In my last post, I talked about construction costs and how quickly a project can go over budget. Today, I want to focus on one of the biggest contributors to that budget: your appliances.
Over the years, we’ve noticed a consistent pattern with our clients. The day you start shopping for appliances and decide to exceed your budget is often the day the entire project’s budget starts to drift upward. It’s rarely just the appliances—it becomes a mindset of upgrading one selection after another.
That’s why we approach every project differently.
Budget First, Design Second
Before we start designing beautiful kitchens, bathrooms, and living spaces, we establish realistic budgets for every major interior finish, including:
- Appliances
- Plumbing fixtures
- Hardwood flooring
- Tile
- Lighting
- Other interior finishes
Once those budgets are in place, we can design a home that delivers the look and functionality you want without creating costly surprises along the way.
A Real-World Example
My wife and I have built multiple homes ourselves, and our own appliance choices have changed over time.
About 10 years ago, we invested $32,000 in a full JennAir appliance package. We absolutely loved it, and it fit our priorities at the time.
When we built our next home in 2021, our priorities had changed. We still love cooking and baking as a family, but we decided that premium appliances weren’t where we wanted to spend as much of our budget.
Instead, we cut our appliance budget in half and spent approximately $16,000.
Did we sacrifice functionality? Not really. We simply made smarter decisions about where our money would have the greatest impact.
Small Decisions Can Save Thousands
One example is choosing a slide-in range instead of a separate cooktop paired with double wall ovens.
That single decision can reduce costs significantly while still creating a beautiful, highly functional kitchen.
These are the kinds of conversations we have with every client. The goal isn’t simply to spend less—it’s to spend wisely based on how your family will actually use the space.
What Are Most Custom Homeowners Spending?
We work closely with Caplan’s Appliances, one of our trusted industry partners, and they’ve shared an interesting statistic.
Their average custom home client spends approximately $74,000 on appliances.
That aligns closely with what we see on many of our projects, where appliance budgets typically fall between $50,000 and $90,000.
Of course, every project is different.
Some homeowners, like my wife and I, choose to spend much less. Others invest well beyond that range to create a true chef’s kitchen with luxury appliance brands.
The Bottom Line
Appliances are one of the largest discretionary expenses in a custom home, and they can dramatically influence your overall construction budget.
The key isn’t choosing the most expensive appliances available. It’s choosing the appliances that fit your lifestyle, your priorities, and your budget.
When you make those decisions intentionally from the beginning, you’re far more likely to stay on budget while still ending up with a home you’ll love for years to come.
