Are you interested in increasing the resale value of your home? Do you want to spruce up your kitchen without spending a fortune?

If you answered “yes,” one of the best updates you can make to your kitchen is to install new cabinets. Of course, the process of choosing what kind of cabinets you want isn’t always an easy one.

If you’re struggling to find the right basic kitchen cabinets for your home, keep reading. Listed below are some tips that will help you make the best decision for your needs and style preferences.

Set a Budget

When you’re getting ready to do any kind of home update or renovation, it’s best to start by creating a budget for yourself.

Knowing how much you can afford to spend will make it easier for you to narrow down your choices. It’ll also save you from falling in love with a cabinet style that seems basic but is, in reality, way outside of your price range.

Sit down and do some math to figure out what you can spend. Remember to think beyond the price of the cabinets themselves, too.

You’ll need to factor in labor costs (unless you plan to do everything yourself) and the cost of hardware, for example. You may even want to factor in the cost of eating out if a cabinet makeover will render your kitchen unusable for a few days.

Do Some Research

Now that you have a budget in mind, it’s time for the fun part: research!

Unless you’re a home design enthusiast, you probably aren’t aware of all the different types of basic kitchen cabinets that are on the market these days. Be sure to dedicate some time to researching online and looking at different styles.

This will help you decide what you do and don’t like for your kitchen. It’ll also help you solidify your budget since you’ll have a clearer idea of what certain types of kitchen cabinets cost.

Consider Your Current Aesthetic

If you don’t have the budget or the time for a full kitchen makeover, remember that you need to choose cabinets that work with what you already have.

Take a look at your current kitchen and, before you make any decisions or get your heart set on a particular cabinet style or paint color, make sure that what you choose works with your existing kitchen aesthetic.

Choose cabinets that pair well with your countertops, paint color, and floor tile. That way, everything will have a cohesive look and will be more appealing to potential buyers.

Remember, you can always update other aspects of your kitchen later. For now, though, work with what you’ve got and focus on the cabinets.

Start with the Doors

Now, it’s time to actually start the shopping and design process. When it comes to choosing kitchen cabinets, it helps to start with the doors. The door is the most distinctive part of a cabinet, after all, and it’ll probably take the most time for you to find one that you like.

There are lots of different door styles for you to choose from. There are plan slab doors, recessed squares, raised arches, and more.

Think about which door style works with your existing kitchen decor. If you have a more modern kitchen, for example, slab doors are a good option. Recessed squares and raised arches can be a better fit for a more classic design, though.

Choose Wood Type and Color

Once you’ve figured out your favorite style of door, it’s time to move on and think about the wood type and color. Some of the most popular wood types include the following:

  • Oak
  • Cherry
  • Maple
  • Birch
  • Walnut
  • Spruce
  • Pine
  • Plywood

Woods like oak and cherry tend to be a bit more expensive than options like pine and plywood. They may also be more durable.

In addition to the wood type, you’ll need to think about the stain or paint you want to use on them. The experts at Woodland Cabinetry recommend trying out a few different colors using an app or online program to figure out what will look best in your kitchen.

Focus on Function

It’s easy to get so caught up on aesthetics that you forget to think about function. Be sure to consider how you’re going to use your cabinets and how you can get the most out of them, though.

For example, can you add organizational elements that will help you keep your dishes and other belongings sorted and separate from one another?

Remember, these kinds of features can be a huge selling point for future buyers. Even if you’re not interested in it yourself, it might still be worth it to consider.

Maximize Your Space

Finally, make sure you’re maximizing your space and utilizing it to the best of your abilities.

This will allow you more room for storage, and it’ll make your kitchen more appealing to future buyers when the time comes to sell. After all, one of the primary factors people consider when house shopping is the amount of storage space available to them.

If you want more space than what your current cabinets offer, consider installing additional cabinets in other areas. For example, could you put some cabinets under your kitchen island? Could you add some extra cabinets above your oven to provide a little extra space?

These kinds of additions will add to your final price. If you stick to a basic cabinet style, though, they won’t add too much to your bill, and they can help you get more money for your house later.

Choose Your Basic Kitchen Cabinets Today

As you can see, there’s a lot to keep in mind when it comes to finding basic kitchen cabinets for your home.

From materials to paint colors, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. If you remember these tips, though, you’ll be better equipped to make the right decision and install cabinets that you (and future buyers) will love.

To learn more about choosing kitchen cabinets or making other home improvement decisions, give some of our other design-related articles a read today.