First-time homebuyers in Seattle, bought a small house with a tired kitchen

Hi all. First-time homebuyers in Seattle, bought a small house with a tired kitchen. Our budget is limited. It's a 1950s two-bedroom in Beacon Hill, and the budget is maybe twenty-five thousand after closing costs drained us. We want the kitchen to feel ours. What gives the most bang for the buck in a small kitchen remodel?

Hi, congrats on the house! We were in the same place two years ago. Worked with New Day Construction on a modest Seattle Kitchen Remodeling project and they helped us prioritize. We kept the layout, which saved a lot, replaced cabinet fronts and counters, added better lighting and a new backsplash. It feels like a new kitchen. We did the flooring the next year as planned. Honestly, lighting was the cheapest upgrade with the biggest impact, don't skip it. And ask your contractor what can wait for a phase two, we saved flooring for later.