Today, the kitchen is no longer just a functional room intended to feed the occupants of the house; it has become a friendly and warm space in its own right where you can meet up with family or friends. Kitchen designers have understood this well and have developed a wide range of furniture, household appliances, lighting and decoration to dress it up.
Renovating your kitchen to give it a fresh look is entirely possible and at all costs. To help you prepare your project, we support you in defining your works budget and we provide you with our expert advice and some bonus tips for saving money in this complete file.
Define the budget to plan for renovating your kitchen
Defining the budget that should be provided for the renovation of a kitchen is complex, because it depends on the site. However, it is possible to define an average cost per square meter, which may vary depending on the condition of the room and your needs.
- For a simple kitchen renovation (including paint, wall and floor coverings), plan a budget varying between 150 and 250 euros per square meter, supply and labor included.
- For a refurbishment (including paint, floor and wall coverings, the purchase of new kitchen furniture and household appliances), your budget will fluctuate between 450 and 550 euros per square meter, supply and labor included.
- To completely replace the kitchen (in other words painting, floor and wall coverings, the purchase of new kitchen furniture and household appliances, electrical renovation and plumbing), count 600 to 1,000 euros per square meter on average, supply and labor included.
Take the time to list your needs in order to calculate the right amount that you will need to count. If you want to do all or some of the tasks yourself, all you need to do is estimate the price of the supplies and tools and materials needed. If you want to entrust the renovation site to professionals, ask for several quotes to estimate the budget you will need to plan.
The total budget for your kitchen renovation will depend on several factors:
- The surface of your kitchen to be renovated;
- The cost and nature of household appliances;
- The cost and nature of the furniture;
- The removal of your old kitchen, or even its demolition, then the preparation of the site to carry out the new work;
- The materials needed;
- electrical needs;
- The rates charged by professionals for labor.
Either way, avoid submitting yourself to a fixed amount at all costs. Every construction site has surprises in store and it is best to have what you need to deal with them. Leave yourself a comfortable financial margin to cover all eventualities.
Renovating your kitchen: the budget to consider item by item
To help you better define your budget, we show you an average price range to expect for each position.
The kitchen furniture
Kitchen furniture is one of the most substantial items. Indeed, to equip a kitchen with standard new furniture, prices start at around 1,500 euros and can exceed 15,000 euros. It all depends on what you want to install.
- Self-assembly kit furniture that can be found in supermarkets or DIY stores costs between 1,500 and 2,500 euros a set. For this type of furniture, it is advisable to avoid the first prices and to aim for the mid-range models, which are more solid and durable.
- For mid-range kitchen furniture with good levels of finishes and accessories, sold by recognized kitchen designers, count between 4,000 and 8,500 euros per set on average.
- If you want to invest in custom-designed furniture, plan a minimum budget of 9,000 euros for the set.
- Very high-end furniture sold by design professionals will cost you at least 15,000 euros for the set.
- For the purchase of a new sink, allow 50 to 100 euros for an entry-level model, and up to 2,000 euros or more for a very high-end model. However, a classic standard model will cost you between 200 and 350 euros approximately. For installation, plan a budget of around 150 euros.
Allow between 500 and 1,500 euros for the installation of a kitchen by a professional, the price varying according to the complexity of the site and the number of pieces of furniture to be installed.
Those who wish to save money by giving a facelift to their kitchen furniture now have a wide choice of paints and accessories to give a whole new style to obsolete furniture.
- To repaint your furniture, allow between 5 and 30 euros on average per piece of furniture.
- A new handle more in harmony with your future kitchen will cost you between 3 and 20 euros on average.
- For more comfort, it is possible to equip old furniture with accessories such as shock absorbers. Count around 10 to 15 euros per opening.
The work plan
The worktop is a separate piece, because it can change the style of your kitchen on its own. In harmony with the furniture or on the contrary completely out of step, you will find worktops at all prices.
- For free-standing models in wood, stainless steel, stone or granite, count between 20 and 100 euros per square meter.
- For the installation of a waxed concrete worktop, a very trendy solution, allow 80 to 120 euros per square meter.
household appliances
Take the time to think carefully about the purchase of your appliance. There are now high-performance devices that consume little energy. Sometimes investing a little more in quality equipment is a wise decision that will save you money in use and will last you longer. Oven, microwave, dishwasher, refrigerator, hood and small appliances, it’s up to you to define your needs.
kitchen painting
To have your kitchen repainted by a professional, plan a budget of between 30 and 60 euros per square meter, including supplies and labor.
The kitchen floor
For the kitchen, avoid fragile coverings, because it is a room where you walk on and where stains regularly form on the floor. Prefer a comfortable and solid floor, able to resist water and dirt.
For the purchase of new tiles, count between 20 and 60 euros per square meter, or even more for high-end models since some spend 120 euros per square meter. Add 25 to 50 euros more per square meter for the laying of the tiles by a professional tiler.
Major kitchen renovations
If you want to open a closed kitchen or, on the contrary, close an open kitchen, you will need to plan the budget necessary for the demolition or reconstruction of a wall or part of a wall. Of course, the method varies depending on whether it is a partition, which is easy to break, or a load-bearing wall.
On average, count 30 to 200 euros per cubic meter of wall to be destroyed, depending on the nature of the wall, its materials, its location and the difficulty of the site.
Nowadays, kitchens are closed with glass or designer partitions. They bring a touch of decoration and elegance while having a real utility. Indeed, noises and odors are slowed down, but the light remains present and you enjoy a beautiful view of your living room.
Lighting and electricity in the kitchen
Properly lighting your kitchen is important. Provide sufficient light fixtures so that the whole room is bright enough and consider lighting areas such as the sink, which may be dark.
Take the opportunity to redo your electrical outlets if they need to be brought up to standard, or to add more to meet your needs.
How to save money by renovating your kitchen?
Renovating your kitchen is expensive, but it is fortunately possible to save money on certain points. Here are our tips and advice to earn some precious euros.
- Do whatever work you feel capable of doing. This will save you labor cost. At a minimum, try to take care of the cleaning and dismantling of old furniture and appliances, or even paintings.
- Choose some materials and your furniture yourself, even if you have them installed by a craftsman. You will save the margins that they practice on the purchase of furniture, materials and tools.
- Keep your old kitchen furniture and give it a facelift! There are many ways to save money: replacing the door, repainting the facade, changing the handles, adding comfort accessories, etc.
- If you no longer like your worktop or splashback, but you cannot afford to replace them, there are adhesive coatings, paints or stickers suitable for giving them a new look at a lower cost.