Five Affordable Ways to Renovate your Kitchen

House 4 min read

20 Aug 2020

So you have big plans to renovate your kitchen. But alas, the size of your budget nowhere near matches the scale of your dreams. Don’t worry, you’re not alone. There are plenty who have accomplished stunning kitchen renovations while still managing to buy actual food to stock said kitchen.

Don’t disappear down a rabbit hole of Pinterest’s completely-unattainable-on-your-budget kitchen renovations. Instead, check out our blog and take heart.

You’ll find top ways to renovate your kitchen, plus have money left over for your electricity bill - so you can switch on your new oven instead of just gazing at it for the next year.

1. Stick with the Existing Layout for your Kitchen Renovation

Yes we know you’re itching to rip out the kitchen sink and demolish that exerior wall. Have you stopped though to factor in the cost of re-plumbing and building? You can save tens of thousands by sticking with the original layout and plumbing.

Pause and consider your kitchen layout. The problem might be more with the arrangement of your appliances rather than space. After all who needs a bigger area to have to clean up? Consider moving some of your appliances around in a way that won’t mean re-plumbing or re-wiring. For instance you can move your dishwasher to a different side of the sink without much hassle as it’s hook-up will come from a central point under the kitchen sink. Keeping your kitchen layout, but upgrading cabinets, tiles, doors and appliances will save you a small fortune.

(However if nothing is going to stand in the way of your determination to totally overhaul your kitchen, then you might want to check out an affordable home improvement loan).

2. Replacing or Refreshing Kitchen Cabinet Doors

Replacing or even freshening up your existing kitchen cabinet doors can transform your kitchen, and this won’t cos the earth.

If you opt for a re-fresh with a lick of paint, ensure the surface is prepped and primed beforehand. You’ll need to ensure the cabinets are clean and free from grease. You might need to give wooden cabinets a light sand down. Remember to remove all handles, knobs etc. before getting started. Ensure you use the right type of paint for the surface you’re working with (wood, laminate, metal etc.).

Aside from neutral colours, soft blues, greys and greens work really well, as does black. You can also replace old handles to give your makeover the added oomph. Check out kitchenfittingsdirect.com for a range of low cost kitchen handles.

If you’re replacing the cabinets, shop around for the best deals. Don’t rule out sites such as Gumtree or Done Deal.  You never know what gems you can find! (In fact we have a whole blog dedicated to that.) Other handy websites include kitchendoorsireland.ie.

3. Work with What you Have

Don’t immediately jump to plaster over old walls - especially if they are brick or have a lot of character. An old wall juxtaposed with modern cabinets/appliances gives a unique feel to your kitchen. Think New York loft meets Irish farmhouse! It’s also a convenient backsplash for the kitchen and won’t require much elbow grease to keep clean. Not to mention the savings on the re-plastering or new tiles.

You can easily drill a test hole in your wall while you’re remodelling to check if the wall is worth exposing. If not, simply seal the hole back up. If you want to go ahead with exposing the wall, ensure you use a stiff brush to tidy it up, i.e. get rid of uneven plaster or brick. Re-fill any cavities or holes left, and you can use a watered-down chalk paint to make the new cement less obvious.

4. Don’t Buy from the Same Supplier

While it’s very tempting and convenient to buy your new appliances, cabinet doors, counter-tops etc. from the same supplier, you’re likely to spend more money. DIY experts Taskmatch.ie say this is one of the main ways to save cash on a kitchen renovation. Shop around before settling for the one supplier, and do your homework on the savings you can make. It will take a little more effort. But it will be worth it when you can still afford that weekend break – which you’ll definitely need once you finish the renovations.

For example, you might want to get all your appliances from,  But don’t forget to check out places such as Noyeks Newmans, who have affordable laminate worktops that look convincingly like their more expensive marble or wooden counterparts.

See our guest blog for more DIY hacks from Taskmatch. And if you can’t manage all the DIY on your own, check out their website at www.taskmatch.ie  - where they’ll help you find the right handyman for your kitchen renovation.
 

5. Kitchen Flooring is King

You don’t have to spend a sickening amount on new floors or tiles for your kitchen to look great. Do you really need that Italian marble? If you do, you better really REALLY love it. Because you’ll be spending most of your time in the kitchen as you won’t be able to afford leaving the house. Sure you can look for floor inspo in the designer places. But then shop around and find something similar for less than half the price.

Websites such as rightpricetiles.ie have fantastic deals and clearance sales. While houseoftiles.ie runs monthly specials. Even if you’re not at the tiling or flooring stage of your kitchen remodel, nab the deals as soon as you see them.

Above all, ensure that your flooring is functional. It should be water resistant so that it won’t soak up water and spillages. This will lead to costly repairs and replacements in the future.
 
A complete kitchen transformation is entirely possible without putting you in the red for months. It will take some hard work. But it will all be worth it when you’re sitting back enjoying a well-earned glass of vino in your fab new(sort of) kitchen!