Before & After
Inside An H&H Reader’s Budget Kitchen Makeover
Published on May 4, 2026
Vancouver House & Home reader Carol Wain had a response she wanted to share regarding Lynda Reeves’ March 2026 Money Talk column: “I was reading Money Talk, and I disagree with the advice in the Smaller Projects section,” writes Carol. “We renovated our condo ourselves, doing all the work except the required professional plumbing and electrical work. Firstly, why would you need to consider doing the job in stages? If you have less than $100,000 to spend, you know your budget, and you’ll work with it. It doesn’t matter if you do part of it this month and the rest of it later in the year. The budget is the same (and you may need to downgrade your expectations, as the cost will likely be higher later due to inflation and other factors). I realize H&H is geared toward people with large budgets. Many of us get inspired by your magazine and then creatively figure out how to recreate the look on a budget.”
Well, Carol brought the receipts and the total for her kitchen is $23,044. Scroll through to see Carol and Steve’s before shots of their kitchen, the impressive renovation, and the budget breakdown.
*All prices exclude taxes and auction buyers’ premium (typically 15%-18%).
“We save money by buying through auction, managing a renovation as a ‘general contractor’ hiring sub-trades, and doing the work ourselves,” says Carol. “Steve fixed the drywall in the kitchen and living room, as well as the ceilings.”
Professional plumbing, $2,800.*
Professional electrical, $2,125.*
*Trade prices were for the whole condo, not just the kitchen.
“We did as much as we could by ourselves, including demolition, repairing the drywall, painting, plus the flooring and tile installation,” says Carol. “What wasn’t included in our receipt tally was drywall repair, popcorn ceiling removal, paint and adhesives.”
The renovation lasted from May to November 2024. Carol’s husband, Steve, worked on the condo, room by room, during his off-work rotations, approximately 11 days a month. “When he comes home, he’s supposed to live his life, connect with family and friends, and rest, but he’s also a perfectionist who overthinks things (like I do), so we spend a lot of time figuring out how to do things we’ve never done before. The trades were also very busy, so there was a lot of waiting around for them to do their part.”
“Steve worked on a poster board template for the backsplash for three days. Herringbone tile backsplashes are the hardest to install because they need to be centred over the stove and the sink (trust me to give him another challenging task!). He needed a bath with a bottle of wine after this install.”
Perimeter cabinets, $5,664 (including installation).
Brass pendants, $82.
Flooring, $950/1,103 sq.ft.
Blue mats, $94.
The faucet kick-started the whole design and was a lucky find.
Faucet, $90, Habitat for Humanity.
Sink, $35 (found at auction).
They used the existing stove and dishwasher.
Vent hood, $238.
Backsplash (six boxes), $75.
“The counters were sourced in a warehouse in Richmond, contracted by the cabinet shop, and we picked the counter we wanted. They measured the space after the cabinets were in, then returned to install them.” The price includes installation, measuring, and cutting.
Quartz counters, $2,448.
Microwave, $120.
Hardware, $182.
Bar stools, $225/set of 4
“The island was part of the cabinet and counter costs (including installation); it’s a stock cabinet in that colour,” says Carol. “I did get Cloverdale paint to colour match for touch-ups. It was also the trickiest part of the remodel because we had to have 36″ between the perimeter cabinets and the island. We also had to be mindful of the space where the garbage can is, as we needed to ensure we could still use it as an entry to the dining–living room.”
Island cabinets, $2,125.
Convection oven, $210.
Garbage can, $157.
Carol Wain