Cheap kitchen cabinets are a great way to save money when you decide to remodel your kitchen. Kitchen cabinets are usually the most expensive change during a kitchen renovation, so buying cheap cabinets is a good idea. In order to save money, some people choose to buy their cabinets used, while others buy them in a ready-to-assemble (RTA) form. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. Which is right for you?

Used Kitchen Cabinets

You can either find used kitchen cabinets at a wholesale furniture seller or online, via a community swap site. As with RTA cabinets, you can usually find used kitchen cabinets that are of high quality for a lower price. If you choose to buy your cabinets used, you’ll need to make sure they fit in your kitchen. This goes for both measurements and design. For example, if you’re doing a white kitchen, you’ll need to find white kitchen cabinets that fit your existing space. If you’re doing a black kitchen, you’ll need to find black kitchen cabinets. This is easier said than done.

In addition, you’ll probably need to transport all the cabinets yourself. Cabinets are heavy and take up a lot of space, so you might new a few people and something larger than a pickup truck to do the job. And there is always the question of damage and false claims. Buying used cabinets from a wholesaler might be safer, but be especially on your guard if you are buying them from an individual.

Some people looking for cheap kitchen cabinets find the RTA option better.

Ready-to-Assemble Kitchen Cabinets

RTA cabinets come in pieces and it’s the job of the consumer to put them together. One of the best benefits of buying RTA cabinets is that you can get really great quality wood and hardware for far less money. This is because you aren’t paying the labor costs to put them together.

Additionally, RTA cabinets are cheaper to ship than fully-assembled cabinets because they are shipped flat. When you ship fully-assembled cabinets, you’re paying to ship the wood, along with the volume of air inside it that is taking up extra space. Distributors can ship more RTA cabinets at once, which means a lower price for you. New cheap kitchen cabinets that are fully assembled sometimes sacrifice their quality in order to keep the price down.

RTA cabinets usually come with Rev-A-Shelf add-ons. Rev-A-Shelf provides organization options like racks and lazy Susans that keep your kitchen clutter free. This is also something to consider when deciding between used and RTA cabinets.

We have a full online store with RTA cabinet options. View the website for more details.