New kitchen cabinets are a major investment. You want to know that your money is well-spent on cabinets you’ll continue to love for many years to come. That’s why it’s important to prepare before you purchase. Here are four things you should know before buying kitchen cabinets.

1. What’s Your Budget?

Quality kitchen cabinets aren’t cheap. In fact, new cabinets often make up 50% of the cost of remodeling a kitchen. But selecting well-made cabinets is a worthwhile investment. After all, you likely use your kitchen cabinets on a daily basis. And installing new cabinets dramatically changes the look of your kitchen, so it’s one of the best ways to upgrade your space.

However, you’ll save yourself a lot of time and trouble if you know your budget going into the project. That way, when you start getting quotes, you’ll have realistic expectations and can also prioritize what you want most if you’re working with a limited budget. For example, you may decide to keep some custom features but go with a cheaper species of wood. Or maybe the style is most important to you, so you’re willing to sacrifice some custom upgrades.

2. What Style Do You Like?

Cabinets come in a wide variety of styles, and that’s especially true when you work with a custom cabinet company like Edgewood Cabinetry. Having some idea of what you’re looking for saves you time during the purchase process (although we’re always happy to help you decide!). Do you love the European aesthetic with lots of embellishments? You want traditional cabinets. Prefer a minimalist design instead? Modern or Shaker styles will likely suit you best. Or maybe you’re dreaming of a country kitchen, in which case country/rustic cabinets are a perfect fit.

You should also think about the type of wood you like, along with the color of paint or stain you prefer. For example, Edgewood Cabinetry offers many wood species, such as mahogany, maple, oak, cherry, hickory, and pine. We can finish your cabinets with stains and glazing if you want to highlight the natural wood-grain. Or we can color-match any color of paint to give your cabinets the perfect look.

3. How Much Do You Want to Customize?

You’ll need to decide whether you want stock, semi-custom, or fully custom cabinets. Stock cabinets are the cheapest option since they come in standard sizes. However, you should beware of purchasing stock cabinets on price alone. Many stock cabinets are made of particleboard or plywood covered in veneer and are not built to last. At Edgewood Cabinetry, our stock cabinets are always built from natural wood and are of the same superior quality as our custom cabinets. They’re simply made in standard sizes and don’t come with custom features.

Semi-custom cabinets are cheaper than fully-custom cabinets but still allow you to add some custom features. You can modify accents or add accessories, within the confines of standard stock cabinet sizes. If you’d like a few custom features but don’t have the budget to invest in fully custom cabinets, semi-custom cabinets are the way to go.

Finally, custom cabinets give you an unlimited range of options. You can customize every detail and add as many features as you like. Plus, custom cabinets are built to fit your space, so they don’t leave awkward gaps. And they allow you to maximize space by transforming every available inch into usable storage. The sky is the limit when it comes to custom cabinet options, so this is the choice to make your dream kitchen come to life.

4. What Options Do You Love?

Think about how you use your space and which features you need. Custom options and accessories always raise the price of your cabinets, but it’s a worthwhile investment to increase the beauty and utility of your kitchen. For example, you can add lazy Susans, drawer inserts, cabinet organizes, spice racks, pull-outs, and more. Decide what features are most important to you and which are nice-to-haves. That way, you’re prepared to make decisions when you begin getting quotes.

Ready to get started on your new kitchen cabinets? Contact us here. We’re happy to help.