Rental Property Investor · Jersey City, NJ · Member since 2011 · 1k+ posts · 876 votes
I'm renovating a rental kitchen, and want to make it nice. This is a 900 ft 3br that might rent for $1600 when I'm done. I've never put in this much cabinetry before, and wonder if I'm overdoing it. I have some tenants in 1 bedrooms who haven't turned on their stoves in years. Do I just do it up and hope it adds value to people who like to cook? It's not like there's anything else to do with the space. I think I even need to add a cab over the fridge, there's a space there behind the wall cab and the fridge that would be weird without it.
Investor · Dallas, TX · Member since 2009 · 718 posts · 913 votes
12y
I really don't think you can ever have "too much cabinetry." In my experience, the kitchen is a huge draw to tenants, and, yes, they will notice if there is not sufficient counter or cabinet space. Frankly, your diagram does not look like it's even that much cabinetry, particularly for a 3 br.
Contractor · Easton, PA · Member since 2013 · 152 posts · 58 votes
12y
I would go ahead with that layout with the refrigerator cabinet. Add inexpensive granite tops. It seems that there is approximately 10-11 lineal feet of countertops of 22 sf of granite at $33/sf plus under mount sink. You can have granite tops for under $700, Formica would be about 325. Now have fun and do your own tile backsplash, with discounted discontinued tile from hd or lowes for 4/sf. The tile backsplash is typically 18" high x 14 lineal feet is 21 sf of backsplash or $85. And you have a gourmet kitchen. I love doing my own tile. Back splashes are fun and easy.
Rental Property Investor · Jersey City, NJ · Member since 2011 · 1k+ posts · 876 votes
12y
I guess everything is big in Texas! But things are different here, you'd never have some of the bizarre spaces we have in the NY area. I've seen "kitchens" that would normally be a closet. This one, with all those cabs, a dishwasher, microwave and room for a table would opulent as a lower end rental, which $1600 actually is.
I would go ahead with that layout with the refrigerator cabinet. Add inexpensive granite tops. It seems that there is approximately 10-11 lineal feet of countertops of 22 sf of granite at $33/sf plus under mount sink. You can have granite tops for under $700, Formica would be about 325. Now have fun and do your own tile backsplash, with discounted discontinued tile from hd or lowes for 4/sf. The tile backsplash is typically 18" high x 14 lineal feet is 21 sf of backsplash or $85. And you have a gourmet kitchen. I love doing my own tile. Back splashes are fun and easy.
Way ahead of you. I take it a step further and do my own granite tile counters. $5/ft, and easy to repair if needed. $4 sounds hi for splash tile, I get porcelain for $2 from some local dealers. Below is a kitchen in a 450 ft 1br. You can see why I wonder about so much cabinetry!
I am not so big on tiled granite tops. But maybe you have a touch for that. Send me some pictures I would like to see your work.
Maybe in PA you can get slab that cheap, but when I did my own kitchen it was $2k for 33 sq ft of brown & tan stone. My tenants are thrilled to have granite tops, they're used to the crappy HD prefab laminate that always self destructs at the price point of my units. I'll look to see if I have any close up shots.
Edit: found this shot, not a new kitchen, but I painted the horrible old cabs and built a new top. Would have replaced the hardware but these particular inset overlap hinges were not to be had.
I'm renovating a rental kitchen, and want to make it nice. This is a 900 ft 3br that might rent for $1600 when I'm done. I've never put in this much cabinetry before, and wonder if I'm overdoing it. I have some tenants in 1 bedrooms who haven't turned on their stoves in years. Do I just do it up and hope it adds value to people who like to cook? It's not like there's anything else to do with the space. I think I even need to add a cab over the fridge, there's a space there behind the wall cab and the fridge that would be weird without it.
Johann what design program is that that you're using? I've been searching for programs recently and I can't seem to find any that are not $1000+
Rental Property Investor · Jersey City, NJ · Member since 2011 · 1k+ posts · 876 votes
12y
Originally posted by Account Closed:
That's plain old free Sketchup! KraftMaid has free models of all their cabs available for download on the model catalog site. The appliances were downloads too. Can't be easier. Sketchup has a very gentle learning curve compared to other CAD programs I've used.
Investor · Narragansett, RI · Member since 2013 · 8k+ posts · 4k+ votes
12y
Definitely not too much. I wouldn't bother with the over fridge though, not really ever used. On the granite I would say do it if you can for durability if it is affordable. For those suggesting granite I want to know your trick for getting them to do a small kitchen on the price for square foot. It is a problem of getting them in the door for a kitchen under $1000.00,
. For those suggesting granite I want to know your trick for getting them to do a small kitchen on the price for square foot. It is a problem of getting them in the door for a kitchen under $1000.00,
You have to find the "new guy" who is hungry enough to do the small jobs. I have found a good new granite guy while he just opened up and gave him business in this competitive field. He takes care of me.
Investor · Santa Barbara, CA · Member since 2013 · 658 posts · 315 votes
12y
That's not over done at all. I'd put the one over the fridge in too, just to give it a finished look. Nice kitchen and bathroom are huge for satisfaction. I have a studio that I proudly advertise as having a full size kitchen. It will only cost another $100-200. I'll have to check out Sketchup, very cool.
Hanford, CA · Member since 2013 · 5k+ posts · 1k+ votes
12y
I like all the extra countertops. I personally try to do everything I can to add a little "extra" to my house. So they choose it over the competition. Especially if it doesn't cost too much.
New York City, NY · Member since 2013 · 105 posts · 16 votes
12y
I would definitely go for it. I think a nice kitchen adds an immense amount of value, and like you said it's not like there's anything else to do with the space. In my opinion little things like this go a LONG way.
Rental Property Investor · Jersey City, NJ · Member since 2011 · 1k+ posts · 876 votes
12y
Thanks all. I guess I find all those "little value adders" add up! The other headache in this place is a poorly laid out bath. But the contractor wants another $2300 to switch the tub and toilet locations. He may be right, it's an ancient 4" cast iron drain that most plumbers hate to mess with.
Aurora, CO · Member since 2012 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
12y
looks great! be careful with the over-the-fridge cabinets. I moved in to a house that had them and it REALLY reduced the number of fridges that I could choose from. Most of the new fridges were too tall.
I agree w/ @Colleen F. - they are the last cabinets to be used because they're so awkward to reach
Investor · Narragansett, RI · Member since 2013 · 8k+ posts · 4k+ votes
12y
Another way to make it nice at an affordable price is to use display cabinets if you can or recycled. You being in NJ, try greendemolitions in farfield they have an online website and you can pick up donated kitchen at an affordable price. The market is opportunistic so sometimes you luck out and sometimes you are out of luck. There is also a place down in Edison I know a friend used that is more of a cabinet ordering place but I can't recall the name.
looks great! be careful with the over-the-fridge cabinets. I moved in to a house that had them and it REALLY reduced the number of fridges that I could choose from. Most of the new fridges were too tall.
I agree w/ @Colleen F. - they are the last cabinets to be used because they're so awkward to reach
Yeah, I once had to actually sawzall off the bottom of a cabinet to fit in a fridge. I left the doors, there's just no bottom! But if I don't do something there it will look like crap. Mayb just drop the soffit in there where the cab would go.
Another way to make it nice at an affordable price is to use display cabinets if you can or recycled. You being in NJ, try greendemolitions in farfield they have an online website and you can pick up donated kitchen at an affordable price. The market is opportunistic so sometimes you luck out and sometimes you are out of luck. There is also a place down in Edison I know a friend used that is more of a cabinet ordering place but I can't recall the name.
I've found the all wood chinese cabs to be the sweet spot: cheap as the home center stuff but no particle board at all to rot out. And within their relatively limited line (compared to Kraftmaid) I can get just what I want for the layout.
Investor · Narragansett, RI · Member since 2013 · 8k+ posts · 4k+ votes
12y
I know what you mean we also got something delivered for a unit that was probably not quite what you are talking about but okay pricewise. That was a difficult kitchen in terms of layout. I guess I have been lucky with displays for more standard kitchens. We bought displays at 4 different times. The thing I liked is that I got better thicker wood, handles done, countertops, sink, extras, and for 2 they were turnkey right down to the sink and granite counter. For the other two I wasn't looking for turnkey. One was my personal kitchen and one we just bought for two apartment kitchens. I have bought odds and ends from the place I recommended to you but they moved into NJ after I moved out. Had they been closer I would have snapped up some kitchens I've seen. Good luck with the kitchen though, it is one of my favorite places to rehab.
Real Estate Investor · atlanta, GA · Member since 2013 · 456 posts · 237 votes
12y
@Johann Jells - you usually need 69" clear height and 36" clear width for today's larger fridges or the side-by-sides I usually install in my shared housing units. On older homes, it's often 64" or less...sometimes we can just cut the scalloped edge if there is one...othertimes, my brother, who is a master carpenter, gets the task of rebuilding the cut cabinet. We end up cutting them half the time.
I also like tiled counters if I have money in the budget to do them. Most of our renters don't cook that much so we spend more on the floors in kitchen than anything else. What you should do in terms of expensive is really a matter of personal tastes and what the market requires...sometimes one over-rides the other. I tend to over spend on kitchen & bath faucets, upgraded doorknobs, lights and ceiling fans with remotes. My renters love the bronze or nickel look and notice it over the other rentals they might be considering...we get comments on it all the time.
I'd add the cabinet over the fridge as the space will get used for season stuff....like Christmas or Thanksgiving serving pieces...you can never have too much cabinetry in a kitchen. Since you're redoing the whole place...may as well add it. If you are going to install granite, remember to seal it annually...same with tile...seal the granite tiles and the grout annually to prevent staining. I'd prefer granite tile in a rental...still looks nice, it's cheap and holds up well. I just usually don't have the budget for it.
Floor & Decor in metro Atlanta has a pretty decent selection of tile...although lately there has been a shift to 13"x13" tiles and it's getting tougher to find decent 12"x12' anymore. I always try to buy an extra box and leave it at the house for future repairs. Happy Investing!
I say go for it thats a nice looking kitchen and $1600 is a pretty decent amount of rent for 1 unit.
Yeah, well all the prices around here are proportional! I'm looking at about $22k plus appliances in this reno, and it's not even full gut job, maybe 40% of the walls and ceilings need major work, and a full bath reno. Many of you out there can buy a whole house for that!
I do hope I can get a decent rent increase, the huge family on the 3rd floor is going to destroy my property value if I don't get them out, it's simply pandemonium from the moment their kids come home to bedtime. Now they got a dog, or someone with a dog moved in, it's not like they update me. I was changing the door closer on the 1st fl and the damn dog barked for well over an hour straight. If I was a tenant there I'd move out. I'm a gentrifyer not a slumlord. (rant over, just bummed me out yesterday)