Are Custom Kitchen Cabinets Worth the Price?
There are so many options for remodeling your kitchen, including what you’ll do with your cabinets. Depending on which you choose, you could spend anywhere from about $20K to upwards of more than $100,000 on your project.
If you’ve been thinking about purchasing custom cabinets, you no doubt want to do something special with your kitchen. Custom kitchen cabinets are the ultimate in cabinetry, and while many homeowners opt for them each year, for others they just aren’t in the cards.
But let’s take a look at the particulars of custom cabinets and determine whether they may or may not be right for your kitchen remodel.
Creative Freedom
Of course, the main perk of choosing to purchase custom cabinets for your kitchen is that you can do literally anything with the design. You aren’t limited to what’s in stock, the styles made by a certain manufacturer, traditional cabinet sizes, or other particulars like that. You’ll have total flexibility in style, finishes, materials and more.
Custom kitchen cabinets are completely made-to-order. This is ideal if you have high-end tastes and a high-end budget, if you have a unique design in mind, or if you have a space that has an unusual layout or is of an unusual size, making it hard to use traditional size cabinets. Custom designs are especially helpful in turning an otherwise unusable space into one that is absolutely functional.
Quality of Workmanship
If you’ve thinking about custom cabinetry, chances are you’ve done your homework and you’ve found a company or individual that does exquisite work. Truly, you will get a top-notch product when you pay top prices for your cabinets. Nothing is pre-built. You’re paying for every part to be individually crafted, assembled and installed. Any extras will drive up the price even more. And, remember, this is a very long process so you will pay accordingly.
However, these cabinets will most likely last longer than pre-fabs or cabinet refacing options, so it you’ll be in your home for the foreseeable future and probably won’t move again, the money spent might be worth it.
Pre-Planning
In addition, you will need to have a plan in place to provide to the cabinet maker before the project begins. This will need to be done by a contractor, which may or may not be recommended by the cabinet marker. It’s also possible to use online planning tools for this step of the process, but those aides may not be as precise as hiring someone to craft a blueprint.
So, is it Worth it?
Well, the answer to this question is not a “yes” or “no” across the board.
You will most benefit from spending money on custom kitchen cabinets if:
- You have a small or unique space that would benefit from the ability to choose custom-sized cabinets to maximize your storage space, functionality, and more.
- You plan to remain in your home and have no plans of selling in the future.
- You have a large budget and a flexible timeline for your kitchen renovation.
However, chances are custom kitchen cabinets aren’t worth the cost if:
- You want a new look for your kitchen but your budget is limited.
- You plan to sell your home in the next 5 to 10 years.
- You don’t believe custom cabinets will result in a huge return-on-investment
- You don’t have time for your kitchen to be in upheaval or for contractors to be in your home for weeks. This is especially important if you are working from home.
Remember, cabinet costs take up the major portion of your kitchen remodeling budget. It’s likely you’re going to do more than just replace or change your cabinets in some way. So, you need to allow for costs for other items such as countertops, floors, backsplash, lighting fixtures, plumbing, and more.
While custom kitchen cabinets might give you your dream kitchen, there are other less-costly ways to make your space look like new. Cabinet refacing is an option that can save you tons of money while still providing you with a fresh, new look for your kitchen.
The professionals at Mr Cabinet Care can chat with you about the pros and cons of custom cabinets and how refacing might be able to accomplish the same goals you have for your kitchen at just a fraction of the cost. For more information, visit us at www.mrcabinetcare.com.