IKEA is known for its affordable yet modern look, but house flippers are even more demanding when it comes to their renovation projects. They want it cheap, at the same time, it must “catch the eye,” and ideally, installation should happen as soon as possible. So, is this achievable?
At European Kitchens, we have installed many kitchens for house flippers, most notably in partnership with Coastal Edge Homebuyers, a local company in Hampton Roads that specializes in buying houses and land quickly and for cash. Let’s take a look at two of the projects we have completed with this company.
Project Greenlaw (2023)
For this project, the client paid $2,400 for IKEA materials (cabinets), $1,500 for granite countertops, and $2,800 for labor (demolition of old cabinets, and installation of new cabinets and appliances).
For only $6,700, we installed a brand-new kitchen! Of course, there were additional expenses like LVP flooring and plumbing for the sink, but these are minor costs that any house flipper can handle easily. The key was using IKEA’s entry-level shaker-style doors, such as the ENKÖPING. They are made in Italy, yet one of the most inexpensive door style that IKEA carries with the SEKTION system. Other savings were achieved by skipping the deco strip, scribe molding, and LED lights under the wall cabinets. We also opted for mostly doors on the base cabinets, with only a few drawers.
Despite these cost-saving measures, the kitchen still included desirable features like soft-close drawers and doors, an undermount stainless steel sink, stainless steel appliances, and 15” deep wall cabinets for extra storage. The countertop of choice was Granite Valle Nevado, which is more affordable than quartz but offers much better quality than laminate.
There are a few other factors to consider when working on projects like this. House flippers often try to keep old cabinets, simply repainting them and replacing laminate countertops with granite. However, today’s buyers are increasingly savvy and can tell when a kitchen is merely updated rather than truly new. For just a bit more investment, with IKEA and European Kitchens, flippers can advertise a house with a brand-new kitchen.
If the existing kitchen is in decent condition, it might not need to be replaced. But if it is falling apart, new cabinets are essential – and IKEA offers an excellent option worth considering.
Flippers and wholesalers like Coastal Edge Homebuyers help people sell their houses fast, in any condition or situation, without the hassle of doing repairs, cleaning, or paying commissions. Here is another project they hired us for.
Project Alewife (2024)
For this upscale kitchen remodel, we were instructed to include higher-end IKEA features such as LED lights under the wall cabinets, extra storage, and extended countertop space in the dining room. The design also featured horizontal doors above the microwave and refrigerator, a decorative strip, and remote-controlled LED lights with dimming functions, among other upgrades.
The IKEA materials for this job came to $5,600, labor for demolition, assembly, and installation was $4,000, and the granite countertop (materials and labor) cost just under $2,000. The grand total was $11,600.
Again, the door choice was the popular white shaker style (ENKOPING), paired with Valle Nevado granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. We retained the soffits above the wall cabinets because: 1) Removing them is expensive, often due to electrical wiring inside. 2) The client wanted to save some money by opting for 30” wall cabinets instead of 40”.
If you are a commercial builder or a house flipper, feel free to give us a call to see how much you can save with an IKEA kitchen installed by European Kitchens – and how much you can improve the value of the home!
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