11 Ways to Save on a Kitchen Redo

Save big bucks by staying within your kitchen's existing footprint as you reimagine the space. Need more room? Instead of ripping out an exterior wall and extending the foundation, consider stealing square footage from an adjacent room, closet or hallway. Or look at adding a storage-rich island or peninsula (or removing or reconfiguring an existing island that impedes traffic flow and just isn't functional). Rolling carts offer another flexible option.

Work with existing plumbing, electrical and gas lines, and you'll save even more cash.

Pictured: Karrie and Mark Weinhardt thought about adding on to their Des Moines kitchen, but instead found more budget-friendly ways to upgrade the cooking space, like tweaking the existing layout to better serve their family's needs. For example, they were able to install a functional new prep sink in the island for a reasonable price, since plumbing lines were already nearby. Now Karrie can chat with the kids in the evening as she prepares meals and they pull up barstools on the other side of the island.