Cheap Kitchen Renovations: Don’t Pay When You Can DIY

“Cheap kitchen renovations” sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? Typically, kitchen renovation is the most expensive home improvement short of adding square footage with an addition or a second story. Nevertheless, you can save a bunch of money by doing the work yourself. Here’s what you need to know.

Physical Difficulty

A kitchen renovation isn’t the most physically demanding home improvement project, but it also shouldn’t be underestimated. You’ll be bending, kneeling, crawling, climbing ladders, reaching, carrying heavy and bulky objects, and holding cabinets in place near the ceiling as a partner secures them to the joists. If any of that sounds miserable or like torture to you, then you might want to check out our “Find a Contractor” page, where we recommend reputable contractors in dozens of regions, who have experience installing our cabinets.

Also, if you don’t have a partner who can help, at least a friend, you might want to think twice. Much of the work in a kitchen remodel requires two people. You might be able to get away with hiring a local handyman on the cheap, however, to lend a hand during critical phases like hanging wall cabinets, and installing countertops.

DIY Kitchen Remodel Skillset

If it seems not-so-bad, and sounds like a good workout, then great! The skillset needed to do a minor DIY kitchen remodel (replacing cabinets, flooring, lighting—anything shy of tearing open walls to move major appliances) isn’t actually all that advanced.

RTA Cabinet Assembly and Installation

RTA kitchen cabinets from RTA Cabinet Store are easy to assemble. All you need is a screwdriver to turn cam-locks, and optionally some wood glue for a slight increase in durability. If you’ve ever put together a piece of Sauder or Ikea furniture, you can put together our cabinets.

To install them, you’ll need to know how to find joists, which you can do by sound, or by buying an inexpensive magnetic joist finder. You’ll need familiarity with a level, some idea of how to use shims to level any uneven surfaces, and the ability to install pilot holes and drive in screws. That’s about it, really.

Flooring Installation

If you’re also replacing your flooring, the good news is that RTA Cabinet Store carries durable, stylish, and affordable Feather Step flooring solutions as well! The click-lock installation system ensures that each piece goes in smoothly and easily, with no gaps or loose, sliding sections that could be dangerous or a durability or cleaning problem.

With vinyl flooring that’s half again as thick as the industry standard, and duplicates the look of real hardwood without the hassle, or environmentally-friendly bamboo flooring, we’ve got you covered with easy installation, no static buildup when you walk around in your socks, and even a 30-year warranty.

As long as crawling around on the floor isn’t physically too challenging, if you can assemble a basic jigsaw puzzle, you can install our flooring. The only other thing you might need is a circular saw, to trim a few sections to length if your kitchen has irregular dimensions or features.

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