Queens Kitchen Renovation Cost
Hey, Brownstowners: we are buying a 1920s brick attached house in Queens. It’s all great except for the tiny, awful kitchen. A local architect has done some gorgeous work — including the moving of walls, which we’ll need — so we got in touch with her. She says kitchen renos cost from $40K-$60K. Does that sound right to you? We renovated our co-op kitchen and bath five years ago for about $27K, so we’re experiencing a bit of sticker shock. We used Ikea cabinets and are happy with them. Thanks for any advice.
zinsu
in Renovation 11 years and 9 months ago
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11 replies
randazzomarianna | 7 years and 8 months ago
It really depends on what you want to do and what your finish level is. When you are struggling to plan your budget I would suggest reading this kitchen remodeling cost guide (https://mykukun.com/cost-guide/cost-of-kitchen-remodel) it even includes a free and easy-to-use estimator.
martin89 | 11 years and 1 month ago
A Kitchen remodel can go from $10k to $100k just by the homeowner making a few decisions one way or another. The architect typically works on bigger – nicer projects so what they see on average is higher than an average for all kitchen remodels. Moving walls can cost $1000 or $10,000 or more..it just depends on what the wall is doing structurally. Try this online calculator http://www.remodelormove.com/kitchen-remodelling to get a rough estimate then click on the button at the end that will give you a breakdown of the costs for labor and materials. Then you can really start tweaking where you want to spend what and get a good idea of the costs for YOUR project versus some average for other peoples houses and projects
pat789 | 11 years and 5 months ago
Well it depends on alot of stuff! moving walls can cost $100 or $10,000\. architects charge for their time, plus she is assuming a general contractor and a certain type of materials and probably that you wont do any of the work yourself. Also without knowing the size after the reno it is hard to really know if $50k is ok. i would think a good size kitchen done by pros for $50 in the NY area is typical. i tested the price using the calculator at [www.remodelormove.com](http://www.remodelormove.com) and assumed the result would be a 200sqft kitchen and the calculator gave me an estimate of $75k. You can certainly do it for $30k or less if you take on some of the work, if the kitchen is small, if you shop hard for some of the materials, or maybe forgo the services of an architect and use a kitchen cabinet place to do the designs..it really depends on how much structural work needs to be done.
mruby36 | 11 years and 9 months ago
I’d like to float the idea that it’s possible to equate the -design of your space process- with basic psychology, and that it’s possible to consider not needing an architect without offending architects or those who feel they are needed. The 35k kitchen – Psychology – starting with thinking you need to spend 20k then adding what you want and feel you will benefit from, is different from thinking you need to spend 60k, and then removing things you’d like to have, and seeing what you end up with… Architect – start without one till it becomes apparent that you need one is different from using one and later realizing that this expense wasn’t needed. I know, I know, I know, you cannot know the benefit of something that you never employ because you’d have know way of knowing what you missed etc., etc. Way too deep for a Sunday, eh? Curated mentioned that they have design capabilities in house, which I would agree brings everyone closer to the simple concept of getting your needs met as inexpensively as possible, _and_ without the risk of creating adversarial relationships that you’ll end up financing. I would also submit that some contractors have design capabilities within there own experience and can provide more than sufficient help in this way as well (_inserting shameless plug here – I have such capabilities_). Factors in support of starting small, lean and moving up – just how complicated is the space? Is the basic layout already dictated by existing constraints? Are you thinking more broadly than just the kitchen e.g. the kitchen is now separate from the space around it and you’d like to open it up and incorporate more of a “grand room” concept? Are there structural components involved e.g. take out a wall, open an interior window from the kitchen to a neighboring room etc? This is just a short list of questions/things you might be considering. Again, I dont mean to diminish the value of broader and grander approaches, I am simply suggesting working your way “up to” the broader/grander rather than the other way around. Many of us (certainly not all) are more than willing to invest time in discussion with you about your wants and needs list, in exchange for simply having the opportunity to earn you as a client. Any kitchen has the same few components that each of which result in a huge percentage of the cost, cabinet line, counter tops, appliances and labor. I know, I know I know, what about the floor!, backslash!, the ceiling!, the crown molding, new dishes, the next trip to “Sur La Table”…! Each component has a reason for its existence, YOUR REASON, not the opinion of the neighbors, Architectural digest or the NY Times. Are kids going to be slamming the cabinets around, thereby a need for sturdy construction or have you control over your kids and prefer great components and functionality? Counter tops can make the kitchen nice, or outstanding! Is it the color, material or maintenance of them that matters? Similar questions for the other components; you CAN answer these questions. The core of my comment offered here is to not conclude that you are overwhelmed by the process until you determine that you are indeed overwhelmed. Do some exploratory discussion with a contractor or two, those with in house capability or wannabe design skills; assuming you’ve been to a few cabinet places – explore the design services offered the client for free; get closer to the appliance choices you favor then float on here or elsewhere others experiences with that line (e.g. I’ve had the worst experiences with GE appliances, the best with Maytag and found Sub-Zero over-rated and expensive). You can do it! I hope this helps and best of luck to you! Thanks, Matt R www.nyc-hs.com
nycdesignerr | 11 years and 9 months ago
Average budget for a kitchen redo should be between 10-20% of the home’s value. 60K isn’t really a high end kitchen. It’s a skosh high mid range kitchen. 60K worth of **cabinets**, yes, that’s starting to be high end. But, I’ve had clients who’ve had 60K _appliance budgets_. I think the price you were quoted was appropriate, unless you start talking French ranges and giant built in refrigerators.
cate | 11 years and 9 months ago
The architect quote sounds completely reasonable, as does your $27K with a contractor and Ikea but no architect. Biggest price factor is probably the size of the kitchen (e.g. linear feet of cabinets).
curated | 11 years and 9 months ago
Cost should be dependent on materials and contractor but the architect can play a large role in final costs. I can’t tell you how many times an architect has over spec’d a job totally blowing the clients budget once bids come in. That is the reason why we do both the design and the build. With our own architects and designers it allows us to design with a budget in mind. Not to say that many architects can’t do so also but many that I have dealt with cannot….and I say that knowing I will catch some slack from architects on this board. If you have already hired the architect then you will have to make sure she realistically tries to stick to your budget. http://brownstoner.staging.wpengine.com/curated
zinsu | 11 years and 9 months ago
Thanks, Matt R. and Curated. I figured this question had been asked and answered before, but I didn’t find the magic bullet in a forum search. The architect’s work was featured in a Times article about a house exactly like ours (same neighborhood), and it’s pretty much exactly what we want, so we thought it would be good to hire her. Being able to cook and drink wine is key! Cost has more to do with the contractor and the materials we pick than the architect, yes? I’m thinking $60K on the high end isn’t crazy, but of course I’d like to come in for less than that (without getting a crappy kitchen).
curated | 11 years and 9 months ago
Average cost to gut renovate a smaller kitchen with new electric and plumbing, high quality cabinets, stone tops, design new layouts etc usually ends up being about 30-60k. Average ends up being somewhere in the middle of that range. http://brownstoner.staging.wpengine.com/curated
mruby36 | 11 years and 9 months ago
Hi Kitchen Reno, Specifics? Have you drawn a plan, have a layout in mind, selected a cabinet line or two you like, had anyone in to discuss this…? This response is similar to other posts I’ve responded to but, this sort of question does seem to come up often. – If you are not sure what to specify, you will not get two prices that have any relation to one another. There are too many ways for someone to cut corners and subsequently appear as the low bidder. Have two people come by and ask them to price the work you want done, and to be specific as to what they will include. Most contractors are not keen on spelling something out for you only to see the work go to someone else. So, consider letting them know that in return for helping you out, you will give them final consideration before selecting a contractor. This gives them some assurance that there time may be well spent and that they are willing to invest some time and energy on your behalf. Beyond price: You don’t necessarily need an architect if you and or a contractor have an eye for design and the ability to draw up a plan. You already recognize that you don’t have to spend a lot on cabinets in order to get a great kitchen. I couldn’t agree more on this. The layout, design, work flow, special touches, individual “perk” needs met etc, are what make the following years working IN the kitchen awesome. I guess you could sum this up by answering the question: what is more important to you; how the kitchen looks to others, or how great is the kitchen for you and your family to cook in, live in, eat in, and of course, drink wine in! I love to cook and drink wine. I also can help you with this project if you care to reach out for further discussion. Hope this helps! Thanks, Matt R http://www.nyc-hs.com
zinsu | 11 years and 9 months ago
I should add that neither of us is handy, so we’d be hiring people to do all the work.