Below, we give an overview of where your money is likely to go in a kitchen renovation.How much does a small kitchen remodel cost?If youre not feeling ready to totally gut your kitchen, you can still give it a facelift with a minor kitchen remodel. Tasks like updating to stainless steel, energy-efficient appliances, and painting your walls and cabinets can make a major difference. Dan Mazzarini, principal and creative director of AD PRO Directory firm BHDM Design and ARCHIVE, says that if youre focused on keeping your budget in check, you can get a great-looking, less expensive range to suit almost any aesthetic these days. Ultimately, appliances should account for 10 to 20% of your budget at most for a mini kitchen remodel.To save money, change cabinet hardware, not the kitchen cabinets, if you can, Pallrand recommends. If the cabinets are well made, paint them, and add some convenience hardware like pullouts, lifts, and organizers.How much does a total kitchen remodel cost?For larger-scale renovations that are part of a major remodel, Mazzarini recommends focusing most of your project cost on custom cabinetry, countertops, and high-end appliances. Really, these are the three main food groups for a gorgeous kitchen, he explains. They are also the things that will sell a kitchen, so spend it here.If youre looking to install new cabinets and shelving, be prepared for it to consume between 20 and 40% of the budget. High-quality faucets and hardware are the jewelry of the kitchen, because they sparkle, shine, and get attention, so those features are likely to cost more if youre using higher quality materials.HVAC and ducting work should take up about 5% of your budget, while plumbing fixtures should also come in at about 5%. Electrical work should account for approximately 10%, but if electrical J-boxes are in the right place, change the light fixtures for an updated look, suggests Pallrand.Is it possible to fully DIY my kitchen remodel?Disclaimer: Youd be hard pressed to find a kitchen professional who would recommend tackling a full kitchen remodel on your own! (We sure were.) This gets tricky. Early in my career, I did my fair share of these kitchens, says Mazzarini, who notes that, while sometimes they come out looking great, DIY remodels require patience and hard work. If youre adamant about tackling some of the work yourself, consider taking on tasks that arent as heavy of a lift. Painting and changing hardware is very different from installing new countertops yourself, says Mazzarini. My advice is to be safe, and call in the muscle for the heavy liftingboth figuratively and literally.Should you always hire a pro?While plenty of people do attempt to DIY their kitchen remodel in order to keep costs low, our experts are in agreement on this one: Hire a professional for a full kitchen remodel. Pallrand cites examples of DIY mistakes, from paint colors not looking as expected to a faucet being improperly aligned to the sink. There are so many things that can go wrong if you tackle it on your own and do not have any design or construction experience, he cautions.