corners where things can't be seen.
  • They are in good proximity to all of your appliances. Cabinets are the kitchen's hub because they hold essential work tools between the refrigerator, microwave, stove, dishwasher, and sink.
  • They are in decent condition and aren't cheaply made. Even those most talented contractors can't transform a cheap cabinet into a good cabinet; therefore, cabinet boxes made from thin particleboard should go.

Save Money By Saving Your Cabinets

How much can you expect to spend refacing your cabinets? Refacing requires about a third of the cost and time that it does to remodel with new cabinets because your existing cabinets are already installed, leveled, finished, and operational. Keep in mind that the average kitchen has about 40 openings including doors and drawers. To reface, your contractor replaces your cabinet doors and drawers by gluing thin sheets of wood or laminate on top of the cabinet boxes. You can expect to pay $150 to $300 per opening. You should always ask a contractor to do the refacing; the job is too difficult for non-professionals.

Ask your contractor to make the most of the remodel and add functionality with pull-out shelves, lazy-susans, and dividers. Refacing your cabinets can make your kitchen look brand new for less, and that's the goal of any remodeling project.

Sources:
Remodeling Online – Cost Vs Value Report
Akron Beacon Journal- So You've Got Cabinet Fever?