# Costs of renovating kitchens and bathrooms



## Addy

We will be moving this spring/summer and we are debating if we should purchase an older home that is less expensive, or a newer home that is more but would be in move-in condition. We are hoping the older home has a kitchen and bathrooms that are decent enough, but if not we may be faced with renovating..... we are almost dead-set against renovating since we've done two reno homes so far, but we are also not naive enough to say no renos ever, at any price.

That said, is there a standard cost for a new kitchen or bathroom that people use when determining what to offer on a home that needs such renovations? I realize costs will vary dramatically, but there has to be a ball park figure that people go by. How can I figure this out? Phone kitchen and bath renovation companies in the area we're moving to?


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## Rico

You're right about the costs being all over the map but I'm sure you know it depends on the choices made (type of counter tops, appliances, etc.). There's also the issue of totally replacing the cupboards and redesigning the space or just replacing the doors.

Naturally, the same applies to the bathroom (choices I mean).

However, since I just asked my father-in-law (who used to be a home builder) about these very costs, he told me a bathroom reno is about $5000 to hire someone and $2500-3000 to do it ourselves (with his help). We did a bathroom in our previous house for about $2000; we tiled ourselves, toilet and vanity from Costco and shower from home depot installed by father-in-law.

The kitchen is tougher . . . very ballpark figure is 20000-30000.

I'm sure prices vary greatly across regions too. As others comment you'll get a better range of prices too.


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## sprocket1200

here is a rough good guide.

http://www.ontariocontractors.com/costs.htm

costco has towel warmers for $199!!!


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## Berubeland

The cheapest place to buy kitchens is IKEA. 

If price is a major issue like it was when I was in charge of renovating the townhouses, that's the place to go.

Ikea kitchen was $1200 taxes in and the same kitchen was $1800 at Home Depot.


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## marina628

Depends if you can do the work yourself , My husband did a powder room for $1200 and a full bathroom for about $3300.This included all new sinks,toilets ,counter tops ,plumbing,flooring and taps.And I can honestly say it was done to a good standard,granite counter in powder room .To put it in perspective a contractor quoted us $4500 for powder room and $11000 for main bathroom.

We did a full Kitchen Reno for $7000 and bought everything at home depot and it was a nice quality kitchen even had pot drawers and glass corner cupboard with lighting.This was in 2009 for one property we bought.BTW my husband says he did it but I supervised lol .A cheap CONTRACTOR charges $40 per hour ,if you have access to tools and a skilled person to help that's the best way to go.


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## cosmica76

It depends on equipment of the future kitchen and bathroom. The majority of our clients ask me that what is a better strategy? Firstly, clients want to buy the older home for less money - that´s your situation. And secondly, clients want to invest more money to their future home, because they´re tired from an idea of renovating house. I think first strategy is a bit better, but it depends on lot of factors. My advice is a planning, what it means planning of financial budget and planning of the concrete part of rooms for renovating. Have a good luck!


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## kubatron

get ikea cabinest
splash it up with nice hardware
finish it off with great appliances
nice stone
voila, new kitchen


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## marina628

Ikea cabinets have come a long way http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/kitchen/ not sure what that would cost but not bad.


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## jackswwagar

I think the cost depends on the size of the area. Normally it will cost you 25$ to 30$ for par square ft. but as quality incrrease your budget can also increase.


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## MoneyGal

Our current house, when we bought it, had a kitchen which had last been renovated in the 1940s. I actually have no idea how the previous owners cooked in it. There was a half-size (ancient) gas stove, an apartment-sized refrigerator, and ONE cupboard. One. It would fit a few pots and pans. 

NEways. There were 5 layers of linoleum on the floor. My husband and his dad ripped them out and we painted the pine subfloor. I would also have gone with painted plywood, but the subfloor is fine (actually pretty!)

We bought scratch and dent high-end appliances - fridge, microwave, and stove. Probably 50% discount from retail. 

We bought cabinets, Corian countertop, and a very fancy (and huge) sink at our local ReStore -- all from a restaurant that was either renovating or had gone out of business. Total cost: $1200. We filled in a few cabinet loose ends with IKEA stuff. 

We painted and put in new track lights. 

Our total costs would be under $6K and our kitchen is very functional and quite pretty. It looks kind of industrial - industrial sink, I have an industrial blender, etc. but I spend a lot of time there and love it.


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## dogcom

I will be doing my kitchen in the next year or so and for me I will make sure my sub floor is 100 percent up to grade to handle ceramic tile first. I won't remove old linoleum floor and instead go over top of this with plywood. Apparently you don't know for sure if asbestos was used in the lino so best to not remove it. Just so you don't get a Holmes on Holmes disaster you will want to make sure the plumbing, electrical and rough floor is done right and then move forward with the kitchen. So I wouldn't use a contractor and instead call in the pros by trade so I don't get a disaster. This may or may not cost more but you should get what you paid for.


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## donald

Dogcom-the basement joists(2x10's or 2x12's-in older homes pre eng.joists)is the important factor.(what they are on center ie:2 ft/18 inch or 16 inch & telepost placement & the main beams running in the basement that the joists are attached-outside leaders ect)are what you need to look @ most.If they are not up to code or suffient the worst thing you could do is add another layer of weight over top of an exsisting floor and than put heavy tile on.

Your better off ripping the subfloor right off(2 the joist work and start new)Its also better because you can properly glue and screw it.(nothing worst than screwing through multiple layers of flooring,and not getting the floor properly fastened.


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## Just a Guy

It all depends on who you hire, or if you do it yourself and how complex you get....

I'm just finishing a Reno on my kitchen and two bathrooms. I've got a very good contractor who quotes on a project cost. No fee creep, no worrying that they work slow and add to costs.

He had access to a custom cabinet maker which was better quality, built to fit exactly and cheaper than Ikea.

Picked up a vanity at the local hardware store for the bathroom. Overall, I'd say the bathrooms came in at 1-2k and the kitchen at about 10k after the plumbers. Everything new from the ground up. Of course, I used this guy a lot with my rentals, so I get a preferred rate.


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## dogcom

Thanks Donald my house was built in the 70's and luckily for me there is only one layer of lino down on my floor not that it doesn't mean I have to do what you say. I will probably call in a floor specialist to look at it and tell me what it is I need or he needs to do to make sure it is 100 percent and see if what he says makes sense to me. It really ticks me off when the wife says just put this in or that in and we will do it for low cost and blah, blah. I have to tell her that all these structural issues must be satisfied first before we just slap in a new kitchen. 

These are the questions people need to ask in my opinion so they have a solid foundation, walls, floor and ceiling before they put the new stuff inside.


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## donald

I agree with your thinking 100% dogcom.(that is where people can get into trouble)You can't make ice cream from sh%t or put lip stick on a pig and call it pretty(not re:to you,the masses).Most people hate/don't think about the really important area's(because it is generally what you can't see/feel/show off)in a house.

People have been burned by house flipper's(and or sub contractor preying on people)-and it's always 2 late.Classic homes on homes disasters!


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## Four Pillars

Addy said:


> How can I figure this out? Phone kitchen and bath renovation companies in the area we're moving to?


I think that is a good idea. Along with all the variables others have mentioned - labour costs differ greatly in different areas.


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## Dan

Rico said:


> You're right about the costs being all over the map but I'm sure you know it depends on the choices made (type of counter tops, appliances, etc.). There's also the issue of totally replacing the cupboards and redesigning the space or just replacing the doors.
> 
> Naturally, the same applies to the bathroom (choices I mean).
> 
> However, since I just asked my father-in-law (who used to be a home builder) about these very costs, he told me a bathroom reno is about $5000 to hire someone and $2500-3000 to do it ourselves (with his help). We did a bathroom in our previous house for about $2000; we tiled ourselves, toilet and vanity from Costco and shower from home depot installed by father-in-law.
> 
> The kitchen is tougher . . . very ballpark figure is 20000-30000.
> 
> I'm sure prices vary greatly across regions too. As others comment you'll get a better range of prices too.



I did my upstairs bathroom for about $1500. Toilet, Vanity/top from "the Re-Store", tiles on sale for 70cents sqf, new drywall (mould resistant), tub and surround from lowes on sale roughly $400, GFCI outlit, a few towel racks (Thanks Wal-Mart) and paint.

The issue with reno's is the time and the added expense of the unknown. In my case my bathroom was 3inches off square but it wasn't too hard to correct with some help.

The kitchen shouldn't cost you 20k... it really depends what you do with it. Going like for like is normally around $3000ish if you don't need appliances and do the work yourself. I grabbed my appliances off Kijiji (21cf Fridge, smooth top stove, over the range nuke and dishwasher) for $500 because the gentalman bought a condo and didn't like the white appliances... SCORE! Since my kitchen is only 10x12 and Home Depot does their bi-month "truckload" cabinet event ($99 per cabinet, any size and yes they are LDF/MDF but they look awesome) you can get away fairly cheap. Just be a smart shopper and have friends who seriously know how to help with renos.

I more thing, you could have a crummy home inspection and e-mail Mike Holmes to come do his show at your place. Worked for me LOL. I'm actually serious - Season 2


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## SummerWalk

Considering the budget cost of renovating kitchens and bathrooms, I don't think everybody can afford this instantly. This is one of the best renovations to improve home value. This is also to happen to be the most expensive part of the house to remodel.


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## mayallen

On an average renovating a small bathroom would cost about $8000-$10,000. The cost can vary based on the type of layout that you select for the bathroom. Select a layout that is simple and which works well with your current bathroom so that it could help you bring the cost down. A bathroom renovation would include buying a new sink, toilet and a bathtub. The cost of the materials could go up if you want any additional fixtures so if you are looking for a budget friendly renovation then I would suggest only buy the things that you really want. Here is a blog from avonlea renovation that mentions some designing ideas for small bathrooms http://www.avonlearenovations.com/blog/home-renovations/five-big-ideas-for-small-modern-bathrooms/ .


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## new dog

I had a number of quotes done on my 70 square foot main bathroom and I am looking at between 14 to 18 thousand depending on who I go with. Of course costs go up with the more expensive changes and upgrades. In BC drywall demo is a huge problem as the province has gone totally stupid on the possibility of asbestos. Many people are burying it or throwing it in the garbage piece by piece because of the stupid rules around it.


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## Just a Guy

It also depends on how set you are in having things a certain way. For example if you wanted granite counters, the price can vary depending on the colour. It also depends on the supplier. When I called around, I had quotes upwards of $150+/sq. ft. I made a lot of calls, one guy quoted $50/sq but had limited selection. Eventually, I found a rural supplier who quoted $5/sq for materials and $14/sq for cutting and polishing for a total of $19/sq. I think they reprocessed broken pieces, but had a huge selection and it fit the bill.


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## carverman

donald said:


> Dogcom-the basement joists(2x10's or 2x12's-in older homes pre eng.joists)is the important factor.(what they are on center ie:2 ft/18 inch or 16 inch & telepost placement & the main beams running in the basement that the joists are attached-outside leaders ect)are what you need to look @ most.If they are not up to code or suffient the worst thing you could do is add another layer of weight over top of an exsisting floor and than put heavy tile on.
> 
> Your better off ripping the subfloor right off(2 the joist work and start new)Its also better because you can properly glue and screw it.(nothing worst than screwing through multiple layers of flooring,and not getting the floor properly fastened.


 ...and the squeaks..i hate squeaky floors..my upper floors squeak in places because the builder used 2x8 and parquet flooring.
Imagine the cost today to replace or strengthen the floor joists with cross bracing and a new plywood subfloor screwed down to the floor joists instead of just nailed?
Everytime I run over part of the floor..things like cabinets on it start shaking.


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## Bowzer

When my wife and I were buying our current house, we needed a whole new kitchen as the current one was terrible.

We went to Ikea and looked at the kitchens there and thought they looked nice. Then we used their online building software to lay out a new kitchen.

Then we had a meeting with a kitchen designer, and realized we didn't have a clue what we were doing. We immediately scrapped the Ikea plans. 

Our layout of our new kitchen is just so much better than what we were coming up with on our own. A professional really helped.

The extra money we paid for our kitchen was well worth it, and it is a "wow" kitchen that impresses everyone that sees it.

This isn't money saving advice, but sometimes you just have to indulge.


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## keni

*answer*

Hello, if you need to paint something in your kitchen


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