It's too much if you don't have the money to do it, or want to spend the money on other things.

Will the appraised value of your home increase by the amount of the renovation? Unless your house is a dump, probably not. Will it pay off in 5 years if you decide to sell? Who knows.

A new kitchen, like a new bathroom, past a certain point, is like a vacation. You won't get your dollars back on resale. But the ability to enjoy your space: priceless.

There was a discussion on this topic a while ago that you might find interesting:

Here is a link that might be useful: price of kitchens in the new age of revised expectations

What are the factors that lead you to consider a new kitchen at this time? I would think that if you're moving in 5 years--especially after being in place for 23 years--your focus would be on planning and preparing for the coming move. It's hard to image you could increase your selling price by anywhere close to the cost of the new kitchen. And how much enjoyment would you get from it, knowing that you'll be leaving the new kitchen behind just a few years after you finish it?

Thanks for the advice, the link to the previous post provided some good opinions. I guess I should add, that there is a very good chance that we will be there longer than 5 yrs, that we both like to cook, the kitchen is 23 yrs old and we have hated the kitchen from day one, it was suppossed to be a temp home, (long story). But I dont want to be kitchen poor!!

Our experience: We well exceeded budget and justified every extra penny. Each item over original guesstimate was reviewed & examined. BEFORE purchase, we identified another item to cross off to account for some overage. We soon discovered our original budget was more than sufficient for an upgrade, but it was grossly under-estimated for what we wanted. The result: We ended up with EXACTLY what we wanted for far more than we initially wanted to output. We have no regrets on any decision. Once the final numbers were tallied, it became very clear that one specific item (the stone) is what 'blew' the original budget. That stone was the inspiration for the entire project so we bit the bullet and sacrificed for it. In addition to reviewing the budget before, during and after progress, honesty-with-each-other was a most essential practice thru the entire project.

Even if you are planning on selling soon, a kitchen redo in a 23 year old kitchen is probably justified. Houses that need kitchen updates move much slower in my area than homes with relatively new or at least functional kitchens.

Woudl it help if you looked at the incremental cost of moving the wall? That is, add up how much it would cost to update your kitchen with minimal structural and layout changes and compare that to the cost of getting something that you really want. It might be easier to decide whether a new wall is worth it's cost to you.

I think it's a big mistake for people to think they don't need to put money into updating their houses. On average a person should spend about 2% of their home's value on maintenance and improvements. Most people don't and then there is a mad rush to get a home ready for sale and the owner never got to enjoy any of the updates.

glass doored wall cabs help small spaces look better. Get decent cabs-you don't need hi end in a galley-in my opinion because the view is "tight" Focus on the wall configuration and keep a streamlined look if poss.Get some good counters..?quartz..Have fun..it's a galley-can't error much.

If it were mine, I'd renovate. The kitchen is already at least 23 years old, so it's probably due. When you sell, you might not get every penny back, but after you'll have had the enjoyment for 5 years, plus you'll probably sell faster than if you put it on the market with a 28 year old kitchen. That being said, don't spend 30K. Do a lower budget reno. It will take a lot more work on your part searching for bargains, but it's totally doable.

First, decide what your priorities are. Is it the floor plan? Appliances? Surfaces?

Try to keep your utilities in the same basic place. This will really cut costs. Determine how much you can realistically do yourself. Don't commit to making your own cabinets if you've never picked up a power tool (although, it HAS been done). Set up a really good temporary kitchen. Renos always take much longer than you expect and if you're DIY'ing some of the work, expect it to take even longer. You'll need a halfway decent set up for cooking and washing. Washing dishes in the bathtub gets old really fast.

Now, check craigslist often. You can find some stunning deals. I got an entire display kitchen, cabinets and partially fabricated granite for $1500. DH and I had to go to the store to dismatle it and bring it home, but for the price, it was well worth it. Look for cabinets, sinks, faucets, flooring. There is usually a ton of new and very gently used stuff. Be flexible. You might find an awesome set of cabinets in an ugly colored wood, you can always paint them. Check out Green Demolitions, they recycle kitchens. Check with some local kitchen shops. Ask if they have a display kitchen for sale. If not, see if they'll take your name and number and ask them to call when they have something available. Check local cabinet makers. Some might be willing to work with you especially if you're flexible with timeframes. They usually take longer.

Here's some pictures of a friend's galley. I'm not sure what her total spent was, maybe less than 10K total. She got the same deal on $1500 cabinets and granite as I did, only she's done. I'm still working...

Consider open shelving rather than upper cabinets. This can be a huge money saver.

Reuse your upper cabinets and only buy lower cabinets. If your uppers are in decent shape, maybe refresh with new paint. Lower cabinets are your workhorses. It is worth it to spend a little extra to outfit your lowers with drawers and pullouts. You'll find that framless lowers hold a ton more stuff, those inches eaten up by the face frames really add up in a small kitchen.

Consider IKEA. They're cabinet boxes are inexpensive, but the value is in the hardware. If you don't like the door styles, look at Scherrs. They'll do custom doors made to fit Ikea boxes. There are other Ready to Assemble cabinet companies, but I'm not sure they can match the hardware quality. Blum harware can get really pricey.

Check out Sears outlet and appliance store scratch and dent departments. Flexibility is key here. You might not get all the bells and whistles you want, but then again you're only going to be there 5 years. Look for middle range appliances. Stainless is still a big buzz word for resale, so it's something to consider. I've had good luck in the appliance department. I got a 30" Kenmore SS gas convection range at Sears Outlet for under $500 about 4 years ago. Also an OTR microwave for $120, a SS Kitchenaid sxs for $1200 and a black DW for $350. I didn't get them all at the same time. It took multiple scouting trips, but eventually I got what I needed. Watch for sales, they put on a new one every week on a rotating basis. Ask the sales folks, they'll usually let you know when they come up.

Here's some Sears outlet appliances:

Stick to the basics on flooring, stay away from anything exotic. Check local family owned business too. I've got one near me that seems very willing to work with me on flooring price to gain my business and word of mouth referrals.

Choose basic field tiles for a backsplash, interspersing just a few pricier tiles/edges for interest. Many people on this board love Lowe's subway tiles. Also check craigslist again. I got 45 sq ft of Daltile subways in Almond from craigslist for $45. A remodeling contractor's customer changed her mind. Use Bondera mat for tiling your backsplash. It's available at Lowe's. There's a similar product at Home Depot, but it's not as good. You can have the tile up and grouted the same day. I used it on a mirror project and it's holding up great. I'm truly amazed.

Check out Ikea butcher block for a super budget friendly countertop. It can be stained and treated to make it look like a much more expensive wood. I'll attach a link below to reshal's post. Her counters cost her less than $400. Amazing. Other options include buying remnant granite, marble or solid surface. If your kitchen is small, you can probably go this route.

Craigslist for lighting. You just never know what you'll find. I got 3 beveled glass vintage pendants for $45.

Overstock is another good resource. Shipping is $2.95 and sometimes you can even get free shipping or 10% off coupons. They have sinks, lighting, fauces, tile, and even some appliances. Check there often as their stock changes.

I hope this helps you on your kitchen journey.

Good Luck
Kathe

Here is a link that might be useful: Stained Numerar countertops

kathec covered a lot of ground. I suggest including Habitat for Humanity Resale stores for cabinets and Ebay for appliances in addition to her excellent suggestions. $30k will get you a nice kitchen, but you can really get a great one for half if you're willing to research the heck out of it, compromise a bit on cabinetry and get last year's models on new appliances from Ebay or other sources.

I'd also post your layout ideas if you're at all open to suggestions. Sometimes having another perspective yields great results, e.g., perhaps your galley can become a half-wall on one side or a full bank of cabinets on both sides. We lived with galley kitchens for 20 years and remodeled 3 of them so I think you have an opportunity to maximize your space with a few tweaks. I'm with those that suggest you won't get full return on resale, but you will get the benefit of living with an updated kitchen until you sell and should be able to sell much quicker than would a house with a poorly designed and badly executed kitchen. Good luck!

Tricky question. Let's avoid it altogether and see what you have and what you want and maybe with the layout experts here you can get a cheaper kitchen you'll enjoy without giving you stress about spending too much.

I agree with Fori. Post some images and think what you love
and detest about your space.

I did a small reno for only 6 inches.

I have lived in my house 10 or so years and I did a small
reno for a better traffic pattern. And ironically I will
probably only live in my home 4 more years. My home is
only 15 years old and needed a few minor kitchen updates
that I do not regret for a second. I made these changes for
me not for resale. I paid cash for my reno.

So far my total has been $12,000. This included old floors
resanded stained (entire first floor), new appliances
Bosch, new stone counter top and moulding to add to the
cabinetry already here. I plan to add beadboard ceiling and
better detail molding around my upper cabinetry. This will
still be under $1000.
(okay I pine for a modernaire hood and keep going back
and forth over spending another $800 to clean my grease)

I figure 12 grand for 6 inches and a better working space
was worth it too me. I adore my small 12 by 10 kitchen.
I could easily have spent $80grand for a new kitchen like
my girlfriend down the street 1 mile away did. (Same town,
similar size and age of house) But, I want my money in
the bank unless I really really need it. I am an ever
practical person. And plan for the worst hope for the best
kind of lifestyle. I save and worry too much.
Oh I should add a house down the street sold for 800
thousand roughly the same size as my home. I live north
of Boston.

I tell you all this so you can think about your own space.
How much are you willing to risk? What do you wish to
change? You might do a search of Under 20k renos on GW.
There are have been some creatvie solutions to space for
under 20 grand. I dare to be on that list one day.
If you can afford your kitchen changes and are not
expecting to get reimbursed for them by a future unknown
sale in an unknown economy, I say go for it.
~boxer

I agree with what everyone posted. Sure, you could spend 30k and get a great kitchen, but you could also spend a ton less and get an awesome kitchen too!

My reno is under $10k, and my kitchen is fairly small at 10x18, but I love it more than my next door neighbor's who went the home depot route and I'm sure spend at least double of what I did. If you can do some of the things yourself (and there are so many good resources for teaching things like tiling, painting, etc), your $$ can stretch much farther. I think the main thing that allowed me to make some more premium choices was that we painted our existing cabinets. We added hidden hinges and soft close doors for a ridiculously small price compared to what premium a cabinet place would charge (I think it was like $3 a door for the soft close). I got stuff off craigslist and sears outlet too, which allowed me to buy fancier things than I could have afforded new, and I think bring a feel of eclecticism that I like anyway.

So post some pics, and we'll try to help!

Since we don't know what the current kitchen looks like and its issues, I don't think we can say that not moving utilities or spending less will be "the answer". We need more information. Right now, those saying this and that will cut the costs may or may not be right.

One thing, the more you DIY, the less labor, at least, will cost...and labor is a big chunk of the cost.

So, post some pics and a layout (or at least a "blank slate")...but first, read the "Read Me" thread. Start w/the "Sweeby Test" and work your way to the "Layout Help".

Good luck & we look forward to hearing more!

Here is a link that might be useful: Read Me If You're New To GW Kitchens!