When it comes to remodelling projects, the kitchen is a very exciting focus with huge potential for deep and lasting satisfaction. Because of the high value inherent to luxury kitchen renovations, it can also be an expensive project. The kitchen is the heart of the home and provides massive value for any household – so what should you expect to pay when it comes to upgrading its essential components?
Major Appliances
If you are seeking to incorporate new appliances into your dream kitchen, this investment will continue to pay off. Most high-end appliances such as luxury ranges or refrigerators sit around the mark of $10,000. If you aren’t as particular about your new appliances, you could likely replace all of your older models for well under that range. Below we have compiled some comparisons of lower-end to higher-end price estimates for your larger kitchen appliances.
Stoves, Ovens & Ranges
For an average or below-average stove, you can expect to pay around $1000 or less. These will generally feature the basic 4 burners, an oven cavity, a storage or warming drawer, and digital controls for timers and temperatures.
At the other end of the spectrum, impeccably designed luxury models come with features such as multiple ovens, dual-fuel (gas and electric), 6 or more burners, a griddle, WiFi compatibility, LED knobs and cast iron grates and more. For these, you’re looking at close to $20,000 in some cases.
Refrigerators
The average cost of installing a new refrigerator is around $1500, potentially less depending on the model. For a classic fridge with the freezer on top, minus the bells and whistles, the price tag could even be under $400.
For a higher-end refrigerator or even a smart fridge, you can expect to increase the price tag by tenfold or more. Most luxury model refrigerators have high-tech features that are the cutting edge in terms of food storage and preservation, and these can run up to around $15,000.
Dishwashers
If you’re not looking to spend much on a dishwasher, you could find one for under $300 – but be warned, you may have to fix or replace it sooner than you’d like. Although an economy dishwasher will get the job done, you’ll likely only get 2-3 washing cycle options and may find them to be noisy.
For a prestige dishwasher, you can expect to pay somewhere in the range of $2500 – $5000. These models obviously have higher standards of performance, which include quiet but powerful cleaning, customizable programming options, adjustable shelves, food disposal and quick clean times.
Custom Installations
If you are going beyond simply replacing your outdated kitchen equipment, you may be considering adjusting your kitchen’s dimensions.
Perhaps you’ve decided that you’re ready to invest in a pro-style range and all the culinary delights that come with it. But the designated space will need to be re-modelled in order to accommodate the additional burners and oven cavity. Or maybe you feel that the current location of your dishwasher is amiss, and you want it on the other side of your kitchen instead.
Whatever the case may be, if you are already investing in the high-value upgrades of new appliances, it makes sense to ensure that they are well accommodated. However, it is important to consider the additional costs of remodelling your kitchen to suit its new equipment, particularly when dealing with custom installations.
When taking stock of your new appliances, you must consider additional hookups. Going back to the hypothetical scenario of moving a dishwasher, you will need to ensure that there is access to both hot water and drainage.
This could mean investigating the water system to ensure that it can handle any upgraded capacities of your new appliance, as well as to see whether or not it is feasible to hook up your dishwasher in that area. All of this brings us to our next point, of hours and labour.
Hours and Labour
Unless you have the time, strength, and willpower to navigate transporting and hooking up your new kitchen appliances by yourself, you will likely need to pay for hired help. If you are only replacing an old appliance, it may be as simple as booking a delivery and installation appointment from the retailer. These services are generally included when purchasing large appliances from commercial outlets. However, if you will need to adjust other aspects of your kitchen to accommodate your new appliances, this could result in needing to hire a specialized tradesperson to assist you.
Again, for instances such as installing new gas, water, or electrical lines to the area where your appliance will be, this could require a significant adjustment to your home. This also far surpasses a DIY project and in reality, cannot be completed safely without the help of a professional.
It’s also important to consider that rearranging your kitchen to suit new appliances may require the expertise of an experienced interior designer. Hiring someone who understands the components of kitchen design and functionality is a great way to guarantee that you will get the best results possible.
Well Worth the Results
Although we haven’t provided a definitive number when it comes to the cost of upgrading your kitchen equipment, we hope to have given you a helpful perspective on the subject. You should never consider this type of upgrade to be covered in the cost of the appliance itself. Depending on the scale of the upgrade, your expenses could balloon significantly. However, there is a lot of room for adjustment depending on your desired results.
