Getting a new kitchen? What to do with the old cabinets

Are you getting a new kitchen? Don’t just throw away the cabinets!

If you are getting a new kitchen to replace your old and outdated one then you should think about doing something more with the old cabinets then just having them thrown in the garbage!

One of the easiest things you can do with the old cabinets is to install them somewhere else in your home. A lot of people don’t realize that cabinets are actually a bunch of single or double cabinets; this means that they are all built as smaller pieces. Even islands are built in pieces, why you ask is that important? It is important because it means that you or your contractor can take them apart without having to destroy or severally damage them.

There are always going to be some cabinets that you will not be able to re-use, sometimes they have been specially designed for a certain thing in the kitchen and other times they can be water damaged. But usually you should be able to salvage most or all of any kitchen.

Here are a couple of places in your own home that you can think about re-using your old kitchen cabinets;

• Basement. Kitchen cabinets can make great storage cabinets, they can also work as cheap entertainment cabinets especially if it’s a room for your children and you know that they will be damaged.

• Garage. Cabinets can be the answer to your storage problems. You can use the bottom cabinets to make a work bench and if you were able to save the counter top then you will have a place to work on things as well as store tools and yard equipment.

• Build a bar. If you want an entertaining space like a bar then re-using old kitchen cabinets will save you a pile of money.

• You can install cabinets in your children’s bedroom. They make great storage and will probably look better than just open shelving.

•  Put it in closets. If you want a way to make a cheap and easy closet organizer then put them in the closet. This will help you organize all the things in your closet and it wouldn’t matter if the cabinets are a little rough or ugly because they will be hidden behind closed doors.

Another great thing that you can do with your old kitchen cabinets is give them to Habitat for Humanity. You can either drop it off yourself or call them and they might send over some volunteers to pick it up. It’s a great charity that helps struggling families afford homes of their own.

If your contractor is going to remove the kitchen for you a lot of times if you ask them, one of the workers will want to take some or all of the kitchen cabinets for themselves. People in the construction business are famous for buying old rundown houses and spending years fixing them up with used materials that are salvaged from renovation jobs they have completed.

So remember, when you are getting yourself a fancy new kitchen there are a lot of things that you can do instead of adding to our ever growing garbage piles. Give an old kitchen a new home and some new life.

Rob Abbott
Operations Manager
Village Builders Inc.