HGTV Star Mike Holmes' Top Suggestions For Kitchen Remodels

Kitchen renovation can be both exciting and stressful. The budgeting, the never-ending deep dive into color palettes, textiles, and materials, and the process of acquiring permits for this or that are a lot for anyone to take on. This is especially true for inexperienced, first-time homeowners who are more susceptible to the pitfalls of major remodel work. 

According to a 2024 report by the University of South Alabama about home renovation trends, kitchens are the most renovated rooms in homes, and exceeding initial budgets is fairly common. However, you don't have to lose your marbles to have a marble countertop. That's why we've made a list of suggestions from one of the world's foremost home remodel experts, "Mr. Make It Right" himself, HGTV star Mike Holmes. As the host of popular home renovation shows like "Holmes on Homes," "Holmes Inspection," and more, you'd be hard-pressed to find someone with more expertise about how to whip your home into shape. 

The kitchen is a sacred space where we spend much of our time creating memories around food. A remodel will not only give it a refreshed look and energy but can increase your home's value. To get you started on the right path, here are Mike Holmes' top suggestions for kitchen remodels.

Before breaking ground on a kitchen overhaul, the budget comes first. A thorough, itemized list of the timeline, materials you need, types of contractors, and other essentials will help you avoid going over budget. "Consider the age of the house, the size of the project, and the complexity of the project. Is it primarily cosmetic, or do you plan on moving walls and rearranging electrical and plumbing?" Holmes said in a blog post on the Make it Right website about budgeting for home renovations.

This first step is especially critical when you factor in the average cost of a complete kitchen remodel, which according to the blog, can range from $30,000 to $50,000. What type of wall treatment do you want? Paint, wallpaper, or paneling? For countertops, you can go with laminate, ceramic tile, wood, marble, or granite. Even the type of windows, doors, and hardware, like cabinet knobs and window cranks, matter — and will all factor into your budget.

This is your opportunity to fully flesh out each detail of your vision. It's also worth noting that the average time it takes to renovate a kitchen is six to 10 weeks, per Holmes. And if it's a custom job, you'll need to order materials six to eight weeks before construction begins. 

Kitchen renovation requires permits for multiple things, including HVAC, electrical work, any structural changes, and plumbing. It's important to get every permit you need before the job begins. "I've met many homeowners who have watched a few YouTube videos or TV shows and think they can tackle taking down a wall or renovating a basement. That scares me," Mike Holmes said in a blog post shared on his website. 

Unless you're a professional, in which case you'd know to get permits anyway, Holmes cautions trying things yourself and not getting the proper permits. Ignore any contractor that tells you that you don't need permits. Real professionals will not start a job without the proper permits in place. If you contact your city's building department and explain your plans, they'll let you know which permits are needed. Some jobs, like switching out cabinets, do not require one.

From water damage to grease and dust from cooking, and loose hinges due to constant opening and closing, your cabinetry takes a lot of wear and tear. But, before you head to the nearest Home Depot to replace your kitchen cabinets, follow Mike Holmes' advice. In a now-archived 2022 HGTV article, he said you should "think about what other pieces will need to be swapped out in the next five or 10 years," when deciding if and how to replace your cabinets. You want your cabinetry and kitchen to feel aesthetically cohesive, from the tiniest fixture to the overall color palette, window types, and lighting.

Beyond offering visual appeal, cabinets often account for 30 to 40% of kitchen remodel budgets, per Prestigious Custom Cabinets, which is why, if you want to avoid feeling like you've wasted money, it's extra important to take Holmes' advice. Will the renovations include major structural changes? Does the paint match the current color scheme? Are there any storage limitations that require space? These are all things that impact what cabinetry you choose.

Before giving your cabinetry a glow-up, you must decide whether it requires a full replacement job, a reface, or just a repaint (or refinish). A full replacement can cost thousands of dollars, which is understandably out of many people's budget range. Luckily, Mike Holmes, in a now-archived 2022 HGTV article, suggests a money-saving work-around. If the framework of your cabinets is still in good shape, you can save a considerable amount of dough by going with a fresh repaint or reface. 

Now, there are pros and cons to this budget-friendly route. A paint job will cover over chips and wear, making them look like new. However, the downside is that the finish tends to show dust and grease. A reface replaces all front-facing parts of cabinet doors and drawers, and can be done as long as the framework is still in good shape. Both are considerably cheaper than a full replacement, and are recommended if the option is available. 

The running faucets, steaming pots, and smoke and intense heat from cooking all require proper ventilation. Too much moisture and smoke can cause issues. Without sufficient ventilation, your walls can absorb aromas and develop stains, bubble, or even mold over time. A little smoke from your favorite bacon recipe is perfectly fine, but it should never get cloudy. Indoor air quality is essential, not only to your health, but also to the longevity of your kitchen. 

"Home ventilation is important in all homes, but especially in newer construction, since new homes are built to have good insulation and tight air seals that prevent air movement," Mike Holmes said in a blog post about kitchen and bathroom ventilation shared on the Make it Right website. If there aren't many windows in your kitchen, for example, you can add a range hood with an exhaust fan above your stove to filter out odors, moisture, and even carbon monoxide. 

We spend a lot of time in the kitchen, and the tasks we do in this space may be challenging to do as we age. To prepare the kitchen for our inevitable golden years, one feature Mike Holmes recommends installing is a touchless faucet (which is under the "smart faucet" umbrella). "They can also reduce germ transfer and contribute to a [clean home] by eliminating the need to touch the faucet after messy tasks like preparing raw foods," Holmes said in a blog post about remodeling homes for accessibility and aging. 

Instead of having to constantly touch the faucet knobs to wash your hands or cookware, you simply wave your hand over the sensor. Also, if you or someone you live with has limited mobility, and find it difficult to grasp handles, this fancy kitchen feature is a great alternative to traditional fixtures.

Outdated appliances might cost less on the front-end, but buying energy-saving, energy-efficient, and eco-friendly appliances requires less water and electricity, which can make them more cost-effective in the long run. Mike Holmes touches on this in a 2020 blog post on his website about reducing electricity bills, where he broke down how much money you can potentially save. "Compared to average models, you can see upwards of $100 per year in savings," he said – which is a good reason to add them to your kitchen remodel.

Yup, you're wasting money on outdated kitchen appliances. With energy-efficient appliances, you'll immediately see a return on your investment each month with lower utility bills. Holmes recommends looking for appliances with the Energy Star logo, which is the official government symbol for energy efficiency. He also recommends taking into consideration the surge protection of your entire home as you retool it for energy efficiency. 

Kitchens are the place where spills of all sorts happen, meaning some materials are better for the floors than others are. In a 2021 blog post about kitchen flooring shared on his website, Mike Holmes broke down the pros and cons of different floor materials and shared his favorites: "Ceramic and porcelain tiles are my recommendation for kitchen floors. They are durable, attractive, easy to clean, and available in a large variety of patterns and finishes," he said. Both ceramic and porcelain are super resistant to stains, moisture, and dirt too.

Some common, more affordably priced materials worth considering for your remodel include wood, concrete, vinyl, and laminate. Wood, while beautiful, is "prone to moisture damage and can be marked and dented when you drop something," said Holmes. Concrete is heavy and requires additional foundational support, but has a drab appearance. Vinyl may have a low-budget appearance, but it's the cheapest option. And of course, budget materials may not last as long as more expensive varieties. Aside from these, there are lots of flooring materials, such as bamboo, slate, limestone, and marble, that you should consider.

Remodeling your kitchen isn't cheap, so the idea of DIY might sound appealing. However, in a blog post shared on the Make it Right website about jobs that should be left to pros, Mike Holmes cautions against trying to do certain home improvement projects by yourself instead of hiring professionals. "If you want to tackle some minor work, or cosmetic projects, I think that's manageable for anyone who's handy — but there are home improvement projects that [must] be handled by a professional," he said.

The nine jobs he says fall into this category include plumbing, electrical, HVAC, tile work, installing cabinets, asbestos removal, mold remediation, installing a new roof, and any major structural changes. The money you'll potentially save by doing home improvement jobs on your own isn't worth the potential risk to you or a loved one's safety, nor the potential flooding, electrical fire, electrocution, injury, or added expenses it might cause. Each job requires its own professional.

There's a lot to consider when deciding how to light your kitchen, including which bulbs to install. In a 2021 blog post shared to his website about kitchen lighting, Mike Holmes compares LED lights to traditional 75- and 100-watt incandescent bulbs, compact fluorescents (CFLs), and halogen bulbs. "LEDs may cost more, but it's worth it. The money you save on energy (not having to buy more bulbs and benefits to the environment) doesn't compare," Holmes said.

Lighting is one of the biggest energy-drainers in the kitchen, and that, of course, impacts your home's overall electrical output. They're worth the upfront cost because they basically offer all of the benefits of other types of bulbs without the energy drain. Holmes also offered some tips for how to light certain spaces in your kitchen. "The best way to light your space is to use a combination of different lights. Different lighting sources will allow you to create a functional and aesthetically pleasing space that suits today's busy kitchens," he said. 

Our kitchen countertops are at the whim of every mishap, from sticky spills and burn marks to randomly stubborn stains. And their material is what determines how well our countertops hold up to these everyday accidents. Beyond popular materials like laminate, wood, and marble, there's stainless steel, porcelain, granite, and the one that Mike Holmes says is most durable: quartz. "[Quartz] is an engineered stone made of natural quartz crystals with resin binders, making it resistant to scratches, stains, heat, and even bacteria," he advised in a Make it Right blog post about choosing the best countertop materials.

Quartz is pricier than wood and laminate, but generally less expensive than granite and marble, both of which, while extremely durable, require more maintenance. Wood, on the other hand, has a beautiful, natural look but is susceptible to water damage, bacteria growth, and mold. If you're looking for durability and to save a couple of bucks on your remodel without having to compromise on aesthetic, quartz is Holmes's top pick.