Why kitchen renos are a good investment
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
If your 2025 goals include a kitchen renovation, a good rule of thumb is to budget 15% of the value of your home, designers tell Axios.
Why it matters: Kitchen upgrades tend to have a high return on investment and can help sell your home down the line.
By the numbers: The average Austin kitchen remodel in the decade between 2012 and 2022 ran $21,849, per Angi.
- But inflation and supply change challenges during the pandemic have conspired to make renovations more expensive.
Zoom in: If you're on a tighter budget "paint is your best friend," kitchen designer Heidi Huddleston says. A fresh cabinet color can transform the space.
- For a high-impact DIY upgrade, "changing the hardware is like switching the jewelry on an outfit," she says. Consider swapping cabinet knobs for matte black handles for a more stylish look.
💠Asher's thought bubble: Instead of a complete and potentially very costly kitchen renovation in our new house, we opted to swap out the plain gray backsplash tiles to give the room some pop.
What we're watching: After a sluggish year, kitchen and bath pros are optimistic they'll see an uptick in home upgrades in 2025, per the latest from the National Kitchen and Bath Association.