Homeowner Katie Miller renovated a 25-year-old, builder-grade condo kitchen that lacked counter space, storage, and had numerous aesthetic and functional issues. She saved for four years and teamed with her father, Dave, to design and execute the renovation, hiring about $9,500 in professional plumbing and electrical work while completing the rest as DIY. The kitchen originally had a fridge blocking the window, short counters, hideous flooring, crooked and peeling cabinets, and greasy track lighting. Demo and construction were complicated by the unit's third-floor location and limited storage, requiring carrying materials up stairs and living amid construction for four months.
Her 25-year-old kitchen was an opportunity indeed; "it was a 'builder's special,' so it was originally done as cheaply as possible," Katie says. "I did not like anything about it. There was not enough counter space and storage. The fridge was blocking the window, and it was too short. The flooring was hideous. The cabinets were crooked and peeling. The track lighting was ugly and covered in grease."
The process involved a full demo, and Dave was a major player in the "demo, carpentry, cabinet install, all the heavy lifting, [and] moral support," Katie says. "There is no way I could have afforded this project if it wasn't mostly DIY and [I] didn't have my dad as a resource." The hardest part was being located on the third floor, having to carry new materials up and old materials down - and doing the entire project while not disturbing the neighbors.
After saving up money for four years, Katie (an architect) and her dad, Dave (an experienced DIYer) designed and executed a gorgeous kitchen reno. They had about $9,500 worth of pro plumbing and electrical help, but the rest was DIY. Demo in a small space was tricky. The process involved a full demo, and Dave was a major player in the "demo, carpentry, cabinet install, all the heavy lifting, [and] moral support," Katie says.
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