You can remodel your kitchen for as little as $5,000

About 1.5 million homeowners will remodel their kitchens this year, spending an average of $19,000 per project. But you can do it for a lot less if you're willing and able to do most of the work yourself. Figure on spending $5,000 and investing a month of your time. That money will go a long way if your kitchen is 200 square feet or less and you work with the existing layout. Here's a budget and some product picks from the experts at Consumer Reports.

Appliances: about $2,300
That's about all it takes to get a new range, refrigerator, and dishwasher that deliver both performance and energy efficiency. We chose the Frigidaire FFHT2126PS, $850, top-freezer refrigerator which offers even cooling and low energy costs—and comes in a stylish stainless steel finish. Pair it with the Samsung NX58F5500SS, $799, gas range we selected. It has a large oven and was aces at simmering but could use more omph heating water quickly. For dishwashers, the Bosch Ascenta SHX3AR7[5]UC, $730, is a CR Best Buy that aced our cleaning tests.

But note: Stainless steel drives prices up, so unless manufacturers offer a free stainless-steel upgrade, opt for a basic white or black finish. Either can be stylish, trendy, and versatile.

Countertops, floors, walls: about $2,000
The average kitchen has 56 square feet of counters. At $30 to $100 a square foot, laminate counters can get you a new look for $1,000. Vinyl flooring wears well and goes down easy, especially if you choose tiles or planks, or choose laminate flooring for the look of wood at a lower price point. We like Project Source Winchester Oak, $1.00 per square foot at Lowe's. And painting walls is a no-brainer when it comes to easy do-it-yourself projects. Most of our top-rated interior paints cost less than $35 a gallon.

Cabinets: around $350
New paint and hardware can make old cabinets look new again, provided they're sound, square, and stable to begin with. Try removing some of the cabinet doors and painting the insides and shelves in a contrasting color to add some pop.

Sink, faucet, lighting: about $320
More good news: Our tests have found that sink and faucet prices don't always indicate performance. Stay on budget with a top-mount, single-bowl sink in stainless steel and a basic faucet in a chrome finish, which proved fairly durable in our tests (just don't scratch it with a heavy-duty scouring pad). A pendant light in a bright color or sleek metallic finish adds illumination and style over the sink or island.

—Adapted from Consumer Reports' Kitchen Planning & Buying Guide