i'm jekyl and hyde on this. i start thinking budget and then i go into penny wise/pound foolish mode, i.e. since any granite is a lot of money, isn't it better to spend a little more to love it vs be "eh" over it? :)
if you haven't check out the "what have you scrimped on, splurged on" thread, you definitely should!

If this helps you or others, this is what we did...

We acknowledged our budget but went ahead and planned our kitchen the way we wanted it regardless of budget and knowing we would have to cut some things later--except from the outset we realized certain things were definitely out such as beaded inset cabinets :-) We knew that we were going to go over budget in our initial plans (and our KD kept telling us the same thing--no false sense of security from her!)

Once we had finalized what we wanted, we sat down and looked at how much over budget we were and what we could do about it. We decided that rather than cut things completely to get a "finished" kitchen immediately, we would delay some things (like backsplash and decorative door end panels) that were not absolutely necessary right now and that we could do as money becomes available. It also meant that our kitchen will not be "done" for a couple of years, but we're OK with waiting if it means we ultimately will get what we want. With the exception of having to change doors, it worked out quite well (went from the door I love, "Artesia," to one that I'll settle for right now, "Anson"...but drawer fronts are identical so someday I'll replace the doors!)

So now we have
(1) a kitchen within budget
(2) a kitchen with a great layout, appliances (for me), and bells & whistles
(3) a plan of attack over the next few years to complete the delayed items to bring it totally up to our "wants"

If I had not found this site it would probably have been pretty easy to stay within our initial budget...but ¡wow! all the ideas I got from GW!!! However, if I had not found this site our kitchen would not have been as well-equipped or planned out as it will be. And, by the time we are done 2 or 3 years from now, it will be just what we want! [I've already told DH that all Birthday and Christmas presents for the next 3 years or so should be "Artesia" doors to replace the "Anson" doors!]

Easy to have lust for things you've never even thought to want before, thanks to this place...But I found that after awhile, the things I truly wanted rose to the top (mostly the things I'd wanted in the first place) and the other things dropped off my radar again. Granite was one of those things that went away for me, as well as a few types of appliances and other conveniences that I've never had or seen, so will never miss. I was always SO relieved to find I didn't yearn for some of those things any more. It was actually more rewarding to decide against them than I think it would have been to get them. I'd rather do without than pay the bills and worry about what I shouldn't have done for the next 20 years, or until I have to sell my beautiful house because I priced myself out of it! Give things time and you'll know which things you 'need' and which you don't.

fairytalebaby - right there with you. There's a budget? We don't have window treatments, either.

Kind of ironic you posted this question. I was just thinking about my choices this far and to be honest I am content. We are building a new house with specified allotments. I am very councious of the budget, so much so the builder even commented on it. LOL. But I really appreciate the constraints I have put on myself in relation to spending.

When shopping for cabinets we started at the cheapest (builder recomended) cabinets. I just wasn't happy with them, they didn't have a variety of stains or the fun and functional cabinets organization. So after picking up a brochure of another line they carry, I asked the KD if we could play around and see if it was an option. Long story short I was able to get all the organization features I wanted but when it came time to decide finishes and cabinet door design I froze. I had such a wide variety of choices my vision got lost in translation. I saw all the beautiful kitchen's here and on FKB that I became incapable of picking one. After asking dh to offer his preferences to work off of, I decided to use our budget as a way of further narrowing things down.

I want a house that our whole family feels comfortable in. Warm, serene and easy maintanence. I want my kids to be able to play in it without fear of mom's wrath. I want to be able to entertain our freinds easily and welcome family for an extended visit. That was my "Sweeby test".

Like buehl, we are planning the kitchen the way we ultimately want it. I know I will have to wait for my appliances and maybe countertops, but it is worth the wait for me. Our main goal is to gut the present kitchen, move the sink, and get new cabinets so we may tile our entire house (kitchen sits in the middle of the house, so tile needs to be done everywhere at once). I will have cabinets, and if we cannot afford the soapstone right away, plywood will have to do. I will have no oven until I get my Thermador/Viking/Wolf range (still deciding which I like best--lol) and my small stainless refrigerator will sit in the spot that will someday house a Thermador. I don't mind. I know we will have an unfinished kitchen, but when it is done--- it will be a "wow" kitchen! Besides, it gives me more time to get the best deals possible on appliances.

The only thing that has changed since I started frequenting this site is that now I want white cabinets and SS, when before I just wanted beige cabs and granite. So glad I changed my mind. :)

"I want a house that our whole family feels comfortable in. Warm, serene and easy maintanence. I want my kids to be able to play in it without fear of mom's wrath. I want to be able to entertain our freinds easily and welcome family..."

Yay, xoxosmom. This is just what I wanted, too. Plus, I ABSOLUTELY DON'T want to lie awake at night wondering how to pay the bills this month. Been there, done that, and building our own home was supposed to prevent it. Keeping that vision in mind certainly does help when it comes to decision-making.

The "scrimp here, splurge there" thread is great. I think that everybody has the tendancy to go over-budget if they have any imagination and are not just remodelling to sell. When you envision yourself in that "brand new kitchen" it seems there is an endless list of things that would be nice to have.

I stray from the herd in a big way when it comes to appliances. You can spend *so much* money on name recognition, or a professional "look" that most home chefs dont need (or know how to use). It seems like every magazine photo I see includes a wolf range, or fat thermador fridge.....these touches have become almost synonymous with "getting a new kitchen" and it is sort of sad, and I think that some people feel like that is what they need to get just to keep up with the times.

RHome, that's us too...we saved and have a certain amount we can spend now...no more and...no loans. So we did a lot of "deferring" of items to meet that budget! But at least I know what I'm saving for again and approx how much is needed for each delayed item. We think this is our "forever" house so we think it's worth it even if completion is delayed 2, 3, or even 5 years.

I wouldn't say I'm keeping up with the times, but I just have a vision for my home. And that vision includes certain appliances for my kitchen. I need 2 ovens, and I can't put them in the wall- so, I have to get a large range. As long as I will get good use out of them, the high cost is worth it to me. I like to do things right the first time, so I won't have to spend later to "do over". ;)

It's funny, I've been to others' homes and I've seen improvements that I don't necessarily agree with- BUT, I say nothing. These same people know what my plans are for my house and can't seem to shut up about what I should/shouldn't do. I used to let it bother me, but now I just tell myself that we can choose what WE do with OUR money. I'm not asking anyone to pay for my upgrades. With that thinking, I'm getting by knowing that I don't owe anyone an explanation. We can agree to disagree!!!

remodelqueen,

My post was not at all a criticism of anyone's luxuries or high end buys...it was at my lusty eye that seems to fall in love with every extravagence I find on the FKB. All I was looking for was a little reassurance from other people with streeeeetched budgets--didn't mean to imply anything.

As much as I love this site, I know I would have spent far less on my remodel if I'd never heard of it. Ignorance was bliss, in certain respects. Some things that I thought were just fine whenever I began my remodel...well, let's just say that the more time I spent on this site, the better my taste became.

My old cabinets, for instance: I started out thinking they were perfectly okay. They were only 14 years old. I loved the fact that they were maple - an upgrade from the golden oak that most of my neighbors have. But eventually I realized that they were not that great after all - they were decidedly builder-grade, the door style and overlay started seemed dated to me, there were few drawers and no pullouts, and they were showing a lot of wear considering their age. I decided that adding new granite, backsplash, flooring, and appliances would just be like putting lipstick on a pig.

So now I have brand new cabinets and a nicer granite and backsplash than I originally planned. I added more lighting than I originally thought I needed, but I'm really happy with it. My painter told me that a person would have to go to a much more expensive house in a much more expensive neighborhood to find a kitchen as nice as mine. I know he meant that as a compliment, but it just made me feel stupid for over-improving my house.

Honestly, though, I remodeled for myself, not for resale value. I know that I wouldn't have been happy with the results if I had stuck to my original budget. I have no regrets - and no debt - but my savings account is skinnier than I would like.

I don't think anyone's budgetary concerns are a judgment of what anyone else does with their own money. I have a very tight budget and many won't 'understand' my $4000 8-burner Wolf rangetop --with adjacent counters done in laminate. There are probably many other choices I made that others wouldn't, and vice-versa, both in spending and not spending. It shouldn't bother me or them. It's a matter of personal and family priorities...The point is getting the best value for the money that we do spend, and no one can determine that for us, since we live and value things differently.

BTW...We were supposed to leave money for window coverings in the budget? ;-) Thank goodness for 2 acres of tall trees...

Rhome, I totally agree that people should get to do what they want with their resources (one thing that makes me nuts is people who say that others shouldn't have spent so much on XYZ because they could have given that money to charity--the people who can afford XYZ usually give plenty, and their luxury purchases keep all kinds of working people employed).

That said, I have to chime in and say I really, really understand the Wolf rangetop with the laminate counters. After all the kitchen is for cooking!! (And I found GW by researching Wolf rangetops, because I was in love.)

But I was really stymied when I was doing a design consult for someone who was considering buying a lovely house. It had a gorgeous, good sized kitchen, with all the deluxe finishes, and a wimpy, dinky range. The buyer isn't a big cook but that range was inadequate even for him, and it would have been a big deal to put in something bigger and better. That's not what stopped him from buying the house, but it was a real head scratcher! All that gorgeous granite and nothing much to cook with!!! So, yeah, I can get judgmental on other people's budget choices too :)

My own budget? I named myself a ridiculous figure when I bought my place with the stupid kitchen, and have waited and waited until I can meet that figure if I have to. That way, I figure I'll be pleasantly surprised when I have any left over--not that I expect there to be any because I have a serious case of the I-wants. :)

Well, let's just say that the more time I spent on this site, the better my taste became.

Too true!! :)

Stick with your budget and don't let the kitchen forum influence your choices. I just finished my bathroom and I went way over my budget. The bathroom looks great but I wish I had that money for other things. If I could go back, I would have stayed within my budget.
Donna

Oh-- no offense taken!!!! Actually, nothing you said bothered me at all!!! We all have budgets, whether we stick to them or not!!!! I was just kinda venting because I always hear what 'we' shouldn't spend $ on-- yet the same people preachin live high on the hog!!!! lol.

p111og--- the people that can afford to give to charity, get all of the expensive stuff for FREE!!!!!!! That's what drives me nuts!

"the people that can afford to give to charity, get all of the expensive stuff for FREE!!!!!!! That's what drives me nuts!" - ain't that the truth...it's amazing, the more money you have the more people want to give you. But anyway.....

I'm trying to deny that there's such thing as a budget. I just keep dreaming that all the things i want are going to fit into my "budget". Maybe if I never write it all down on a piece of paper, it will just miraculously fit into my "budget". I'm definately in denial that there is a budget. LOL!!!

Ultimately, it all boils down to "want" vs "need". The more money in the piggy bank (or more stable the bread-winner's job, or whatever) the more "want" can be indulged beyond "need".

I think few people would rank a Viking range above and beyond the ability to put food in their children's mouths; similarly, it is entirely possible to produce an extraordinary gourmet meal with an old, 24" apartment stove and washing the dishes by hand (I speak from some experience here ;)

My point here is that we're definitely talking relative values. The tighter the budget, the less likely it is that luxury items will seem like "necessities"; heck, when you're on as tightly restricted budget as I am, you're even willing to sacrifice things which are just a hint beyond "functional"!

But really, while it would be great to be able to fund any and all of our whims and hearts desires, what makes a kitchen the heart of a home is, hopefully, the heart of the people who built it and use it rather than the material goods which comprise its physical makeup.

But I'm telling you, in my next life I'm having an AGA and soapstone... ;)

Oh, and on the subject of who gets the freebies, what's that saying? "Owe the bank $100 and they own you; owe the bank $1m and you own them ...."

It takes money to make money, that's what they say.

Budget...what budget???? I just ordered a Viking dbl wall oven - what's that about??? I should be satisfied with a few thousand back in my pocket. But, I was talking to my appliance salesman the other day and we both agreed that the quality just isn't there anymore, unless you go hi-end. Based on these Forums though, t'aint necessarily so these days. Some of the hi-end stuff is still hi-tech eye candy that fails just like the cheapy stuff.

I'll be so happy to have the kitchen so I can stop feeling guilty about all this dough I'm shifting into someone else's hand. Granted, I like many of you would not have even thought about many of the things I've learned here. Then again, I've made some excellent choices on some things - even my new WD, because I knew pitfalls or success stories by reading here.

Next time - I'll make a budget. Stick to it...don't know. My budget will probably be filled with wants and not needs, especially knowing what I've learned from this redo.

fairytalebaby - you're so funny! My DH teases me constantly about the "favors" I owe him for the ____ (fill in the blank with expensive kitchen item).
I think it's about priorities. Money, time.

We have a great 6-burner range, vent hood, double wall MW/convection oven combo, fridge, slate-look porcelain tile counters with schluter trim, sinks both with disposals, custom cabinets, tile floors.

We don't have (yet):
pulls (currently using twine and fingernails to open everything),
lights (using plug in desk lamps and the hood lights, waiting for the perfect LED solution),
DW (using the old one that came with the house, barely works, must pre-wash, until we can afford dish drawers),
pull-out trash (still trying to figure out how to mount the hafele foot pedal on our trash cabinet),
toe kicks (just haven't had time),
backsplash (think I may have finally found something affordable that I like),
front door (the ones we like are too expensive),
foyer tiling (still trying to pick a trim that is affordable),
office (everything, currently houses front door)

Priority this week: find a front door that fits our odd size
Why this is difficult: everything quoted so far is over $4K and we "budgeted" $2K, builder expo today over in Tampa but must try custom door place in town, car won't start this morning despite jumping, paving our side of the street so AAA can't get in our driveway anyway and we can't pull out until it's dry either. UGH.

We are in month 9, but we are not in debt! House & kitchen are functional, although ugly. Did I mention that instead of a couch, we sit on folding camp chairs? Priorities!

I realize that we built a new home, so I can't easily figure out the charges for sheetrock, hardwood floors and trimwork that many of you are having to include in remodel budgets.

However, all the rest in our 16' x 20' kitchen totaled $32,000

-- custom raised panel painted/glazed cabinets, rangehood, Imperial gold granite, mahogany BB and painted wood counters, custom island, Shaw farm sink and Rohl prep sink, 2 Rohl faucets, appliances (duel fuel Kenmore, Bosch dw, Kenmore Trio fridge), tile backsplash, chandelier.

I thought we did really well with our budget. Granted, we could have installed Wolf and Subzero. However, those can be installed later if the current appliances break. I've never had those brands, so I didn't think I needed them now. Our entire family cooks a lot and I don't know what I'm missing except maybe more burners? We do use DH's grill ($800) just like an extra oven. We have a warming drawer in our duel-fuel range. So, I haven't had a need for more ovens.

We're very satisfied (now that the walls are a different color) with our comfortable and functional kitchen. In fact, our family thinks it has a lot of character.

Do I admire the more elaborate and more expensive kitchens? sure! Do I admire the more simple and less expensive kitchens? absolutely! In fact, I would love to see if I could create a kitchen with personality/character with less conventional material choices.

It's all a matter of what works for folks and how they want to spend their money.
Cameron

Here is a link that might be useful: writing about it all the time

Fairy you put a whole new spin on sleeping your way to the top :oP Level of granite that is heh heh

I started with a gorgeous budget. I am always happy to share my spreadsheets, with lines for budget, cost over runs, in both dollars and percentages, actual cost and budget lines, etc. It's color coded, totaled by room, sheesh it's a GORGEOUS BUDGET!

Now did I stick to it....umm well no :oP But I sure had great plans on doing so :) Unfortunately I didn't lock the spreadsheet after I inserted the budget figures, so I can just change them as our whims go up or down (they haven't gone down very often).

Honestly though, I did plan on sticking close to the final budget (the reality one, after all dreams of being able to do what we wanted on $40,000 went in the toilet). But a I've lost tile guys, or contractors, and took two months off to go to the hopital....well the budget suffered. Now we're at a "just get it done" budget, which will have to be higher than we planned.

fairytalebaby,

I never exactly had a budget for the job, but I had a sort of expectation of what it ought to cost. That has gone up by about a factor of 5 since I started!

Its not that I don't have the money. Its just that I'll have to reduce my life expectancy a bit to make up for it. :-)

We had a relatively small budget for a relatively small kitchen and we went over it...relatively :=0 I figured we would go over budget but was willing to make compromises to get some of the things I really wanted - I got my granite - love it, I got my 2nd choice backsplash - love it and I'll get my new french door refrigerator sometime in 2008 (until then the white Elephant lives!!)

I work in finance so of course I think a budget is a great thing to have and it is necessary - but over the years you spend a lot of time in the kitchen, it should make you happy...especially since you're plunking down hard earned cash to remodel it. If it makes you smile and doesn't put you into bankruptcy, go for it.

And there's this John Boos island....

remodelqueen - I soooo agree with you! My brother was ready to re-do my entire kitchen plan on what "he" wants in his kitchen remodel...claiming that he "knows" what look I am going for & HE has already had it & it would be better if I scrap it & do something completly different... huh?

Budget? Oh, is that what we were supposed to do? ;-)

Actually DH & I are quite stubborn when it comes to something we want. What usually ends up happening is we find a way to get it cheaper (did some labor ourselves, bought some scratch & dent items/clearance ~with a 4yr warranty...you get the idea) or we do without until we can find a way to get what we want.

This board has been a GREAT resource. I returned a double oven that was sitting in my living room for a month after reading some reviews of loud & long fan times & other issues. I returned a sink for another (it was actually cheaper~gasp!) after seeing one on here I had never heard of before. I was very careful selecting our (prefab) granite after reading things here. I was thrilled when I actually found a couple with some movement in them! I never would have thought to tell the granite guy what to do without having seen what I like on this board. Yeah, the granite was a bit of an upgrade in pattern, but the overall price was only a couple $100 more...not a lot in the grand scheme of life.

We may have gone overboard on the appliances. I will admit that. DH fell in love with a fridge (42" counter depth) that fits beautifully in the kitchen. Did we "need" it? Probably not. But he really loves it. I have NEVER seen him break out a rag & clean something so often before ;-)

So, in some respects we were "good" with a budget...on others, well, we agreed to sacrifice other expeditures for a while to get what we really loved.

"Forgotten" the budget? No... I just try not to think about it right now! LOL!

c9pilot...I love that you're sitting on folding chairs! You never know, they may be coming back in fashion?

igloo...I need your "adjustable" budget!