How much does a kitchen remodel cost nowadays? What should a realistic budget look like? Will labor and material shortages and delays affect my timeframe and cost expectations? When planning your next project, these are some great questions to ask. Let’s break them down.
The cost of the average home remodeling project varies not only because of the vision you have in mind, but also because of where you live in the US and the type of house you live in. Luckily, as a homeowner, you do have some research options. One option we recommend you check out is Homewyse. Homewyse helps you understand fair pricing on your specific project, for free, and has been around since 2006. Visit their Project Cost Calculators to select the project you have in mind. From there you can enter your zip code, square footage and several other options to give you a low and high end total cost estimate. A kitchen remodel in the greater Milwaukee area, for example, will be in the $30k and up range if you select a licensed and bonded contractor using mid-range to high quality materials.
A realistic budget should factor somewhere in that range provided above, if using one of the project cost calculators from Homewyse. It should also include some flexibility so be sure to plan a comfortable buffer of 10% into your budget for those extra costs, up to 25% if you are in an older home. That way you have room for any surprises that come up without having to sacrifice what you want for cheaper materials or cutting a corner to save on labor costs that might develop into a problem later. Remember, you want your project to be done right and last a long time. This budget is something you will be investing into your home to increase the value and update it to your needs.
Shortages and delays seem to be more commonplace over these last couple years and regardless of the cause, might last for a while longer. Something will likely pop up at some point during your project but have a gameplan ready to address it. Make sure to ask about these potential delays or cost fluctuations in advance, before hiring a company for your remodeling project. An experienced, professional contractor knows the drill and will communicate with you some steps to take and ask for your input to make sure everyone is on the same page before moving forward. If they don’t or you’re getting red flags, keep looking until you find one you are comfortable with.
For example, at 2nd Life, one of the first things we cover during your phone consultation is your vision and budget so that we can give you an accurate estimate that fits your needs. We are a licensed and bonded remodeling company and our workers prefer to use mid-range to high quality materials. We stand by our work and take great pride in updating your home with materials built to last. When a shortage or delay pops up, we make sure to communicate with you right away and give you several options to choose from to minimize the time or cost impact on your project. You can learn more about our processes here.
Have a great week!
Jeremy M. | Designer
New Kitchen Alert!
