Thinking of renovating your kitchen? A revamped kitchen can add significant value to your home, but the renovation itself could cost you thousands of dollars. If you don’t have this kind of money, the good news is that there are affordable solutions, materials, equipment, fittings, and appliances you can use. If you’re looking to renovate your kitchen at a minimal cost, there are eight ways you can go about it.

Reasons for renovating a kitchen

Here are several reasons why you should renovate your kitchen:

• Boost the resale value of your property with a freshly remodelled and attractive kitchen.
• Live in the here and now by turning an outdated kitchen into a modern kitchen.
• Save on energy costs by installing skylights, energy-efficient appliances, and solar water heaters.
• Create a kitchen layout that suits your family’s lifestyle, for example, add a breakfast bar for informal family gatherings or more cabinets for storage.
• Accommodate the needs of disabled family members, for example, someone’s in a wheelchair or can no longer reach high cupboards.
• Receive financial incentives such as energy-saving rebates, cash rebates for trading in old appliances, remodelling grants, and low or no-interest loans.
• Make your kitchen functional again, especially if it’s falling apart with cracked tiles, warped cabinets, broken countertops, and obsolete appliances.
• Make your kitchen appealing to you again by changing or adding things, for example, wall cabinets.
• Create a dream kitchen with fancier amenities, especially if you love cooking.
• Make maintenance easier and achieve greater convenience by combining low-maintenance materials with an accessible and space-smart floor plan that requires minimal care and maximises storage and functionality.

The importance of a good kitchen

A good kitchen is one that provides functionality and entertainment, because it’s where food is cooked and eaten, you hone your culinary skills, kids first learn to help, and you hang out with your family and friends.

For a functional kitchen, you’ll need quality cabinets and countertops, a stovetop, fridge and dishwasher, durable and easy-to-clean floors and walls, and so on. For an entertaining kitchen, you’ll need a sizeable island with a prep sink, a bar-top seating area, and ample space so people don’t bump into each other.

How to renovate at a minimal cost

The average cost of kitchen renovations in Australia is $17,000. You can renovate your kitchen for far less with these tips:

1. Stick to your budget

Determine how much money you have to spend for your kitchen renovation and stick to it. You should also consider putting aside 10% of your budget for unexpected expenses.

2. Make only minor changes

Even just minor changes can completely change the look and feel of your kitchen. You can simply:

• Repaint or replace cabinet doors, panels, and drawer fronts.
• Upgrade hardware, for example, knobs or drawer handles.
• Install a new benchtop.
• Update the splashback.
• Resurface laminate benchtops to look like real granite.
• Resurface the tiles or install an acrylic splashback over the tiles.
• Repaint the walls.
• Change light switches, tapware, or power-point covers.
• Recolour appliances with vinyl.

3. Choose cost-effective flooring options

You can choose between a variety of flooring options to find one that suits both your style and budget.

4. Hang pendant lights

Replace your outdated lighting with pendant lights. They’re affordable and can act as a focal point, so consider hanging them over your kitchen island bench.

5. Use empty wall and cabinet space as storage

Floating shelves are cheaper than wall cabinets, so consider installing rustic ledges on the walls and stack them with dishes, glasses, plants, or art. You could also add small hooks beneath cabinet shelves to hold cups that have handles.

6. Buy an inexpensive dining table and metal stools

You don’t need a grand dining table to eat at or luxury chairs to sit on, so choose an inexpensive dining table and metal stools from a store like IKEA.

7. Create focal points with existing equipment

You can remove a cabinet’s front and arrange the glasses, plates, and bowls to create an eye-catching focal point. If you have extra plates, you can use them as wall décor by hanging them up with removal strips or plate hangers.

8. Go for affordable functionality

You can make your kitchen more functional with these cheap solutions:

• Replace door hinges or drawers.
• Opt for flatpack drawer cabinets.
• Install drawer inserts to organise contents better.
• Turn cabinet shelves into sliding shelves for easier access.
• Install lazy susans or other hardware in corner cabinets.
• Use a smart pantry system.

Ready to renovate your kitchen?

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to renovate your kitchen. Whether you want a kitchen that’s functional, entertaining, or makes a big impact, following these tips can help you get the look and feel you want while keeping costs down.

If you’re short on funds and need money now to start renovating your kitchen, check out SRG Finance’s personal loans. You can apply online in just a few minutes.