PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY MATTHEW BILLINGTON
Kitchen remodels can be expensive when you buy new, but there are ways to save by purchasing rehabbed items.
Many renovators insist on new appliances, and I get it. You’ll certainly suffer fewer breakdowns going forward that way. But I purchase all of mine at stores selling them used with a 30-day warranty, snagging a fancier pre-loved item for the price of a low-end new one. For my last renovation, I bought a dishwasher at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Fairfield and a fridge and stove at Building Value (Northside). The stove hood I bought new; I draw the line at vintage grease. As for laundry machines, just one out of the dozen-plus I’ve gotten from Tri-State Appliance (Northside) has been wonky and was replaced quickly at no extra charge.
With patience, you can save thousands on cabinets, as I did this fall. I searched for weeks online and in secondhand stores (Building Value gets the best of them) before finding a set of KraftMaid all-wood wall and base cabinets from an individual on Facebook Marketplace, in the approximate dimensions I needed. At $2,500 for a set of 12 in good, clean condition, they cost a third of what that first owner paid. Bonus: They came with hardware, which isn’t included when you buy new cabinets. Caveat: Measure carefully to make sure what’s on offer will fit your kitchen.
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