That's a good question and one of the most frequently asked of professional renovators by home owners.
Unfortunately, it's not one that is easily answered .
The costs to do a renovation vary as widely as the type and condition of the homes in Winnipeg. No two homes are identical, and no two estimates are the same either. However, we'll try to help you sort through it with some "ranges" of reno costs .
Let's start with the most popular renovation these days -- kitchens. First, separate the kitchen cabinet costs from the renovation costs. Cabinets or millwork are usually a big chunk of the overall budget of a kitchen makeover. You can spend anywhere from $6,000 to $8,000 (at the low end) to $13,000 to $15,000.00 (at the high end) for a semi-custom set of cabinets and counter tops.
If you go with all the items on your dream kitchen wish list, total costs can quickly balloon to $15,000 to $25,000 or $30,000. Most people are looking for more cabinets. Your kitchen, with its six to 10 lineal feet of cabinets, can expand to 12 or 15 lineal feet in a hurry. That alone will drive your costs up .
Renovation costs are often driven by changes to the home created by the kitchen design itself. Are the major mechanical systems moving? Where's the sink going? Are the major electrical circuits moving (stove, wall ovens, microwave )? Are you going to change windows or doors as part of the renovation? Those costs, although not a kitchen item per se, all have to be accounted for.
How far is the flooring being redone? Now that the walls are being removed, is the flooring running all the way into the dining room/living room and down the hall? Once again, the kitchen renovation budget may include costs that reach far into other areas of the home. Are there structural changes to consider? Is an engineer required to spec. a certain size beam?
Renovation costs can vary greatly. The minimum might be in the low end range of $5,000 to $10,000 with an upper range almost limitless. An extra $30,000 to $50,000.00 or higher is not unrealistic, depending on the changes being contemplated at the time of the kitchen renovation.
Your renovation general contractor can help you by preparing a firm, accurate price once a finite set of specifications have been created. You, as the consumer, must be honest with yourself, your banker and your contractor and come up with a realistic dollar figure that you can spend on the project. Project this dollar figure into all the discussions early in the process to avoid unnecessary and costly wasted time -- yours as well as the contractor's.
We hope this helps you with some perspective on the maze of kitchen renovation costs. Other renovation projects will be discussed in future issues.
Brought to you by members of the RenoMark Renovator's Council of the Manitoba Home Builders' Association
