400k 2 bedroom support 15-20k kitchen? (Midland Park: new home, buy, construction)

[joe moving]

House is a 2br / 1.75 bath /1 garage on a nice amount (10k sqft) of land for around here in Midland Park... if it matters expansion is a possibility in the attic that has a full walk up but would probably take a lot of work (to start with, floor joists are 2x6 in the attic).

Trying to figure between dumping 20k realistically on a new kitchen and sprucing up our 50's kitchen with old cabinets and no dishwasher.

My wife is ready to pull the trigger and I was at first, but with recession and all craziness I am yielding towards a more modest approach.

With some creative re-arranging we can fit a full width dishwasher, some new hardware, paint, elbow grease, floors and a new counter top, would make a world of a difference. This could be done for around $2500 with a cheap counter top (above 20k is granite). I only mention because you might be saying $2500, you can't even get a counter top for that much!!!

Obviously the full re-do will be much nicer. But I guess the question is will it pay off in 3? 5? 7? years. Can't figure out if a new kitchen is going to make people go WOW NICE or is it going to emphasize that much else in the house is ............from the 1950s

[wileynj]

Update the kitchen...you'll get it back. Kitchens and baths sell homes. Did you try looking for less expensive options? IKEA for example has some really nice kitchens for under 10K? If money is tight, update the cabinets and stick with an upgraded laminant for now - you can always change the counter top down the road before you opt to sell.

[BobKovacs]

20k doesn't go far in a kitchen anymore as you know, but kitchens generally have among the highest paybacks on resale of all improvement projects. I'd say you'll get more bang for the buck with 20k remodel- you may not get it all back, but you'll definitely sell the house faster when the time comes, whereas the 2k renovation may just make people go "well, the first thing we need to do is tear out the kitchen....", especially if the layout sucks and the cabs are just 1950's boxes with a new coat of paint.

If you're planning on staying more than a few years, I'd definitely go with the 20k reno- at least you'll get some enjoyment out of the space while you're still there.

[kelsie]

You get double the amount of money when selling when you update kitchens and baths. My husband is a kitchen designer in a major HI store here in NC. We relocated from So. NJ 5 years ago. We bought new construction but my kitchen is not condusive for the way I cook, so we are redoing the entire kitchen. We will be doing it in stages. Check out the promotions in your local HI stores, they are always running them. For instance this week if you buy 10 or more cabinets, you get a free sink base cabinet worth $300+, also Lowe's has a promotion going on right now for every $1,000 you spend you get $100 gift card. Check out all these things, it will save you $$ in the end. kelsie

[CuCullin]

I wouldn't say you'll get double, when I was a kitchen designer (3 years ago) you got back atleast the money you put into it when you sell it.

I would say you'd be at $25k-$40k on a typical kitchen remodel, including cabinets, tops, tile, etc. Personally I don't feel granite is worth it, I think a nice mica top with a beveled or bullnosed edge achieves the look nicely, and if you seriously damage the counter top, its far less expensive to replace. If a new homeowner wants granite after youve sold, they just buy a new countertop - its not the kind of thing that would hold up a sale.

While Lowes & HD offer deals, you can usually buy stock cabinets for less money through a local dealer. Many will have installers available, subcontracted similar to Lowes & HD, though I've found typically less expensive. Thats not to say it would always be the case though - I got a fantastic deal on my carpet through Lowes. Shop around.