Bought my first house, remodel/cabinet advise

I bought my first house from an older lady looked like a time capsule from 1980. Over all just cosmetic issues, but tore right into it and gutted 90% of it started running new wire. I plan on having a 200amp service installed with a sub panel for the garage. It's a small split level so it's nothing crazy. My main question who can tell me the good and bad about kitchen cabinets. They seem to get crazy exspenive. I know I want real wood and I understand you get what you pay for so I'm going with the "buy once cry once" motto. But I'm also looking for the best bang for the buck. Your help is greatly apprrecited.

 

Real wood is going to be expensive for sure, and means different things to different people. There are a lot of other things you need to consider as well...custom or prefab, framed or frameless, stain or painted. What are you looking for?https://www.cabinets.com/frameless-vs-face-frame-cabinets

 

My advice, as a real estate agent, real wood vs. non does not increase the value of the house for resale what-so-ever unless we are talking million dollar type homes.

If you're planning to resale, save the money.

 

What Acree said. You can go from 2 to 20k in a hurry. Hinges, draws closing types, veneer vs solid, custom vs prefab. Countertops? Granite, corean? Sinks faucets. Flooring? It all adds up quick. My kitchen was 35.

 

You know better than me but it seems bang for the buck is in the countertop vs the cabinets.

 

Dammit 1980 is not old.

 

Go with solid cherry cabinets....then paint them white!

 

Either is 1975

 

Depends on your location and price point of your neighborhood, you want quality cabinets and countertops but you don't want to be the $500000 house in a $200000 hood.
Cheap never resells well. at least make the cabinet doors solid wood and granite does not go out of fashion. Stainless Appliances!

 

Consumer reports does an actual kitchen cabinets review every December. I have 2 kitchens on my website full custom.

Www.Jointthenplane.com

Yes....I know it needs updating...

These guys are hitting the very basics of cabinetry. Semi custom is even a thing.

Pm me for info and a number. Id be happy to talk to you. The money is really in the carcasses and drawer boxes.

This is what I do.

 

Nice work.

 

Look into a few local, small cabinet shops for quotes on custom. The shop I had build mine(I installed and stained them myself)were great. They don't pull the old "that wood is going to be $1000 upgharge" crap. They charged me the difference that the material actually costs(I went with Maple), and it was a couple hundred dollars on a ~$4500 bill.

Also, dont get caugh up in the solid surface countertops fad. I think 42 linear feet of laminate(with one section extra deep), arcylic sink installed, was $1700. The same thing would have been an easy $5k in solid surface.

This is all assuming you install and finish stuff yourself.

 

90% correct. The solid surface and stone countertops have been around long enough to have passed the "fad" stage. Laminates are cheaper, but usually end up in more low end builds.

 

When we did our counter tops we used laminate and glue in sinks like they use for solid surface. After having them a few years I wouldnt use anything else unless I ran into Broome money. The sinks have held up well and there is no caulk/scum line around the outside. If they get a little discolored or stained you (your wife) can make them look like new again with some bar keepers friend in less than five minutes.

 

If you have a $120k house, $5k solid suface countertops are kind of like putting lipstick on a pig. I had originally planned on solid surface, but by the end of my remodel, I was already waaaaaay over budget(imagine that), and laminates were a blessing. Now, if you're having them installed, then you might as well go solid, because the price difference ends up being minimal. DIYer? Laminate.

To be honest, I'll do laminate again, because I done feel bad about spending $2k every 5-10 years for a "refresh". and other than the 3 spots that have the flat capped ends, you can hardly tell it's laminate.

 

It's a very popular area and very difficult to get into it says avarage list price is 500g most of the newer construction for for about 700+, I got in well below the avarage for sale by owner house didn't even hit the market and I'm only 26 and bought across the street from my brother, my mother and father both live with in 1/2 mile of me so I don't think I'll be going anywhere for some time. I'm looking so spend mid range and enjoy it while I'm there.

 

500g house? Yeah, custom cabinets for sure.

 

And solid surface countertops at a minimum.

 

Cabinets were a big unknown both timing and cost after the floods in Houston. Quotes were all over the place and I doubted some of the custom guys to deliver. We found this place up by IAH, there are probably others like it around the country. They have all kinds of options and also all the color matched filler pieces, wall panels and moldings to finish it off. There's a catalog online.

https://www.ucabinetintl.com/

Biggest plus was everything was in stock in the local warehouse, so little changes were no problem. It's solid wood that comes IKEA style for assembly, maybe 25% more than the pressboard stuff but overall less than half the price of any other real wood option. We had a real carpenter assemble and install and he had no complaints about the quality.

 

Cabinet shops most of the time wont do your counters. Many are capable, just different trades.. if you get plam counters, make sure they have backer.

My cabinets are all 3/4 veneer core with 1/2 in backs. "Dust covers" on everything. Almost always maple interiors. Drawers are typically 5/8 or 3/4 half blind "budget" maple which looks pretty good with a 1/2" veneer core matching bottom. Then I go up from there. Everything from Blum undermount self closing to standard accuride 100lb full extension slides. Always salice hinges.

It can definitely get crazy....