Cost of a Kitchen Makeover

I'm trying to do my makeover on a realistic, but small budget. I'm not moving any plumbing, removing any walls or even putting in new counters. It's supposed to be a small-scale refresh of the existing space.

Well, let me tell you. That can be done. But don't ever try to strip paint on a small project like this. I've spent almost $100 on stripper (less thanks to a 20% off Entertainment Book coupon) and countless hours scraping and brushing. Had I merely scraped the bits that were truly failing and decided to forgive the rest, I'd be done priming by now. As it is, I'm working on the third coat of stripper, and am close to fully demoralized.

Now, I'll have to do some plaster patching as well. It's called project creep and it sucks.

That said, it's really not so bad. I've got about another day of stripping, then some washing, plaster patching and a bit of sanding. I am still hoping to be able to start priming by Friday or Saturday.

So far, I haven't spent much, but again, more than I wanted to. I've bought: primer (2 gallons for $9, special at Home Depot and a poorly worded sign:-); stripper, brushes, scrapers, drop cloths, latex gloves, paint tray liners, wood filler and paint remover.

I've got my eye on three new appliances: fridge (Vestfrost compact $1000); dishwasher (Kemore Ultra-Wash--price will depend on whether we buy it new or used); range (gas of some sort, again, price will depend on whether we buy it new or used). I've been scouring Craigs'List for appliances.