Complete Tear-out And Remodel

Project Summary

After getting quotes of $50-80K to remodel my kitchen, I decided to do it myself. I began tearout in May, 2007. I kept my existing sink in place until the last minute or so, with a microwave and fridge which I moved to the dining room, I still had a temporary functional kitchen. During that time I moved the soffet over the sink counter to make room for bigger cabinets, and I added another soffet for countertop lighting and mood lighting. Once the sink was out, I washed my dishes in the nearby bathroom sink. I actually managed to sell all my old appliances -- that didn't bring in much money, but at least I had them hauled off. My subfloor is a cement slab, and I installed new 20"x20" polished porcelain tile. I hired someone to install the countertops, but other than that I did everything myself, including putting together my IKEA cabinets and installing them. I bought the countertops and cabinets at IKEA, the appliances at Pacific Sales, the floor tile at Emser, the faucet/range hood/sink/misc. on eBay and most everything else at Home Depot or Lowes. I finished in March, 2008, only about 6 months longer than I expected!