Kitchen cabinet refacing, often confused with kitchen resurfacing, is a way to give your kitchen a makeover without the potentially excruciating drain on your time and money if you were to actually change everything out. Cabinet refacing is a simple way to let your inner interior designer come to the surface.
If you are looking to sell your home at a profit, kitchen refacing might prove to be exactly the simple, inexpensive kind of change you need.
Why Do It?
Without a doubt, the kitchen is the heart of the home. There is a good reason that kitchen remodels are widely regarded as the single most significant renovation you can implement into a real estate investment.
Having a clean, ample, and comfortable kitchen can impact every day for the better in a couple of different ways. Daveramsey.com surveyed renovators about their experience and found that:
- 33% said they had a healthier lifestyle after renovating their kitchen
- 50% said they have more family time
- 41% said they cook more at home
Like with most renovations projects, what you get out of it depends on what you put in. We recommend you and your real estate agent analyze the specifics of your case before sinking any significant amount of money into a remodel. A lot is also going to hinge around your goals for the renovation or refacing.
Remodeling magazine reports that, incredibly, the average mid-range kitchen remodel in a major city like Miami costs around $325 per square foot. For a 200 square foot kitchen, this works out to a whopping $65,000. The same report predicts that an average of 60% of that cost is recovered by the value a kitchen remodel can add to a home.
- $65,000 for a full kitchen remodel
- $15,000 minimum for a renovation of 100 square feet of kitchen space
- 55% of value is recovered on average
As you can see, a full kitchen renovation is not necessarily the way for those looking to make a profit on their home investment.
To Renovate, Reface, or Resurface?
Because the end results are going to depend so heavily on what your intentions are, it is best to square that away first. The first people you should consult with before even speaking to a real estate agent are the members of your house. If you wish to add value to your home on the smallest possible budget, you may not way to reface nor renovate at all, but stick to resurfacing. Resurfacing is the cosmetic process of removing and improving the furnishing in your kitchen by using chemical peels, sanding, and scraping. This is the most cost-friendly solution, but it does nothing for structural problems. It is also considered quite time-consuming.
Refacing is more complete than resurfacing, and it can actually fix structural issues with your home. If you want a total makeover for your kitchen on a budget, this is the solution for you. It involves removing most of the surfaces in a kitchen and switching out whatever needs improvement. Refacing, in essence, is like getting new cabinets, but keeping the same “skeleton.” Remodeling is the most intensive renovation you can do for your kitchen. It calls for a lot more than just switching out cabinets. Generally, the most expensive part of a full kitchen remodel will be the countertops. Changes in the flooring can also be rather expensive.
Refacing pros:
- Can cost half as much as buying new cabinets
- Takes about a week
- Does not impede your use of the kitchen
How To Do It
There are essentially two ways. You can hire a cabinet refacing specialist or do it yourself.
If you choose to do it yourself here are some of the things you might need:
- Veneer
- A way to remove cabinets
- Doors
- Drawers
- New fixtures like handles
- Hinges
The first step would be to remove whatever you want to switch out. Then you begin laminating and veneering. Veneering can take multiple days, so make sure you have the space and necessary supplies to keep the wet paint away from delicate surfaces. Make sure to clean the cabinets and other furnishings before you put anything over them. You will also want to remember to clean them before applying any fresh coats.
The full process can take about one week without the help of a professional. If you do decide to do it yourself, it is still advisable to speak with a professional to determine what cabinets and other surfaces may actually be worked with and what may not work so well.
