OT: Is a new kitchen "necessary"? Opinions please.

nancy324

Cathlete
I've been struggling with this question for years. When we moved into our apartment in 2000, it was in great shape except for the kitchen, and I knew it was just a matter of time before we would have to renovate. The refrigerator was dying, the dishwasher was on it's last leg, the oven was probably purchased in 1962, the cabinets were chipped and blistering, and the island countertop had a big crack across the middle, to name just a few things. We finally gave in and bought a new refrigerator last year, because the old one finally died, but we purposely bought the least expensive model knowing that renovation would have to come eventually.

I've been procrastinating because I know it creates chaos. But lately I've been feeling that I may be ready for the interruption in our lives. I mentioned it to my DH and he said that with the market down, maybe we shouldn't do it after all. As if not doing it is an option like not taking an expensive vacation. I told him I do not see this as optional. Sure, we could buy a new appliance every time an old one breaks, but if we do that without replacing the floor, the cabinets and the island, etc., when we finally do those things, the appliances might not fit in properly. To me, it's a no-brainer that the entire kitchen should be done as a whole, at one time, so that everything works together.

Look, we don't cook much, and the kitchen is not a big part of our lives. It's small and you can't eat in it, and we spend very little time in it. I'm perfectly happy to use Ikea for everything, and don't intend to go high end. We've both been saving our nickels and dimes so we don't have to take out a home equity loan, and we have enough now, or at least most of it. We haven't started the estimate process yet, but we have an idea of what it will cost.

My DH is leaving it to me, and I say we have to go forward. Am I wrong that this is not an option? I've never renovated a kitchen before, so I need opinions from you homeowners.

Thanks!
 
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Hi Nancy!

I am one of those people who can wait for things when it comes to home renovations. BUT I also truly believe that at a certain point things just need to get done, especially if it's something that is niggling your psyche. :) If you are feeling that way, it is probably just time to jump in and see it through. We have a similar circumstance with our barn, which was 1/2 finished when we bought this place. This summer I finally said to DH, time to get it done. We don't really want to spend the money right now, but it's just time. So, I say, move forward, get it done, and you'll have one less thing to think about.

Sparrow
 
Yup

I love to cook, so a lovely wonderful high end kitchen would be my dream. However, since you are just looking for new, clean, and functional, I wouldn't think it would be too expensive. And if you do it all at once, everything will match, fit, look nicer, and even though the market's down, will be worth more in the long run than if its put together piece by piece. You said its an apt? Shouldn't the landlord/rental company pay for the fixes? Or maybe you can talk them into paying part of it, because it would seem they would benefit in the long run, not you. I'd say its worth the expense, and new appliances are also more energy efficient, so you'd save $$ there, and possibly a tax refund/write off.

Nan
 
That's exactly it, Sparrow. Would we both LOVE to keep that money and put it towards other things? Absolutely. But I try to look at it this way: We got a good deal on our apartment when we purchased it, even with the cost of the kitchen renovation factored in. This "extra" is just part of the purchase price. ;)
 
Necessary? Probably not, except for resale, in which case most definitely!

Desirable? Probably. I was the queen of re-heating before I moved into my new place, which has a brand new kitchen. Now, for the first time in my life, I cook almost every night! And when I re-heat, I'm re-heating leftovers instead of expensive prepared foods.

I guess what I'm saying is it might just change your life, and for the better. You might find yourself spending more time there. And, since you don't spend much time there right now, hopefully renovations won't disrupt your life too much.
 
Hi Nancy,

I agree that for resale, a new kitchen is a must in the long run.

A new, well-designed, efficient kitchen might also encourage you to cook more. Ikea is a good way to go. I'm planning to use hem in my kitchen remodel.

Also, since the market is down, you'll probably have an easier time finding someone to do the work for you, you may even get better labor pricing because of it. Just a thought.
 
I just read an article in "This Old House" that this is the perfect time to renovate because the market is down. It means that contractors are feeling the crunch too, and will have to compete to get your business, and you'll probably get it down cheaper and faster than if the market were up. That sounds very reasonable; 2 years ago we couldn't get some contractors to return our calls. I bet it's different now!
 
I just read an article in "This Old House" that this is the perfect time to renovate because the market is down. It means that contractors are feeling the crunch too, and will have to compete to get your business, and you'll probably get it down cheaper and faster than if the market were up. That sounds very reasonable; 2 years ago we couldn't get some contractors to return our calls. I bet it's different now!

This is absolutely true in our area! My friend is getting a very good deal on her renovation/kitchen remodel because all the subcontractors and retailers are hurting. She went w/ Home Depot for the design and was very happy with the service & selection. She also decided to get a Home Depot credit card, got 15% her first purchase (i.e. her cabinets, appliances, fixtures, lighting, lumber, flooring etc!) and got it all interest free for a year. Not sure if IKEA offers a similar deal. Even if you pay it off right away (since you've saved up for it), getting some percentage off really adds up when you're spending those kinds of dollars. Good luck!
 
This is absolutely true in our area! My friend is getting a very good deal on her renovation/kitchen remodel because all the subcontractors and retailers are hurting. She went w/ Home Depot for the design and was very happy with the service & selection. She also decided to get a Home Depot credit card, got 15% her first purchase (i.e. her cabinets, appliances, fixtures, lighting, lumber, flooring etc!) and got it all interest free for a year. Not sure if IKEA offers a similar deal. Even if you pay it off right away (since you've saved up for it), getting some percentage off really adds up when you're spending those kinds of dollars. Good luck!

Also, a lot of places should be offering Labor Day sales within the next month (appliance places, flooring, etc). So if you have an idea about what you want, you may be able to jump on some deals

Nancy - I'm a big fan of the GardenWeb kitchen forum for info and ideas. There are some folks there who've created some really high end looking kitchens for not a lot of scratch. The Ikeafans site is a good one, too, if you're leaning toward their cabinets.

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/kitchbath/
http://www.ikeafans.com/
http://finishedkitchens.blogspot.com/

DH and I are in the midst of a DIY kitchen "plus" remodel. What started out as "just painting the cabinets" turned into three years of project creep, including a 900 sf addition. My current decor includes plywood floors and stud walls. :eek:
 
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Man, I really wish I could give you a concrete reply. I entered a Dream Kitchen contest awhile back with a 500-word essay. All my co-workers think I have a real shot (Winner will be announced in mid-September) and, frankly, it's the ONLY way I'm going to ever be able to rehab my kitchen. But on one of my off nights I was mooning over a bunch of kitchen rehab brochures, just dreaming, when a story came on the news about kitchen rehabs. They said, since our economy tanked, the price of nearly everything related to a new kitchen DOUBLED. I just closed my eyes and whispered "of course." In fact, they said, the only thing that hasn't doubled is the cost of a granite countertop, the price of which has actually gone down (?). Not much help, given granite costs an arm-and-a-leg anyway. I don't understand why costs have doubled since you know everyone's hurting for money. If nobody's able to buy at the high prices I'd think that alone would be incentive to bring the costs down. At any rate, If you can wait a bit longer, see what happens after the November election. Our economy is such a mess it might not make a bit of difference but presidential elections often result in improved economic conditions for awhile, at least. I would hate for you to buy anything you don't absolutely have to have at current inflated prices only to watch the cost of the same item(s) drop in, say, January. But, believe me, I sympathize. One of my co-workers called my kitchen "a safety hazard." I said in my essay that the only other way I would ever be able to rehab my kitchen was if "Ed McMahon arrived at my door with balloons and a check." And it's true.
 
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Very interesting thoughts. I'll have to check and see how the economy is affecting the cost of contractors these days.

Jonahna, We had visited Home Depot several years ago and the costs of the appliances and materials were very good, but the labor costs were thru the roof, and we decided against using them.

From the responses so far, I'm getting the sense that most of you think of it as an optional thing. Here's my argument for why it's not optional: if we wait for things to stop working, we'll have no choice but to replace them and the new appliances may not fit in with our ultimate design when we finally DO renovate. I think we need to jump on it while the dishwasher and range are still functioning and before the ceiling fixture drops dead. Maybe I'm just making excuses? ;)

Oh, I forgot to mention. We plan to live in our apartment forever. So, resale value isn't much of a consideration.

Gayle and Laura: I am intrigued by your comments. I can definitely see how a new kitchen could inspire you. Your comments will definitely have an effect on my choice of appliances.
 
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From the responses so far, I'm getting the sense that most of you think of it as an optional thing. Here's my argument for why it's not optional: if we wait for things to stop working, we'll have no choice but to replace them and the new appliances may not fit in with our ultimate design when we finally DO renovate. I think we need to jump on it while the dishwasher and range are still functioning and before the ceiling fixture drops dead. Maybe I'm just making excuses? ;)

Nancy - I agree on your non-optional point. It's MUCH, MUCH easier to replace everything together and fit it all into one cohesive design, than to try and piece meal things.
 
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Oh, I forgot to mention. We plan to live in our apartment forever. So, resale value isn't much of a consideration.

This sentence, for me, is key.

I am not a cook, but renovating our kitchen 3 years ago is the best thing we've done because it makes MY life easier and makes MY life comfortable. I cook more often since the new cooktop totally rocks and the ventilating fan is so efficient.

Our kitchen was so tiny that DH and I couldn't be in there at the same time. I would go nuts trying to cook b/c there was almost no counterspace. We removed a wall and expanded - totally replace everything in the 1956 kitchen.

Well, we practically LIVE in this kitchen now - it has a large island and large kitchen table and LOTS of counterspace.

We took out an equity loan, but even now, three years later, I walk into my kitchen and LOVE it and feel it was worth every penny.
 
I agree with the posters who say you may find you do cook more once you renovate. I don't think it's optional--having a functional kitchen is important to everyone but vampires (that's a joke! I'm reading a vampire novel series). Why not jump in and get it over with? I don't think it's something you or your DH will regret. I would get started on it and get it done as soon as possible.

At the very least, go ahead and get some quotes to find out what you're talking about spending. That will go a long way in helping you make a decision about whether it's the right time. Or, at least it would for me. Just my $.02!

anne
 
Since you're looking for advice: Go For It:eek:. Even though your kitchen is small and you don't use it much I think that with a "redo" it will perk up your whole apt. Personally I love spending time in the kitchen, so my opinion is not totally objective ;). HOwever, you have given yourself good arguments, replacing appliances, etc. I really think you'll be glad you did.
 

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