If you look at some magazines or home improvements stores, you might realize that some of the best kitchen remodeling ideas are small ones. In most areas in the US, a high-end, completely top to bottom kitchen overhaul is less likely to give you a return on your investment when you sell than a minor kitchen remodel. But fortunately, there are plenty of great kitchen remodeling ideas that cost less than $1000, some that cost less than $500, and some that cost less than a pizza-delivery dinner.

Kitchen Cabinets
One of the best budget kitchen remodeling ideas is cabinet refacing. Even if you have it done professionally, depending on your cabinetry and the kind of refacement you choose, you may be able to squeak it in at around $1000. If you do it yourself, it can come in at substantially less than that. Refacing involves replacing the cabinet doors but leaving the cabinet boxes intact. If the doors don’t cover the entire cabinet, then you can also apply a veneer to the visible parts to match the doors. This gives you the look and feel of brand new cabinets without the expense and hassle of ripping out the old and installing new.

If you have wooden cabinets and new-looking cabinetry is on your wish list, then cabinet refinishing is an even less expensive solution. With refinishing, you leave all the existing cabinetry in place, but strip the old paint or varnish and apply new. You can go from finished wood to painted or vice versa, or just update your stain color for a new-cabinet look. If you do this yourself, you’ll do a lot of sanding and manual labor, but you’ll only spend from $200 to $300 dollars in most cases.