5 Amazing Kitchen Renovations That Cost $1,000 or Less

Kitchen renovations are expensive! If you’re working on a budget, you can eat it up with a single appliance. And you can forget it if you want to make changes to the layout or upgrade your countertops. In fact, HomeAdvisor reports that the national average cost to remodel a kitchen is $22,387, with $4,000 at the low and, and $54,000 at the high end. Even at the low end, $4,000 is still something you’ve got to save up for.

That’s why I’m amazed by the kitchen renovations here. These super-smart home cooks were able to use their know-how to achieve results that truly transformed their kitchens — without breaking the bank. Here are five amazing kitchen renovations that cost $1,000 or less.

See even more: These Amazing Kitchen Makeovers All Cost Less than $1,000

Ah, the power of paint! The team at Mr. Kate made over this dated kitchen, updating it with a fresh gray and white color scheme, of-the-moment gold-toned hardware, and a cool brick-look wall treatment for texture — all for less than $300.

See more: Under $300 Kitchen Makeover at Mr. Kate

Once again, paint and hardware transform — this time in a dreamy sea-inspired blue-green. The especially cool thing here: Cassie Bustamante painted just her base cabinets, and that, plus new hardware, totally changed change the look. Paint is a reliably thrifty but time-consuming DIY fix, so it’s a good reminder that you could, potentially, cut your efforts in half.

See more: New Year, New Room: Budget Kitchen Mini Makeover at Cassie Bustamante

All too often, renters feel stuck with what they’ve got, but this kitchen (home to Apartment Therapy’s Tara Bellucci) is proof that there are options! Tara got permission to (surprise) paint her cabinets. Then, she put down new floor tiles, added a backsplash, and made a few other cosmetic changes. All for just $300.

See more: This Rental Kitchen Got a $300 Makeover and Is No Longer Recognizable

Erica from On Bliss Street painted her cabinets white and added new molding and hardware. But the biggest transformation here is the gorgeous wood countertops, which she DIY-ed from scratch for unless than $200. They give the space a rich farmhouse look!

See more: Kitchen Transformation for $800! With Tutorials! from On Bliss Street

Timisha had made over her kitchen a few times (changing paint colors, resurfacing cabinet doors, changing hardware, etc.) but it wasn’t until she figured out the real roadblock — the backsplash — that she was able to get to her happy place. She ripped it out and replaced it with on-sale glass tiles, resurfaced the countertops with tile (cheaper than larger cuts of stone) and, of course, repainted the cabinets to get the final look for just $908.

See more: $900 and 1000 Hours Later: Finally a Kitchen I Can Love! at Toolbox Divas