Kitchen Cabinet Prices
Courtesy of Wellborn Cabinet, Inc.
Kitchen cabinet prices will eat up about half the cost of a kitchen remodel. That is a significant long-term investment, so there are many factors to consider when deciding on how much to spend.
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You'll want to think about how long you plan to live in the home and what the average kitchen value in your neighborhood is. An updated kitchen is arguably the biggest selling point when a house goes on the market, so you don't want to overprice or underprice your house out of the resale value because your kitchen doesn't match the average expectations of the neighborhood or is too much.
Once you've determined these factors and established a budget, then you're ready to make pricing choices based on it. Kitchen cabinets come in three basic types: Stock or ready-to-assemble, semi-custom and custom. Stock cabinets are the least expensive and sit in a home improvement store ready to buy and install. Semi-custom are cabinets made-to-order from select choices, so they have some prefab aspects and some custom aspects and are in the mid-range on pricing. Custom cabinets are the most expensive and the price varies according to the style and design you choose. As the name indicates, custom cabinets are built to your specifications and you can add as many embellishments and accents as you want, assuming you want to pay for it.
When it comes to kitchen cabinets, you really do get what you pay for, so research carefully before choosing. Even low-end cabinets can have embellishments and additions that give them a high quality look. Know what to look for to tell the difference or you could end up with shoddy cabinets that will not stand the test of time. Just a basic cabinet replacement for a standard-sized kitchen can cost on average $15,000 or more. You can offset this cost by passing up nonessentials, like glass fronts and muntins, moldings, carved designs and other embellishments, opting to add unique hardware instead.
If your cabinets are still in excellent condition and you just want something different, you can cut your costs in half by simply refacing them. Refacing, also called resurfacing, is the process of laying a sheet of wood or laminate over existing cabinet boxes for a completely different look. Refacing allows you to change the wood type and color by placing a veneer over the existing frame. Some styles of cabinet doors can also be refaced, but you can still save considerable money refacing the cabinet boxes and replacing the doors and hardware if necessary. Painting and staining are also inexpensive options as alternatives to gutting your kitchen and replacing the cabinets.
Once you've decided on the cabinets that are right for your needs and budget, you can determine any accessories you want to add to them.
