Kitchen Updates When You Can’t Renovate

You want to give your kitchen new life, but perhaps a full renovation is out of the question. These kitchen updates won’t cost you much time, money, or effort, but they’ll make your kitchen look like new.

You might have heard that kitchen updates are most likely to increase the value of your home, meaning you’ll get a better price if you want to sell it. You’ll recoup about 64 percent of the cost of a major or minor kitchen remodel in the Philadelphia area, according to cost vs. value statistics from Remodeling magazine. Updating your kitchen also makes it more enjoyable for you while you live in your home. But the high price of a full-on renovation can be a turnoff.

In the Philly area, the average kitchen remodel costs more than $35,000, according to Houzz. However, you can give your kitchen new life without spending thousands of dollars. Give your kitchen area a mini-facelift with one or more of these simple kitchen updates.

Get New Textiles

One of the simplest and least expensive ways you can update your Philly kitchen is to invest in new textiles. If your potholders are burnt or have permanent food stains, toss them out and invest in a new set. The same is true of your kitchen towels and any curtains hanging in the kitchen windows. If the towels are worn out, stained, or torn, or if your curtains are faded and worn or just plain dated, it’s time to upgrade. If you want to go with a Philly theme with your textiles, check out these Liberty Bell printed flour sack towels from Girls Can Tell on Etsy.

Change the Hardware

Another easy-as-pie way to give your kitchen a lift is to swap out the hardware on your cabinets. Invest in new matching drawer pulls and door handles. Fix the cabinet door that doesn’t hang quite right by replacing the hinge or tightening it. You can find inexpensive drawer pulls in the kitchen section at the IKEA in South Philly, for example. If you prefer something more decorative or quirky, head to Anthropologie in Rittenhouse, which offers a great selection of pretty and unique cabinet hardware.

Fix Up the Countertops

If you have the time and budget to go more in-depth with your kitchen update, you might consider resurfacing or refinishing your countertops. In Philadelphia, the average cost to replace the tiles or other surface on your kitchen counters is less than $500, according to HomeAdvisor. If you have a butcher block countertop or unfinished wood counters, you can fix them up yourself with some sandpaper, wood oil or stain, and elbow grease.

Refinish the Floor

Redoing your kitchen floors is another more involved project that’s still less expensive and less intense than a complete kitchen makeover. The cost of fixing up the floors depends on the type of flooring you have. If you have tile, marble, or stone floors, expect to pay about $300 to have them polished. The average cost to refinish wood floors in Philadelphia is about $1,500. The actual amount you pay depends on the size of your floor. An inexpensive way to dress up your kitchen floor is to lay down a few kitchen rugs or mats, strategically placed over worn-out or stained areas.

If you decide to work with a professional company, shop around before making a hiring decision in order to get the best value and make sure the company you’re working with is reliable.

Fixing up your kitchen doesn’t have to mean giving it a complete makeover. With a few small changes, it can look completely new.

Image Source: Flickr/Colleen Lane

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Amy Freeman