Kenneth Lewis Blog

Now is the season that home remodeling and home improvement projects start. This spring, if you’d like to replace your kitchen cabinets but are worried about busting your budget, try refacing them instead of replacing them. Refacing kitchen cabinets with new doors and drawer fronts, rather than replacing all of the cabinetry, can save about 50% on cost.

Save Money and Time

As a very general rule, if replacing the cabinets will cost you $5,000, refacing cabinets them will cost $2,500. If you are on a budget, this is a way to save money.

Most of what you see in a kitchen is cabinet doors and drawers, so this makes up the bulk of a remodeling job. The money you save can be used for replacing the flooring or countertops, buying new appliances or adding new lighting.

Cabinet refacing is also much faster than totally replacing cabinets, taking only three to five days. In most cases, the appliances do not need to be moved and the homeowner can still use the kitchen.

How It Works

Refacing cabinets does not mean you have to use the same color that is there now.

Most kitchen cabinets have good ‘bones,’ with cabinets that are furniture-quality construction.

At Cabinetry by Kenneth C. Lewis, cabinet refacing is not a cheesy, peel-and-stick product and process. This is real wood or laminate veneer being adhered to your existing cabinets. If you do it this way, the new veneer becomes one with the cabinet box. It is there for life.

Because the outsides of the cabinets are redone, you also can take this opportunity to add a few more cabinets or an island. These can be built to match your refaced cabinets.

If you want to add a pantry or a kitchen island, it can be matched seamlessly.

The kitchen is the most-used room in the house, it should reflect the homeowner. All of the elements that you can add while refacing give it more character.

For kitchen cabinet refacing, contact Kenneth C. Lewis.

NorthJersey.com

Over the last couple years, remodeling projects have risen, implying that homeowners are staying put. Homeowners are finding it’s much more economical to upgrade their existing home rather than buy a new home. Many homeowners find remodeling to be an easier investment than moving in a housing market that hasn’t quite bounced back yet.

Kitchen and bathroom remodeling projects are still the most popular undertakings.  However, more homeowners who are remodeling kitchens are making the projects smaller in scale: Instead of a $70,000 to $80,000 kitchen remodel, they are remodeling on a smaller scale.

There are ways to do a kitchen remodel without spending all the money in the bank, or taking out a loan; especially if you don’t have to buy new kitchen cabinets. How do you remodel a kitchen and keep the same old cabinets? By refacing or refinishing cabinets, you use your old cabinets, but make them look like brand new.

Kitchen cabinet refacing and refinishing changes the entire look of your kitchen because you are changing the look of your cabinets. While accomplishing your kitchen remodeling goal, you are spending significantly less money and getting the results much faster too.

If you are one of those who is contemplating remodeling contact Cabinetry by Kenneth C. Lewis.

Whether you are remodeling your home for sale right away, or simply to increase the value of your home for resale in the future, the right renovations will make all the difference. Kitchen renovations do much more than provide a cosmetic facelift to your property; they offer potential buyers the necessary motivation to select your home over the rest in your neighborhood. Kitchen face lifts offer the greatest value and resale potential for your home.

Kitchen Face Lift

Kitchens are the center of family activity, so it is no wonder these rooms tend to make or break a home sale. Buyers today are looking for kitchens that are light and airy, open enough for entertaining and filled with contemporary features and conveniences. Consider replacing laminate counters with granite countertops and updating sink hardware for an easy way to modernize the look of your kitchen. No need to replace the kitchen cabinets when they are well made, just worm out. Instead cabinet refacing and cabinet refinishing is a better, faster, less expensive option.

For information on fixing up your kitchen cabinets and countertops in order to sell your home, contact Cabinetry by Kenneth C. Lewis.

Business 2 Community

Usually in Massachusetts, home repairs and renovations season usually doesn’t start until May. This year is different. Homeowners already are beginning their home renovations and repair projects.

The early start to the renovation season has lots to do with the unseasonably mild weather and early start to spring. But there is another reasons for it too.

Staying put

It may be a buyer’s market for house hunters, but not everyone is in a position to take advantage of the low prices and low interest rates. As a result, some homeowners are staying put and putting their money into their existing homes. Many homeowners are choosing to reinvest in their kitchens and the exterior of their homes.

Homeowners most often opt for kitchen remodeling, decks, exteriors and outdoor living spaces.

Kitchens are the center of a home. It’s not just a place to prepare food. It’s where a house becomes a home. But more and more homeowners are doing kitchen face lifts, rather than an entire, expensive remodel.

For a more economical solution, when the size and foot print of the kitchen are fine, replace the countertops and spruce up the cabinets with cabinet refacing and refinishing.

For information on kitchen cabinet refacing and refinishing, contact Kenneth C. Lewis Cabinetry.

FDLReporter

In this day of living green and trying to “reduce, reuse and recycle” consider a green kitchen remodel. Really your kitchen cabinets are in fine condition, they just show the years and the knobs are outdated. That does not mean you need to rip them out and throw them away.

Reuse and recycle. With kitchen cabinet refacing and refinishing you are using your existing kitchen cabinets in your kitchen remodel. No need to use the time or energy or materials to replace them.

Kitchen cabinet refacing and refinishing means that you can “fix up” your old cabinets and stain them with green finishes or paints as well.

At Cabinetry by Kenneth C. Lewis we are an expert in kitchen cabinet refacing and remodeling. We will use your cabinets and turn them into “like new.” Additionally, we will only be in your house for a few days, no stress or mess. Your new looking cabinets will be so beautiful  no one will know they aren’t. Best of all, you can be comfortable and confident that your kitchen remodeling project reduced, reused and recycled. Contact us.

Some home improvement projects do not give you the return on investment to make them worthwhile. However, there are some home improvements that increase market value. Most realtors will tell you, kitchens and bathrooms are where the sale is made.

Wall paint colors are easily and inexpensively changed, and chances are that the new homeowner is going to change the wall colors anyway. Complete ktchen remodels certainly create a wow-factor that will boost the value of a home, but the cost is prohibitive for many homeowners, and the work required is lengthy and messy.

Kitchens and bathrooms can benefit from a significant facelift simply by replacing outdated countertops with new custom countertops. At various price points, homeowners can choose from granite countertops, soapstone countertops, silestone countertops, concrete countertops, and a growing number of eco-friendly countertops.

Not every investment will actually pay off when you try to sell. New countertops, however, can beautify your home while you're living there and still provide great ROI when you're ready to move.

By choosing smart upgrades such as new countertops, a home's value will likely increase. Feature such as these are quickly becoming the standard for kitchens and bathrooms. Potential buyers will often not consider a home without granite countertops since they are so popular and readily available these days. Being competitive is crucial in a tough housing market.

For information or a consultation on new countertops, contact Cabinetry by Kenneth C Lewis.

Construction Digital

Thinking about a kitchen makeover? New cabinets are the bulk of the cost. But newly refinished cabinets can give you a brand new kitchen. Cut the cost on your kitchen makeover by adding a new finish or decorative flair to your existing cabinets. Don’t rip them out and replace them, refinish them. No matter what style you are looking for, newly refinished cabinets can change the entire look and feel of your kitchen.
 
New cabinets, even in-stock cabinets at a big box store cost tens of thousands of dollars. If your kitchen cabinets were custom made, stock cabinets are not an option.  If you have been putting off a kitchen remodel, it has probably been in part from the cost of the project as well as the mess and stress of the project.

Cabinet Refinishing, especially on custom made cabinets, is a great way to get what you want from your kitchen in less time, for less money.

Cabinet refinishing may be a better, less stressful and far less time consuming solution. Your old cabinets, along with high quality finishing products, professional standards, and the right finish will give  you that “new” kitchen you have been waiting for; contact Cabinetry by Kenneth C. Lewis.  

With all the projects in your home that need attention, it is hard to decide how to prioritize. Do you do the easier projects, the bigger projects or the do-it-yourself projects first. Perhaps you want to do the least expensive ones first, but  you really do need new kitchen cabinets.

Come visit Cabinets by Kenneth C. Lewis at the New England Home Show, February 23-26 at the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston. We can show you a better way to new kitchen cabinets that will make your kitchen remodeling project all of the above: faster, easier, less expensive.

Kitchen cabinet refacing and refinishing is a better way to get what you want from your kitchen. See us at the Home Show, we will show you how we change your existing cabinets into the cabinets you want through cabinet refacing, replacing the door and drawer fronts; or cabinet refinishing, stripping and refinishing the cabinets and drawers.
 
Contact us for more information on the Home Show, or just stop by!

In today’s economy many homeowners are opting to stay put. Others, who are in the market for a new home, are looking for more modest homes, McMansions have seen their day, and it may be passed for a while.

Sometimes it is challenging to envision your home or a potential new home beyond what is in front of your eyes. You may walk into your kitchen, or the kitchen of a home you are thinking of buying and see old cabinets and Formica counters and think, “the kitchen needs to be remodeled, this will cost tens of thousands”.

This is not necessarily so. There are realistic examples of beautiful kitchens that homeowners can emulate. Walk around the kitchen, does it have a good flow? Is the work triangle right? Are the cabinets sturdy, and in good shape other than the color and the pulls? Kitchen cabinet refacing and refinishing is a faster and less expensive option. Add granite countertops and you have a new kitchen.

Homeowners are investing in their homes, but sometimes you can do that with a much smaller budget. Cabinetry by Kenneth C. Lewis encourages home buyers to consider options that you otherwise would have overlooked. We want to help you to envision possible kitchen remodels for less; less money, less time, less stress. Contact us for more information on kitchen cabinet refinishing and refacing.

Instead of selling homes today more homeowners are upgrading and updating their homes instead. There are several home improvement jobs with a high return on investment. If your goal is to improve your home’s value, here are the remodeling projects that will give you the most return for your money:

• Kitchens and baths
• Decks
• Siding
• Windows

You have several choices for bathroom and kitchen remodels. You can spend a lot of money on a complete gut and remodel. Or, you can do it for less, by refacing or refinishing kitchen cabinets and countertops, and maybe a new floor. This will still give you the effect you are looking for, and still have a great return.

Not all kitchen remodeling projects need to be invasive and massive. Sometimes it is just a face lift that you need. Where you live, the materials you choose, and the scope of the work are all factors that determine costs and can make a difference in your budget.

For a kitchen facelift, contact Kenneth C. Lewis Cabinetry today.