I am remodeling a small kitchen (70 SF) I have on a house I have under contract right now. The kitchen is old and dingy, and I wanted to change it out so that we can add a dishwasher to the space (there currently isn't one, which I know will hurt rents). I had budgeted about $4500 for the kitchen, but early bids have it closer to a $6500-$7000 project (which seems like a ton for such a small kitchen just to change cabinets, countertop, and buy refurbished appliances, but I could be wrong). We're also already about $6k over budget without factoring in anything over $4500 for the kitchen. My property manager and his contractor have been trying to sell me on using nicer wood cabinets, which we could get for about $2800. I know we can get the cheap stock wood cabinets at Home Depot for closer to $1300. While obviously there is a difference in quality and lifespan, I wonder if it just makes more sense fiscally to buy the stock cabinets? It is a rental property after-all, and at that price I can basically buy those same cabinets twice for the same cost as the nicer ones. However, the contractor thinks it's a bad idea. Anybody have any experience with cabinet decisions on rental properties? Does it pay to pay up or should I just take the immediate savings using the HD cabinets?

The cheap particle-board cabinets do wear out fast in tougher environments. They swell up when wet, and don't take heavy use as well. The drawer slides have plastic parts that break easily, and the doors go all wonky. Also the holes where screws and shelf supports go can get all loose and make parts wiggle. If you can, go take a look at the more expensive cabinets and their internal parts, and compare them to the cheap stuff. If they are both particle board with plastic parts inside, you're likely just being upsold. If its much more sturdy with real wood, all-metal parts, etc, I'd strongly consider it. (At a reasonable price.. Those prices seem really high for me, but I keep close eye on everything and don't have any middlemen) If you do go with the cheap cabinets, put a layer of plywood down under the sink pipes to catch drips. That will be the first place to go. Also, I actually remove dishwashers (and disposals) from my rentals, as they do tend to cause a lot of problems with water leaks, plumbing issues and maintenance.

When I did my moms kitchen she bought the cheap home depot cabinets. To extend their lifespan I sealed every surface with polyurethane. That was about 10 years ago and they still look brand new.

In my opinion, as a woodworker and cabinet builder I would never spend 3k on cabinets for a rental unless it was in a high end area with good roi, aswell as comps showing the same trend in higher end cabinets. The cheaper cabinets from the big box wont hurt your pockets as much and when they need to be replaced in the future due to kids coloring on them or niks and dings from the previous tenants, or just straight up misuse and neglect- your pockets wont have to hemorrhage again. Nice cabinetry is expensive because it is built with premium woods and built in a manner to ensure the durability and survival of the cabinet itself. They are meant to go in spaces where they will be taken care of and not neglected. To a tenant - a cabinet is just a cabinet. To a homeowner a cabinet is a design decision not taken lightly, its an investment in the beauty and functionality of ones kitchen, its a statement!!!

@Jason L. The shelves are nothing more than 2x12 douglas fir ripped down sharp, sanded, and couple coats of poly urethane. These are 75 lb each rated brackets, more than sufficient.

I would agree with most of the replies here. I just renovated one of the kitchens in a multi I just purchased and we are now getting $300 more for the unit than the previous owner because we made quality upgrades. I purchased cabinets (plywood boxes, real wood drawers with dovetail) from our local building supplier and had our GC install them for $500. We did replace the upper cabinets with open shelves which help cut costs but look awesome. All in, we replaced our cabinets for under $2K.

Is this a higher end rental property? That price seems quite high to me. Are you moving any plumbing? Although we have not used them yet, I’ve heard good things about RTA cabinets (you can find several dealers online). For our rental kitchens, we just make sure to get plywood frames (no particle board, as it will be destroyed when it gets wet). Most prices I have seen start around $1k-$1.2k for a standard 10x10 kitchen (not including assembly & install). You could also consider replacing some of the uppers with floating shelves to save some $$.

Rental Kitchen Cabinets: Is it worth it to buy more expensive?

Tobias Falzone

Real Estate Agent · Orlando, FL · Member since 2015 · 126 posts · 74 votes

8y

I use RTA plywood cabinets in our flips. 2-3k for a small kitchen, and they look and feel high end. Our supplier assembled them for us and drivers to the site ready to install. You can find an installer for under 1k.

Rental Kitchen Cabinets: Is it worth it to buy more expensive?

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