Our Scarborough Bluffs semi-detached needed a kitchen update desperately — original 1972 cabinets, almond appliances, and a layout that made no sense. We had $35,000 to work with. Here’s what that budget got us.
Our priorities:
- Better layout (peninsula island instead of dead corner)
- New appliances
- New cabinets and counters
- Keep the same footprint (no moving walls)
What we paid:
- Semi-custom cabinets (mid-range Canadian supplier): $8,200
- Quartz countertops (Caesarstone): $3,800
- Appliances (Samsung package deal, Black Stainless): $5,600
- Labour for cabinet install, countertop, and electrical: $8,900
- Backsplash (subway tile, self-installed): $600 materials
- Plumbing (new dishwasher line, sink relocation 18 inches): $1,400
- Permit (City of Toronto): $320
- Painting, hardware, misc: $1,200
- Total: $30,020
We came in under budget because we chose to install the backsplash ourselves (watched 4 hours of YouTube, took a weekend, looks great).
What we’d do differently:
- Upgrade to a 36" range rather than the 30" we bought — the extra 6 inches matters
- Budget more time for cabinet lead times (ours took 7 weeks, which pushed everything back)
For Scarborough-specific contractor recommendations, the home.renovation.reviews community has a lot of local knowledge. Our cabinet supplier was recommended there.