Let‘s Break It Down – Pantry Budget

*disclaimer* – Some Material was sponsored for this project. I will break down the cost for me and the actual cost without sponsorship. I think it‘s important to be open and clear about this as it may cost more or less to achieve these projects based on sponsorships or out-of-pocket costs. We were also able to use multiple gift cards to hardware stores to cover the costs, lowering the cost-to-us massively.

Hey! I am completely overwhelmed by the support on my Pantry Reveal! It really was a labour of love and this entire DIY community was a huge support in helping my complete it on time! There were definitely extra costs due to getting additional help because of my illness so we did go over budget slightly. Please note, this is a project we saved for and it is a lot of money to put up front.

Okay, lets get down to the costs:

Project cost (Including gifted product value(*))

• Wood (3/4 Maple Particle Board, 1/2 Maple Plywood, 1×2 Maple Trim, 1×4 Maple Trim) – $750
• Drawer Slides – $175
• Paint – $50 (I used a lot of left over from previous projects)
• Shiplap* – $450
• Drawer Pulls* – $515
• Door Handle* – $65
• Pine Trim (white cabinets and door) – $120
• 2x4s for Shelves – $25
• Paint Tray/supplies* -$30
• Door Hinges -$14
• Rug* -$78
• Tile: $400
• Under-Mount Lighting* and Semi Flush Fixture* – $550
• Electrician – $1800
• Misc (Screws, stain, glue, etc) – $50
• Total Cost: $5,072

Project Cost (excluding gifted product + Gift cards)

• Wood (3/4 Maple Particle Board, 1/2 Maple Plywood, 1×2 Maple Trim) – $750
• Drawer Slides – $175
• Paint – $50
• Pine Trim (white cabinets and door) – $120
• 2x4s for Shelves – $25
• Door Hinges -$14
• Tile: $400
• Electrician – $1800
• Misc (Screws, stain, glue, etc) – $50
• Total Cost: $3,834 – $2,000 Gift cards = $1,834 total cost out-of-pocket.

Our goal was to keep the cost below $1500 out-of-pocket. We treated the pantry like a kitchen renovation and calculated cost per square foot. Again, things happen and it’s not always possible to stay within budget…I will always do my best to be open about costs of a projects. I do try to keep things budget as I know that sometimes, money is a huge factor for others developing their homes, as it is with us, and I want things to be attainable. My most important tip is budget for big projects. If you have a big project that you want to invest a lot into, save! I was very honoured to have so many incredible brands partner with me to help make this pantry project happen, some, far beyond my regular budget. Also Plywood costs are still astronomical here in Canada which did not help keep costs lower. We were also quoted $12K for this Pantry Reno! 12K!!! We were able to save massively by building everything ourselves and doing the work ourselves.

I want to express that never feel like you HAVE to spend a lot to have a great looking space. I will continue to share budget friendly DIYs but it is okay sometimes to splurge. We know that certain things in our home we want to splurge on if we ever do decided to sell, to give it that extra “wow” factor and that help the sale of a home (these spaces in homes usually include bathrooms and the kitchen). If you’d like to do a pantry similar and want to save a lot, don’t feel you have to invest in Maple or another hardwood, Pine, MDF, or other soft woods are much more affordable and can create the same results!

Now, I am off to start a few simpler projects and clean up my house because it’s been ignored for 2 months! Cheers!

Jenna

PS: For those asking for photos of the pantry now stocked and not staged, here are some photos I quickly snapped! There are still some empty shelves and a lot of space behind items! I haven’t even removed the top shelf decor to make room yet! So much room! I am still trying to figure out where I want everything so it flows well with our family but so far, I am happy! Also, A lot of the smaller snack items that was all over the pantry, now live in the drawers so that cleared up a lot of space!