Renovation Solutions: Truth about updating kitchen without a full-scale remodel

A full kitchen replacement consists of demolishing and removing everything in the room, including the sheetrock, so that the walls are open and the plumbing piping and the electrical wiring are exposed.

You then begin building the room back up, often replacing the infrastructure as well as all of the finishes and equipment.

Such an undertaking averages between $40,000 to $50,000 and results in a return of approximately 68 percent on that investment, according to Remodeling Magazine's 2011 Cost vs. Value report.

A kitchen "face-lift" is not so invasive or expensive. This generally consists of upgrading just the things that you can see.

Often new countertops are installed, along with a sampling of further improvements that could include new appliances, a new sink/faucet, new cabinet doors, new flooring and new lighting.

While you are limited to your current sizes and location of appliances and plumbing fixtures, you can still get some good bang for less bucks as you bring your kitchen into the 21st century.

Doing less than this in a kitchen is tricky.

Of course, you can always paint and change the window coverings, but making a smaller change in the function of a kitchen is difficult because as they say "one thing leads to another."

Nowhere is this truer than in a kitchen!

Recently, one of our architects attempted to undertake such a "minor change" in her kitchen.

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Renovation Solutions: Truth about updating kitchen without a full-scale remodel