Home Improvement Kitchen Remodel & Repair

A Beginner's Guide to DIY Kitchen Remodeling on a Budget

Design the kitchen of your dreams without the hefty cost

gold, blue, and white kitchen

Blakely Interior Design

Having a beautiful kitchen is something everyone wants, but not every homeowner can afford the average $27,000 renovation cost. However, that doesn't mean you can't have your dream kitchen.

A DIY kitchen remodel is a great way to give your kitchen a fresh look while keeping it budget-friendly; you just have to start with an informed plan. If a DIY kitchen remodel is on the horizon, you might be interested in knowing how to reinvigorate outdated cabinets or update your flooring.

Here's an expert's take on things to consider for your DIY kitchen remodel and how to complete popular projects.

Meet the Expert

Jonah Canter is the owner of Canter Construction located in Charleston, South Carolina.

Planning a DIY Kitchen Remodel

luxurious white and wood kitchen

Becca Interiors

Before you start picking out paint swatches and shopping for new hardware, it's important to take some time to properly plan your remodel. The last thing you want to happen is to be in the middle of your renovation and not be happy with your choices or make costly mistakes.

Here are 5 pre-kitchen remodel steps to consider as you plan for a perfect DIY kitchen remodel.

Look for Inspiration

The first step in planning a DIY kitchen remodel is to find design inspiration. Look for colors and styles you'd like to bring into your space or other kitchen remodel ideas like updating finishes and materials for a brand new design.

Know Your Budget

One of the hardest challenges to any kitchen remodel is setting a budget and sticking to it. After finding your design inspiration, determine how much you want to spend in total to help break down how much you need to spend on each renovation area.

Tip

Remember to prepare for 20% of your budget to go towards any unexpected costs that might arise as you start to renovate.

Research Projects

If you're new to the DIY world, especially in the kitchen, research how to complete your projects before starting. You don't need to hire an electrician to install new kitchen lighting, but you will need to know how to remove your current fixtures and safely connect new ones to specific wires.

Even painting your kitchen cabinets and installing vinyl flooring should be done in specific steps to ensure the projects are completed properly. Plus, reading up on your projects will give you confidence that you know what you're doing.

Speak to Professionals

Not all aspects of kitchen remodels should be handled DIY style. One area that Canter emphasizes letting a professional take the reigns on is with your countertops. Canter says investing in new, professional-grade countertops is worth it to have beautiful new counters that are installed correctly the first time around and last.

Since this will be a large portion of your budget, speak to several professionals to get multiple quotes before deciding on one that aligns with how much you want to spend and will do the job perfectly.

Plan the Remodel Properly

Depending on how in-depth your remodel will be, it's smart to get a game plan together of what areas you need to start with first. For example, painting your kitchen cabinets can take up to a week or longer and contains a large surface area.

You don't want paint getting on any new appliances or backsplash you're installing, so it's smart to start here along with your countertops. Simple swaps like lighting, the faucet, and cabinet hardware should be done last with flooring since these areas aren't as messy.

Expert DIY Tips for Each Kitchen Area

It can seem intimidating to take on remodeling your kitchen yourself. Thankfully, Canter has a few expert tips on how to carry out a DIY kitchen remodel to bring your dream to life in every area of the room.

Cabinets

blue painted kitchen cabinets

Yin Yang / Getty Images

Replacing your cabinets is one of the most expensive portions of a kitchen remodel that can cost thousands and thousands of dollars. Luckily, it's one of the easiest areas of the room for a DIY remodel that doesn't include the hefty price tag.

Canter suggests simply swapping out a few of your cabinet doors.

"Changing out the doors and drawers is a quick, easy thing just takes measuring and ordering," he tells The Spruce. "Swap out your uppers for glass doors to add depth to your cabinets, or add a slab door that's more modern with included hardware to quickly change it up."

Painting your cabinets a new shade is a great way to give your kitchen a brand-new look, but it's important to know that it takes time and requires prep, a mistake Canter says he sees too often among homeowners.

"Painting is 90% prep—if you’re going from already-painted cabinets to a new color, make sure you’ve prepped by sanding multiple times, priming, and picking high-quality enamel paint that's cabinet-grade," he says.

Countertops

marble kitchen countertops

JK Interior Living

Other than your cabinets, countertops are a statement piece in your kitchen. If they're outdated, one of the best ways to save on your DIY kitchen remodel is to give them a fresh coat of paint.

While Canter says there are types of paint available made for the daily wear and tear of countertops, this isn't an effective DIY method for your remodel.

"Countertop paint isn't permanent and will wear over time, but it's a nice option for the interim if you're replacing," he says.

Canter also informs us that if you decide to paint your countertops with the intention of budgeting, this could bite you and cost you more money to replace. There are some cost-efficient countertop options, and if you have a smaller kitchen, you may be able to purchase a smaller slab.

"This is an area where I tell people to take money and spend it wisely," he says.

Backsplash

gray tiled kitchen backsplash

Amy Courtney Design

Backsplashes are crucial in any kitchen design since they elevate your design style and keep your walls safe from water damage or grease while cooking.

As you start shopping for your new backsplash, Canter says to look for a peel-and-stick or a new magnetic version. "Peel-and-stick is your most user-friendly option," he notes.

If you're wondering what backsplash you should choose, Canter recommends something to juxtapose your countertops. "

"Go for something that has a clean look, but is durable for the kitchen with darker grout lines, like a white subway tile with black grout," he says.

Warning

Canter informs that you should never pick a porous material for your backsplash such as marble or brick. Porous materials absorb particles from cooking and stains easily, making them difficult to keep clean.

Flooring

light hardwood kitchen floor

AEF Interiors

Flooring is a non-negotiable part of any kitchen. Luckily, there are budget-friendly kitchen flooring options available—and you can even install them yourself to save a little extra instead of hiring a professional.

But, while trying to keep this DIY kitchen remodel low cost, your flooring should still be of excellent quality to resist the high-traffic room.

Canter's favorites for a DIY kitchen floor remodel are LVT (luxury vinyl tile) or LVP (luxury vinyl planks). "Most people like these because they're mopable and can get wet," he says. "LVT and LVP look good, are budget-friendly, and anyone can install them."

Decor

simple kitchen decorated with utensils, baskets, and pottery

Andreas von Einsiedel / Getty Images

When decorating your kitchen, Canter emphasizes that less is greatly more.

"People like to put their expensive mixers or other fancy appliances on their counter, but that's the worst thing you can do," he says. "All it does is crowd your kitchen."

Instead, Canter says propping a small easel with your favorite cookbook in a free corner will do the trick since a well-decorated kitchen is an organized one.

"Try to keep as many things as you can hidden below in your cabinetry for a cleaner-looking kitchen," he says. If your kitchen is small, organize cooking spices in decorative boxes on open shelving to use vertical space for decor and function.

Originally written by
Lee Wallender
Lee Wallender

Lee has over two decades of hands-on experience remodeling, fixing, and improving homes, and has been providing home improvement advice for over 13 years.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process