"Not all that much work" !! You've just described a 90-100K remodel without breaking a sweat. And that is with some pretty serious bargain hunting and every single thing going correctly and you don't need to touch the contingency fund. :) You live in one of the most expensive labor markets in the country---and the most regulated. The permits alone are likely to cost you 3-5K and weeks of waiting . Some of your projects have a good potential for hidden issues. And you've gotten one estimate from a low ball contractor You need at least 2-4 more estimates here from other contractors. Not only will they bring fresh eyes to your projects, but their estimates are likely to be clustered around a close range, giving you greater confidence that you are getting realistic numbers from those neither too high nor too low. Things you've forgotten or didn't address in your outline. *Insulation for your basement project.2K+ Wiring needs for your basement project. 3K Flooring needs for your basement project. 5K HVAC for your basement now that it is to be living space. 2-15K The plumbing alone can run anywhere from 5-15K depending on a number of factors. *Removing a wall means that you will need to address the floor where that wall was located. That could be harvesting hardwood from a closet to blend in and then refinish the whole floor to complete replacement of the flooring on the first floor. 1K-10K You will also have to redo the drywall, and getting that level will be a challenge. Electrical will most certainly need to be addressed, and possibly plumbing and HVAC. $$$ A structural engineer's report will run $500 to $1500. If you need to have structural needs addressed, you're talking 5K to 10K. *New kitchens require a pretty good update to your electrical system and rewiring a lot of circuits. If you already have a 200 amp subpanel and the kitchen was done sometime since the 80's, you might only have a 3K electrical bill for the kitchen. If you have an old 60amp panel, then you're talking a whole new service and panel for the home. 7K You'll need to address lighting needs as well as the dedicated circuits that the fridge and MW will need. 1K You'll have to deal with the flooring. Sheet vinyl will be the least expensive choice at around $500. Even laminate counters will be more than 1K for most kitchens, and you can spend around 5K for bottom end cabinets. If you want something better, double to triple that. You still have the sink, faucet, lighting fixtures, ventilation system, paint and other details to pay for.1K for low end. You'll be opening the walls up for some of this, and there's no better time to address the insulation needed. * You're gonna get another sticker shock when it comes to the door issue. A plain jane interior door that's not hollow core will run you $150, plus another $100 for the install. Multiply by x number of doors. What about closet doors? You can't replace all the others and leave the old closet doors. Exterior doors can be $200 for a builder's grade steel to $5000 for a medium grade wood with sidelights. Don't forget the work your trim and drywall will now need as well as the paint. You'll be painting all of the trim for sure minimum. *Most appliances will need their own dedicated electrical circuits and will also need a plumber. Appliance prices vary wildly from a 3K first apartment type of package to a 30K+ one for the serious cook. *There is no point in replacing the soffits without replacing them with vented soffits. There just isn't any better way to vent your attic and there's no better time to do it. Vented soffits will need you to tweak your attic insulation for proper airflow, and I'll bet you don't have enough insulation. Hardly anyone does. Then you'll also need to install a ridge vent in the roof peak for the hot air to exit the home. Whirlybirds and power vents don't move enough air. 5K+++ *Cedar for siding is pretty pricey. Even more so if you're talking $hake$ instead of lap. There are plenty of cases with homes having their original 200 year old siding because the home was constructed and maintained correctly. Siding on homes doesn't just fail without some cause. Water infiltration is the primary suspect. I'll bet that the drainage plane behind the shingles is compromised or non existent and that the window flashing is also done incorrectly if at all. You have a lot of warning issues with damaged exterior systems here, and that means you'd better have a pretty good contingency fund before tackling those issues. You are very likely to have to increase the scope of the work due to hidden damage once you begin the project. This has the potential to quickly turn into a 70K project, especially if you're dealing with wood windows and no water barrier under the siding. This home has some pretty serious potential issues that can quickly run through a budget without completing your list. It's far better to tackle a few of those key "bones" projects that may have hidden issues like the siding and soffits and have a pro do them right while you live with the more cosmetic issues like a kitchen redo. A basement reno could be a DIY project for you where you learn enough skills to be able to also at least partially tackle the kitchen reno. And do some research on the Kitchen Forum here to see if you might tweak the utility of the kitchen while you are dealing with it's cosmetics, especially since you are removing walls.

The real problem here is any state along that southern border is just overflowing with uneducated trades people who don't understand what quality is. Then add contractors that were working at Walmart last week and homeowners who all think they should have marble and gray walls just like they saw on TV for a price that couldn't possibly cover the proper costs. Illegal workers no matter how you feel about their legal status are a huge problem for the construction business. We have people undercutting bids and have zero idea how to perform the work. The same guy hanging cabinets is your electrical Tuesday and your plumber on Friday. They don't speak or read a word of English which causes even bigger issues. If you cant read how to install something how do you do it? They are somewhat trained from the country they come from which does not have the same standards that we have here in the USA. I live in SOCAL and I see these greedy flippers and realtors using these illegals to make a property look good in a picture. And then the realtor just keeps saying don't worry you'll have an inspection and a home warranty. Of course the warranty doesn't cover any of it and the inspector is in the realtors pocket. The real home market crash comes when all these flipped to the hilt overpriced messes start needing corrective work. Homeowners can barely afford them and as you have here the corrective work will cost more then the original repairs. There is nothing to be salvaged in those pics and what is NOT seen is the real problem.

The first question is whether you are essentially happy with the layout of the kitchen and most importantly are your cabinets in good shape? If your cabinets are in good shape, then you are essentially just wanting to do a "cosmetic" refresh of your kitchen. It never hurts to hire a kitchen designer who will give you ideas on how to proceed. Dishwashers are replaced all the time and don't require a GC. When I replaced my dishwasher, I had the store install it and remove the old dishwasher Similarly counters are often replaced by homeowners as a separate thing. Depending on where you are located, you go to a stone yard; go to a very reputable store that specializes in counters. You do research on what surface you want and then look at slabs and samples. Depending on which way you go, you hire a fabricator or you have a fabricator and then you select the counter. Either way, seek advice in terms of making a selection as well as supervising the template for the counter so there are no unpleasant surprises. I did a gut remodel which included adding a hood. Although I had a GC, the duct work was handled by an HVAC company. In terms of the cabinets and millwork, my friend had this kind of adjustments made to her cabinets and hired a local woodworking company to do it and was pleased with the results.

While I realize this thought won't help you in this situation, perhaps it might be useful for others. There are a few categories of painters who advertise for business such as high end painters who charge more than most others, are choosy about their projects and have the results to justify their prices. This seems like the desired person for this poster. Large companies, perhaps franchises,  also advertise widely, use sales people to do bids and talk up the company, and will hire nearly any painter willing to work for them and deal with their high turnover.  Those firms may give you good results but you won't see the same person who made the promises showing up to run the job and you won't get a great price or great quality.  Small painters who advertise are new to the local market or aren't having enough successful projects to generate referrals and repeat customers. The best midrange painters don't advertise because they have all the business they wish with referrals and repeat customers.  If you need a referral when you are new in town, stop at a real paint store and chat with the staff. They will have a batch of business card and might select a couple for you when you tell them the type of project you have. Otherwise ask your friends and neighbors with similar tastes and personalities. If your friend has a flexible schedule and you don't, be sure her painter doen't have a maybe tomorrow, maybe next week approach.  My partner started helping with his dad's painters when he was a kid and has been painting between other pursuits for 40 years.  He has never advertised or been without work for many years. I met him when he was working for a friend at her new house.  He had painted the exterior for the previous owner who passed on the name. That guy had gotten the name from another neighbor. A few years ago our real estate agent introduced him to a couple needing some work before listing which has led to months of work for friends and neighbors and children and many repeat projects.