Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Kitchen Makeover: Sink and Faucet

My new sink, faucet and disposal have been installed! :D


The old sink was badly scratched and the old faucet was cheap and hard to turn. 

The old disposal was well past its expiration date. I had to use a bucket when I ran the dishwasher.

I ordered the new sink from Amazon. Now I can make the (bad) joke that I buy everything from Amazon, including the kitchen sink. It arrived in some of the best packaging I've ever seen. First, the box passed my materials inspector's sniff test.

Inside the box, the sink was snuggled in its own sleeping bag.

Shiny! I never thought I'd be so excited about a piece of stainless steel.

I ordered the new faucet from Amazon as well. I got a good deal on a "used-like new" model which had been previously bought and returned (but never installed).


I am very happy with the result! The sink and the faucet are major upgrades from what I had. And I finally have a working disposal... no bucket required!

This was by far the most expensive part of the kitchen makeover at a total cost of about $760. I paid $280 for the sink, $130 for the faucet and $100 for the disposal. I could have purchased less expensive items, but I wanted a sturdy sink that would last for years and a faucet that would look really nice. As installation involved both electrical and plumbing (and I knew that there would be issues because there are always issues in my house), I hired a plumber for installation. At a cost of $250, it was money well spent. It took him three hours, a few trips to his truck, and a lot of muttering, so it probably would have taken me at least six hours, two trips to Home Depot, and a lot of cursing.

Now that the sink is in, I can finish my last kitchen project... and then finally, the big reveal. :)

26 comments:

  1. Wow, I didn't think a garbage disposal was that expensive (with instalation)! We don't have them in Germany...


    And your sink is pretty sexy, if I might say so!

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    1. The disposal I bought was actually on the low end. One can easily pay $300 for a disposal. Americans love their kitchens and most are willing to put a lot of money into outfitting them with the latest and greatest. As for me, I just want mine to function and not hurt my eyes when I look at it. ;)

      Thank you!

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  2. Great sink, Bane! Your kitchen is coming together nicely!

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  3. I added the faucet to my Amazon Wish List... ;o)

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  4. I love the faucet! It looks amazing!

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    1. Thank you! It's a huge improvement over the old one.

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  5. Oooh, pretty! I never thought I would say that about a sink.

    I could live without a functioning disposal because I compost, so I barely use it anyway, but nothing gets in the way of my dishwasher being fully functional. I absolutely loathe washing dishes. LOATHE.

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    1. Yeah, I never expected to be so excited over a piece of metal. :)

      Same here. It wasn't the disposal itself that prompted replacement, it was the fact that it leaked when the dishwasher drained through it. Luckily dishwashers use very little water, so it was easy enough to catch it all in a bucket and then pour it down the working side of the sink when the cycle was over. I hate washing dishes by hand. It's tedious and I hate wasting so much water.

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  6. I had to laugh when you said that the plumber did a lot of muttering and two trips to the truck. My dad was the same way on jobs. hehehe ... He sounded like the father on "A Christmas Story!"

    The sink is gorgeous! I LOVE a high faucet -- it makes things so much easier for huge pots or larger projects. Great job!

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    1. The plumber talked to himself, the sink and the plumbing the entire time. It was a constant stream of "Come on!" and "Okay" and the occasional "Perfect!" in a low voice. It was pretty funny... and familiar because I do the same thing.

      Thanks! I have never had a high faucet, so it still seems huge to me. My dog could shower under it! ;) But I'm sure I'll like it.

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  7. Another excellent DIY project in the great renovation! I would never have thought you could change the kitchen sink, but it and the faucet really make a difference.

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    1. Thanks! Some sinks are integrated into the counters, but many are a totally separate piece and not too hard to replace. My old sink was a standard size, so it was easy to take it out and drop in the new one. (Or it would have been easy if the previous homeowner hadn't grouted the sink to the tile. That made removal a little more difficult. :P )

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  8. Sometimes the quality and appearance justify the expense, and I think this was one of those times. Awesome!

    When I get a house (probably sometime next century), can I hire you to fix it up??? You can bring your materials inspector, too. ;-)

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    1. Definitely. Sinks and faucets are used multiple times every day, so I think it's smart to pay a little more to get higher quality products that will function better and last longer. And with the weird layout of my kitchen, the faucet is practically the focal point.

      Sure! Eventually, I'll run out of things to fix in my own house, and then I'll need a new place to feed my DIY addiction. ;)

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  9. Oh it looks perfect!!
    I made a budget for our new bathroom and realized that faucets are one of the more expensive parts in a bathroom.

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    1. Indeed. I was astounded at the prices when I first started shopping for the kitchen faucet.

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  10. Really nice! Can't wait for the big reveal!

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  11. So exciting! Can't wait for the whole deal!

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    1. The finish line is in sight. I'm certainly ready to be done with it!

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  12. Wow, I never thought of buying large things such as sink from amazon! Thanks for the inspo. Did you get anything else for your kitchen renovation project from there? Can't wait for the before-after photos :))

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  13. in the end i think it was really worth it!! looks great!

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  14. What a fantastic transformation! Upgrading the sink and faucet can make such a difference in both functionality and aesthetics. I love how you shared the journey, especially the clever packaging details! It’s great that you invested in quality items and got professional help. Can’t wait to see the finished kitchen!

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