There A Few Answers To This Question
There is a lot of trendy materials for your kitchen cabinets. Some are better some are works but solid wood never gets out of fashion. What is your budget, what kind of wood cabinets are you looking at, and what level of DIY effectiveness do you bring to the table? The question which is the title of this piece is itself the sort of inquiry. Ironically, it initiates even more questions.
However, there are a lot of good things recommending solid wood cabinets—especially when such options are installed in your kitchen. Following we’ll explore these things to help inform your remodeling choices.
Solid Wood Cabinets Can Enhance Property Value
Just throwing a bunch of cabinets in a room won’t do much for property value, but if you’re able to install such cabinets so they look like they came with the house, and have an almost minimalistic kitchen they’ll do a lot for the price at which a home can be listed. Solid wood stands the test of time, it looks very pleasing to the eye, and it’s exceptionally functional.
If your home is in a good neighborhood, where property values are on the increase, the installation of such cabinetry is a very wise idea. What you spend in acquisition and installation will be more than answered in property value, so you’re essentially making an investment with a very likely return.
Be Sure To Crunch The Numbers First
The thing is, you want to crunch the numbers first. Solid wood cabinets that are of the “stock” variety tend to be anywhere from $60 to $200 per linear foot. Meanwhile, semi-custom options can be $100 to $650 per linear foot, and totally custom options will be $500 to $1,200 per linear foot—you can look into more details surrounding these costs here.
If your neighborhood is in decline, then shelling out top-dollar for customized solid wood cabinets is only worthwhile for your own benefit; it’s not going to be a profit-generating move. In that situation, unless you’re seeking personal benefit, you may want to go with stock options through sellers specializing in more price-friendly solutions.
There a few different places you can find cabinets of the solid wood variety that match most budgets. For free shipping on most solid wood kitchen cabinets, check out Best Online Cabinets. Generally, you can find stock options to fit your needs, but this provider also has RTA solutions which can be a sort of “best of both worlds” scenario.
RTA stands for “Ready To Assemble”. Essentially, such cabinets can be made to specification through variables you enter when choosing options. You measure where the new cabinets will go, enter that information online, then get RTA options shipped to you. From there, you install them yourself on-premises, and the end result looks built-in.
A Closer Look At RTA Options And ROI
RTA options are generally less expensive than custom-made options, but offer much of the same benefit. These will enhance property value while retaining aesthetic sensibility and functionality. However, that doesn’t mean you always save money through the cheaper options.
The key to determining savings and profit is going to be Return On Investment, or ROI. If you can expect high ROI, then a larger investment is okay. So say you spent $5k on cabinets, and saw a $20k property value hike. That’s a ROI of $15k. Now say you spent $40k on cabinets, and saw a profit of $160k. Well, that’s $120k ROI.
In the hypothetical scenario, even if you spent eight times as much on the custom option, you also see eight times as much ROI; meaning the more you can spend, the better. However, there are situations where it’s not so much that you’re trying to spend too little, it’s more that resources are scant. In such situations you’re seeking balance between spending and ROI.
Getting The Most Value For The Budget You Have
The key to maximizing your budget will be fully exploring your options, and looking into solutions which match your particular situation. Ideally, the neighborhood is seeing increased real estate values, you’ve got several thousand dollars to spend without impacting your lifestyle, and you’ve got time to properly install the best custom cabinets, and make your kitchen attractive and convenient.
Realistically, you’re likely going to be working with a neighborhood with fluctuating values, and a specific cap on what you can affordably spend. In that scenario, you’ll want to look around online and get good consultation. Certainly non-wood cabinets are also an option, but solid wood solutions look good, work well, and often produce ROI on what you spend.