You can buy a lot of kitchen for under $15,000 as long as the space isn’t much more than 150 square feet and you’re willing to do a lot of the work yourself. For a budget kitchen remodel, we allocated $1,000 for labor, namely electrical and plumbing work, which is always best left to the pros. Where to start: Major home centers, including Home Depot, Ikea, and Lowe’s, provide free or affordable design assistance. If possible, work with a staffer certified by the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) or the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID). Home centers employ in-house installers. Or you can find your own certified contractor through the directory of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, at nari.org. What’s trending: Our tests have turned up new products that look much pricier than they are and perform extremely well—perfect for this budget. For example, porcelain-tile planks that look remarkably like wood, right down to their textured grain. They’re waterproof and have color that goes all the way through, so chipping isn’t a big concern. Lumber Liquidators’ Avella Brazilian Cherry 10039367 topped our latest tests, and at $3.60 per square foot, it’s about half the cost of many solid hardwood products.
A Budget Kitchen Remodel for $5K to $15K
