I'll post back later with some pics of the ceiling and skylights. I am replacing the refrigerator and diswasher (dishwasher is 4 yrs old and works great, but KA does not offer a stainless panel), so I'll buy a new one. The photo shows a messy kichen but that's because I'm having major construction done to the sun-room adjoining the kitchen (sliding door).

The floor was laid by an old time Italian tile man 15 yrs ago. Its laid in mud base, so thick I'd have to cut out the floor. Can't do that. Unless I can put something on top, it has to stay. Painting the grout sounds like an idea.

Ceilings are awful. Recessed lights we can't reach to change bulbs. I've had plants up there, huge baskets, platters, etc. They are difficult to reach and get dusty and greasy. I will do something up there to stage the kitchen for sale. Living with it is a nightmare. Kichen is small by most standards. About 18x15 including the eating area. But there's a ton of light and the sunroom opens to the kitchen making it appear bigger.

I live in an upscale area about 40 miles north of Manhattan. Housing prices have not dropped. I want to offer the house in a positive way. In my mind, first impressions mean a lot.

Thanks again,
Jane

Jane...(I just moved from outside of NYC to NC!!! argh!...but I love it LOL)....

Anyhoo...i have really really ugly bathroom cabinets...I am painting them and they are looking like a million bucks. I agree with you....first impressions....paint is cheap....a little sweat equity.....I did it when we sold our coop...I had old formica cabinets with wood trim....I painted the trim to match..a lot easier than cabinets...but with some good primer and a goo paint roller, it really is so super easy...I'm going to try to show you pix...I'm NOT DONE....still doing doors and then hardware...I also just replaced the faucets ... they were SO cheap....The first picture is the cabinet color (in a different room...I have two sets of these beauties LOL)..and then the second shot is me underway....I'm going to crystal knobs!

Here is a link that might be useful:

after paint...get started!

Here is a link that might be useful:

Useful info re: where you are and your housing prices -- it definitely helps to know that. And terrific that you plan to replace the refrig. Looking forward to pictures of your ceiling.

Nonetheless, you could save some money by using the stick-on stainless DW panel that someone mentioned earlier. I've seen it on Designed to Sell a couple of times, and it doesn't look cheesy at all.

From Designed to Sell:

"Instead of buying a new dishwasher, here is a low-cost way to reface an old one: First, remove the front panels, and clean them. Next, apply a stainless-steel stick-on covering, and cut it to size. For just $20 your dishwasher will go from outdated to ultra-modern."

Here is a link that might be useful: stainless steel stick-on

I also suggest talking to a good agent first. If your house is in the first time buyer market, painting the cabinets, pulling off the back splash, adding granite, etc. will make a huge difference. If your neighborhood is an excellent location where buyers are buying for location and then updating, I say price accordingly and then clean, declutter, clean, declutter, repeat. Let the new buyers make their own updates.

I love painted cabinets. But it seems for resale purposes the best color to paint them would be a neutral white. So then the cabinets...floor...backsplash...countertops and walls would all be white. I think a potential buyer might experience "snow blindness" when entering the kitchen. Since the trim in the rest of the room is the same color as the cabinets, Id just leave them alone and see what a realtor thinks. Wouldnt it drive you crazy to do all that work (not to mention the money spent) only to find the buyer meant to totally gut the kitchen.

Jane -- You mention the room including dining area is about 18'x15'. I'm just curious what is not in the photo, as the kitchen looks like it might be more like 9' wide (2'sink wall +4'walk +3'kitchen wall).

Count me in for "Don't paint the cabinets."

I don't think it's worth it, especially in this market. Definitely declutter, clean, and paint the walls if they're looking dingy. You can also wash your walls.

Decor was really low on our list of what we were looking for in a house. Mostly we wanted size and a short commute to work.

We saw a lot of houses on our search. Some were "decorated to sell" and some were just awful. We preferred "Repaired, Decluttered, and Clean"--and we only saw about three houses that were that way. Most needed repair and were overwhelmed with the residents' clutter.

I wouldn't redo your bathroom either--it's antique to the point that it's a feature!

Wow, Mjlb, you are right on the money. Eyeballed it and was way off. Just measured, 19'8" X 9'8". Spacial problems Here's a shot with the eating area:
{{gwi:1802674}}
Fan is going. New roof next week-skylight leaks. Question is how would pendant lights look over the table? I have an electrician coming to replace the lights and I'm thinking pendent or small chandelier type.

This is the other end of kichen with high ceiling:
{{gwi:1802675}}
Same fan which is going. Would pendent lights hanging from the highest point look better than the recessed?

Next to the kitchen is going to be a sun room, 3 season.
{{gwi:1802676}}

Opens to the deck and kichen. I was 'toying' with taking out the slider and putting heat in the sunroom to open the kichen. That would affect my taxes too much.

Jane

I would definitely paint the cabinets a creamy white. It will totally change the look of the kitchen for very little $.

As far as what some have said about wanting a blank slate to start with - that's how I feel too, but we on this board are a biased group. We're here because we love improving our homes - most people don't have the time or interest and want to buy a house that's already updated. Painting the cabinets is the cheapest and easiest way to get yourself there.

As others have mentioned, a realtor's advice would be very helpful. I would think a buyer might very well expand the kitchen into your new sunroom. Would it be easy for a buyer to add heat there / should current construction take into account adding heat in future? Or maybe a woodstove / pellet stove would appeal to you or buyer?

New photo of dining area is even nice -- beautiful windows and view! Does the kitchen ceiling slope down towards dining area (or is that camera angle distortion)?

The highest ceiling is on the other end, away from the table. The ceiling over the table is 8ft. Its that bare space above the cabinets which is so ugly and I thought hanging lights might help. We can't even get up there to put in new bulbs. Used a rod and the bulb broke off in the socket. Hate that space.

Wish I had the money to do the whole room over, but we don't. We need to move, but would like to attract buyers without going broke.

Thanks for the advice,
Jane

Get the new granite, new hardware. Don't paint the cabs...I wouldn't buy a house with painted cabs unless I was going to rip out the kitchen.
Let the new owner decide. And with the granite and new hardware, they may look fine...
And good luck with the sale and move! Hope it all goes well..
Another NY er

I agree with kathleen. Don't paint the cabinets, but do put in granite if it's free. I think I would either paint a faux window or mural or some other eye-catching painting so the space looks like it is there for that purpose. Or even something like the metal wall art like rdsso had in her living room here.

How about a noose??

This stuff is driving me nuts!

Thanks all,
Jane

I love factory-painted cabinets, but those painted by the homeowner or even professionals are for the birds. Try changing the color of the lights in the room-it'll make a big difference in how the wood looks. On my monitor, they don't look orange in the least, but golden and just fine.

As for changing the appliances, I hated the fridge in my new home. It was only a year old so I felt obligated to keep it for another 12 years! People have preferences (which is what this board is all about). Make it clean and decluttered, keep it simple. It looks like a lovely home.

As for the opinions of a real estater, you'll get their preferences, too. They may be pros, but they have preferences.

A nasty surprise awaits you if your refrigerator is what it looks like in the picture - a 1980s-vintage GE that's about 35" wide and 66" tall - and you want to replace it with a new one. Sometime since then, GE decided to match other manufacturers and make their fridges about 3 1/2" taller, and *nobody* makes a fridge anymore that will fit under your existing cabinets, unless you get a narrow fridge that leaves 3" of open space on each side. I've run into this issue at least two renovations. At least in your case, you have the option of raising the cabinet above the fridge by a couple of inches, although I don't know what you'd do about the exposed side panel.

The oak cabinets look dated, and I don't think new pulls would help all that much. Painting? I don't think I'd bother. White cabinets look dated too. Forget about gloss white unless you're prepared to spend time cleaning, sanding, and spackling first - gloss paint will make every nick and imperfection stand out. Your best bet if you want to futz with the cabinets may be stripping the current color with a chemical peeler and restaining a dark cherry, a medium brown of some sort, or even a light woodgrain. But there's as good a chance as not that the prospective buyer won't like the new color any more than the existing one, or that s/he will want to fully redo the kitchen anyway.

The wall tile may be worth replacing with something more elegant. If you do, strip off the backsplash from the stove to give it a built-in look (I assume it was put there to cover a non-tiled area that the old stove covered up). This may require the countertop to fill the area between the back of the cooktop and the wall, or a trim strip in that location.

If you have access to free granite countertops, can't think of a good reason not to use them. Will they really fit your kitchen without substantial modification? An undermount sink would be nice if you go with the granite.

I would definitely do something to draw attention to all the open space over the cabinets. I might install a row of horizontal cabinets with upward-opening doors above the existing cabinets, perhaps one of these from Ikea that cost as little as $88 each:

A new dishwasher may be worth it. Not only to match the adjacent stainless-steel range and microwave, but because new DWs have full-height doors (large handle like the oven door, no exposed control panel on top, no fixed panel at bottom that doesn't open with the door) and taller interiors that can hold large plates on both racks. I particularly like the new Samsung and higher-end LG models, the latter of which light up inside when opened and sometimes have 3 racks.

Oh, and I ignore the opinions of most Realtors. IME, they tell me to do whatever *they* like themselves. But buyers are all different and looking for different things. It's a soft market in most places, and only the smartest renovations will pay off.

Jane, I don't have photoshop, but tried to merge your kitchen photos together using my limited software, and clean it up a bit - please excuse the choppiness of it. And I finally found a picture of the window look I had in mind.

Your kitchen:

{{gwi:1802679}}

I think your kitchen lends itself well to the Tuscan look. If I were in your place (and I kind of am) and wanted to do just enough to give the kitchen some WOW so it would sell, this is what I would do.

Put the black granite in to give it this look:
{{gwi:1802680}}

There is nothing wrong with your backsplash except it looks a little dated. If you can put in new granite & keep the backsplash, I would. Give it a Tuscan look with some ceramic tile decals like these from walldecorshops.com:
{{gwi:1802681}}
{{gwi:1802682}}

You could keep or replace your hardware, depending on how it looked with your new faucet.

I wouldn't paint the cabinets but would put some kind of crown trim along the top to give them an old world finished look.

That high wall above your cabinet is the perfect place for a faux window to catch the light from the skylight. I would paint and put up one like this with the shutters, only put scenic poster behind it so you don't have to worry about dust on stuff:
{{gwi:1802683}}

Or maybe a valance if you put a valance on your bay windows.

And last I might paint in the corners like this:

Your biggest expense would be the sink, faucet & labor on the counter.

The reason I would do this & not much else is because you don't know if the buyers will like your cabinets painted or stained. If they like them stained, you're set. If they like them painted, they can do that. If you paint them, you gamble on them liking the same color. And if you paint them, and the buyer likes stained, they know what a hassle it is to strip & redo, so they might make a lower offer to make up for the work.

If you make the wall above the kitchen look like it was intended for that look, it has more value to the buyer. If it looks like you don't know what to do with it, the buyer won't either and might figure that is something they have no choice but to redo, and make a lower offer.

If you take your fridge with you, I wouldn't bother replacing. If it is something you leave with the house, I would look for a stainless that fits. Actually your DW look doesn't bother me because your smoothtop, oven glass & micro glass are all black too.

With new paint & new countertop, your kitchen will look newly remodeled. If the buyer wants more cabinets or a different arrangement, it won't be because your kitchen looks dated.

LOL!!!!! What a fun read that was!!!!! What I just learned from the above post, everyone is strongly opinionated with do's and don't, likes and dislikes, absolutely-white gloss paint, no no-stain the wood, yes-no-yes-no........
As I buyer, I would love to walk in, find it deep cleaned and ready for me to spend the night and make my own plans. I would prefer you spent the money on everything in excellent condition and working as expected. I would like to make it mine. If you have the money to spend, do all you want, but from the posters above, buyers are just as diverse. No matter how hard you work, how much you spend and how carefully you decorate, you can't please everyone. Yes, some buyers want the upgrades done but some want their own colors and decor. The pictures show me a delightful space, appears very clean and well cared for. Clean shelves and drawers, even fresh lined paper, would thrill me more than DIY paint, or countertop & pulls I'll replace anyway, just not my style or favorite color. I may not like your valance but I can picture myself living and loving you home with sparkling clean windows, bathrooms, floors and corners. If I don't like the cabinets, easier for me to change to my liking than to remove paint or add more thickness for my color. My opinion is just as intense as all the others, but we are all as different as the opinions and so is each potential buyer, so proceed with care in your own comfort zone. Also, you can always state what you are willing do as requested by a buyer, for a specific financial contract. May I wish you the very best luck and peace of mind before and after.

I don't know what to say except thank you so much. You've given me some reference to work with. First off, Lee thanks for the ideas of the cabinets above. I'm not quite sure what you are describing (maybe a pic), but I have an idea. Marti8a I love the visuals although my cabinets are more gold than the Tuscan kitchen. I will post over on Buying and Selling Homes, but I needed a decorators viewpoint. I needed to know whether something could be done to make the kitchen feel less dated without a complete remodel.

The fridge is going. It's about 18 yrs old. I know the problem with the space as I shopped around for a new one. I have to find out if the carpenter I'm using can shimmy the molding under the top cabinets. If not I'm in trouble. You are right about the stainless behind the range. There is no tile as there was double wall ovens before. I'd like to leave the tile backsplash if possible. I've spent over $30,000 already on major repairs (new sun room, roof). I haven't even painted or refinished the floors yet. Have bathrooms to update-a bit.

I feel the kitchen needs the most attention because I do believe a nice kichen will play a major part in selling a house. If I were staying, (I wish) I'd gut the room. But we need to move.

I really appreciate your input as I know there are decorating tricks which make a room feel comfortable and livable. I've seen staged houses and was very impressed at the work done. I was amazed at how it brought your eye to the positive and lovely and really gave a good first impression. Unfortunately, I have no decorating skills, but am thinking of hiring a stager to help sell the house at a decent price. I'd like some ideas of what is possible with a seemingly dated room.

Thanks again, I will pour over your posts and see what I can afford. You helped me feel more positive

Jane

You're welcome Jane. I'm not a decorator either, but I've bought a few houses and just know what would matter to me. I've also seen people put a lot of money in fixing up their house only to have the new people tear it out. I agree with Bodica though that clean and decluttered and letting the buyer see it theirs is most important. I also know I'm not your typical buyer. Good luck with selling and your move.

I am just starting to teach myself photoshop, so please excuse the half-baked attempts below. But hopefully it conveys how the free black granite might look, as well as some of "decoration" idea of chandelier and large artwork.

Black countertop and backsplash:

Black countertop only

Hi Jane, I just sold a house last year, built a new one (that I'm still trying to get a backsplash in!). Anyway, I found that in RI, it was not worth putting $ into kitchen renovation. Our kitchen was 20 years old. We had remodeled master bath 10 years ago with Rohl, Delta, Kohler fixtures and a Maax airpool with custom oak apron (bought replacement oak doors to have access to plumbing). That's what sold the house, but it wouldn't have been worth it to do just before putting it up on the market. We put it up in May, had offer the first week that fell through, and went through a LONG summer building and hoping we weren't going to have to have 2 mortgages. Finally got an offer the day before move for $20,000 less than first offer.

Anyway, I love oak, your cabinets look in good shape. I would replace the fridge with black or stainless (black if you get black granite). Do the counters if the granite is free- but what about the labor? I would leave the backsplash if it isn't damaged while replacing counter. Black backsplash will suck up all the light in the room. Replace the sink with an undermount if doing granite. Put in a new stainless sink and a faucet with a pull-out head (not a separate sprayer) if you're leaving the tile counters. Add undercabinet lighting if possible. Leave your floor alone - too much trouble to replace a mud bed. Definitely crown molding, maybe some picture frame molding to dress up the flat cabinet doors. Stencil, wallpaper, painting, something to draw the eye up to the high ceiling. I also happen to love sage green walls - my new house has Ben Moore Thornton Sage but you have to consider other colors (walls and floors) in your house so they don't clash. Wood blinds or at least a soft valance in the bay - is that a door in the middle?

Definitely lose the ceiling fan, but be careful about what you replace it with if the ceiling isn't high at that point, since it's in the traffic flow - maybe a semi-flush mount? Look for adapters to convert a recessed can into a standard mount - I've seen them at Home Depot. Then you can buy 2 mini-pendants to match the semi-flush in the middle of the room. You'd have to re-sheetrock the ceiling if you pulled the cans out to rewire for a center pendant. And you definitely need a bistro table in place of the large table that's blocking the door to your new sunroom.

And the most important is as others have said - clean and uncluttered! Pack away everything but the coffeepot. Put a small trash can under the sink. Good luck!

Sheila

Thank you, thank you MJLB! Can't believe you figured out photoshop this fast. See a new career ahead of you. Seeing that photo makes me think black might not be the best idea. Also, I spoke with my contractor and although he will give me the slab for free, I need to find someone to cut and install. I'm sure that's the majority of the cost. Thinking if I have to pay a lot for that, I may as well pick my own. Maybe something soft brown?

Sheila you state that your bathroom remodel sold your house? I have 4 bathrooms all, but one remodeled in the 80's. Went top of the line also. Now they are all dated. I can't afford to do them all. I posted on Bathrooms regarding the one bath I never touched and I'm doing minimal remodeling on that one. The others I'm replacing countertops and sinks, faucets removing shower doors (everything was brass).

I need to decide what is priority and what to leave as is. Very difficult as I want to tear the entire house apart. Can't afford it and, like you, don't want to be up to my ears in debt. But I'd like to get a good price for the house.

Thanks for all the good ideas. I love the photos, it makes so much more sense to me.

Jane

Yes, Jane, we were told the master bath sold the house (though cathedral ceiling in family room helped - wonder if they still like that after trying to heat it the first winter LOL?). If we had left it the standard tub/shower combo and single sink like the hallway bath (with vinyl flooring) we would probably still be sitting on it. But I got to enjoy the room for 9 years, so it really was worth it. We owned the house for 13 years, bought during a low in the market 1994, paid cash for new roof, lawn, driveway and bath remodel so we had a lot of equity we used as our construction funds (HELOC rather than construction loan) for our new house. The only things we did just prior to putting the house on the market were fresh paint inside & out, new carpeting in the family room to replace one that had burns near fireplace before we moved in! Oh, and I put in a new kitchen faucet and a hand-held shower in the hall bath, left all the old cabinets, sinks, laminate countertops. I was going to put in new kitchen countertops but then DH found a new job in another state, so decided that someone else could redo the kitchen floor (vinyl), cabinets, counters their way. It also helped that we had a 4-year old DW, 1 year old fridge and range (fridge died 1st day of school 2006 so we replaced range too since it was original to house). But we never even got around to replacing the old almond range hood. Buyers didn't care since I think they planned on redoing kitchen anyway. But they wanted the appliances - we had been thinking of taking them with us, but listed as "negotiable" so used that as bargaining chip.

Anyway, post some pictures of your bathrooms, maybe switching brass faucets/towel bars to nickel, chrome, or ORB would be enough of an update.

Sheila, how long ago did you move? I'm not sure how my house would fly in this area. Its an odd market. Being close to NYC attracts wealthy young couples. I find that houses priced high or very low sell. The houses in the middle-range sit. Taxes are off the wall and only people with a high income could afford living in this area now. Its the Hilary, Martha, Rockefeller, Letterman area of NY.

I feel I need to get buyers in and hold them long enough to realize the potential of the house. These 50's-60's houses are not moving fast. The new construction, old estate-type houses are selling. I am amazed at how one hundred year old houses are being gutted and redone to look authentic. I think 'staging' will help. I've seen some that were staged and sold at a good price. I couldn't believe how some houses were transformed by 'staging.' Can't do much with my Master bath. It's very small and I would need to take space from the bedroom to enlarge. Too big a project.

The only positive is mortgage rates are dropping (like the banks), and there aren't many houses on the market here. I have to have a Realtor in to give me advice.

Thanks for all the help.

Jane

We sold our house last Sept - moved into new house Labor Day so son could start school, sold old house 9/28/07. Of course, yours may be totally different market than ours was a year ago. Our house was built in 1988, there were a lot on the market the same age or newer, the same size.

I'm not sure you need to hire a stager. Just declutter and find a real estate agent who has had steady sales the past few years. He/she would probably have some suggestions as to how to stage things. I just wouldn't put any more money into major renovations. Finish the sunroom, fix and repaint where the leaks are in the skylights, and maybe replace a few towel bars and such. But major renovations aren't returning the investment. Good luck.

I know nothing about the real estate market in your area but did you realtor suggest all these things like adding a sunroom? "This house won't sell without a three season sunroom! I won't even list it!" I can't see recouping your investment on something like that. Did the realtor suggest adding an inground pool too? Most homeowners would rather customize their own home. I saw the work you are doing to the vintage bathroom and I personally feel you should have left the vintage fixtures. Sometimes that sort of thing is what sells a house. You have a lot on your plate to finish in 6-8 months. You have a long list. Refinish all the floors. Change out hardware. Shop for new appliances and try to customize them in place. Add sunroom. Switch out light fixtures. Update kitchen and four bathrooms. I will admit I checked your 'date registered' to see if you were a flipper coming here for free advice.

I think, as others have said that just putting the house on the market clean and uncluttered, and in good repair, will attract buyers. Not everyone wants a Tuscan kitchen with faux painting. A lot of buyers will look at the builders grade updates, and wonder if the place was a dump before, or just hate the new stuff and rip it all out. They will feel they would be paying for upgrades that they are going to rip out anyway so skip it.

Some people will just love painted black cabinets, but and equal number will prefer the wood and lots of lookers will want to gut the kitchen no matter what you do to it or not. You say the kitchen was remodeled 15 years ago so maybe you are already blessed with the best kitchen in the neighborhood. Myself and every other person in my neighborhood all still have the original 1940's cabinets in the kitchens and the houses still sell. JMHO.

Right to the point dilly dally, and with the economy issues yesterday and today, I wouldn't spend a penny. We have no idea what tomorrow will bring and what changes follow the election.
I also just read that preserved/well restored 1940's are the next buying rage, that the originals are growing in popularity if of the original quality-compaired to the lesser quality that followed. Example, the old tile work is color dated but still in excellent condition compared to later tile already with cracks and grout problems.
If it were my work, I would do quality primer in the sunroom and let new owners take it from there.

The sunroom exsisted and was eaten by Carpenter ants. The roof over it leaked and the room was rotting. My only choice was to tear the addition off the house, which was not doable. I could not sell the house with that room. I needed a new roof on the entire house (30 yrs old). Notice kitchen ceiling and you will see water stains. Those are the major renovations.

I was asking advice for minor changes to the kitchen. I'm not removing the cabinets or changing the floor. I asked about pendant lights and counter top. I wanted some 'staging advice.' Floor are being refinished because they went through 2 kids and 5 Rottweilers. I wish I could avoid the cost, but can't.

In-ground pool? Where did that come from?

I've been a member of GW almost since its inception...longer than it shows on my profile. I was banned (along with many others) when Spike ran it. I was able to rejoin when he left. I'm a gardener and dog person and spend little time decorating...that's why I came here for help.

Jane

Oh, I know you're "OK". I meant I checked and you have been registered for years. I was looking to see if it was someone who newly registers the first day they post like spammers do.

I think we were all under the impression that the sunroom was being added, not redone. Or maybe I can't read right. I've gotten mixed up on things before. I can blame old age. Maybe lack of caffeine.

The in-ground pool comment was because sometimes realtors don't know their market and suggest things that are out of their element.

Jane- your last post clarified it here as well. I misunderstood as well about the renovations you were doing. So now that I think I understand better, I would definitely go with the granite countertops- new cabinet hardware and faucet ( I can't see your and sink, but when they replace the countertops you can can replace those as well if warranted... very inexpensive and big bang for the buck). For the dishwasher, there are 2 sites that people have shared that have stainless sheeting for precisely this purpose.If the dishwasher is 4 years old and only needs a different color, I would check into that.
I don't think I would do mini pendants over the table either. This is the idea of what I could see replacing the ceiling fans. I dont know the right description for that light, so this is attractive and the first one I came across to give an example.( ---back! back from the ledge!)Keep us posted.

Here is a link that might be useful: something along the lines of this?

I read this with great interst . . . just shows you can't please everyone. As a buyer, I would tend to stay away from painted cabinets (mostly because I'd think they were done wrong and would cost me aggravation down the road) and personally would not notice the handles on a first trip though (by which time I'd have decided if I was coming back). I didn't see anyone identifying the TV by the table as clutter, but to me it needs to go while house is on market. I would also edit the items on the open shelves as it looks a bit busy.

I would let the buyer make the decisions on the kitchen, as they would want it. Clean, clean, clean it well, esp the kitchen and bathrooms (maybe even invest in one of those whole house cleaning machine teams), wash down the cabs, declutter, fresh coat of paint if needed, maybe put a nice rug over the floor for warmth and color as well as a few warm accessories. I wouldn't buy a new refrigerator for them either, as people have their own likes and dislikes about those, too, and they'll be stuck with it for years to come. I really can't see doing a fancy granite in the kitchen, esp with the older cabinets and flooring. It won't look right and will only have to be ripped out later anyway to update the cabinets and flooring, if that's what they choose to do.

As a buyer, I'd much prefer that the budget or a discount for those things be applied to the price so I could tackle my own dreams. I would not be willing to pay a lot of extra money for a little (permanent) freshening that's to someone else's taste.

First, I would take everything out of the kitchen (tv and stand need to go), clear off every surface and scrub everything down. Clean out the inside of the cabinets and as already posted, lay new shelf liner. Now is the time to get rid of things you don't use on a semi-daily basis. Either pack them up or donate them. At that point you will have a blank slate to look at with fresh eyes.

I personally would work with what you have. Pull a color from the granite top of your kitchen table and paint the room including the ceiling a warmer color. Not crazy warmer, but I think "warming" the room would be a great place to start. Make sure the paint color compliments your cabinets rather than fighting/highlighting the yellow in them. I would paint the walls and ceiling first and then see how the room looks. Buy 3 quarts of paint, put them on the walls in different spots and put them around the room in different spots. Live with the colors in the different lights in your home then pick one and paint. It's amazing what a fresh coat of paint can do for a small amount of $$. I think painting the ceiling and walls the same color would be your best bet.

I wouldn't paint the cabinets. Deep clean and polish them. I would change out the hardware. Let the buyer change out or paint the cabinets if they so choose. Also, your cabinets while not new, look to be in decent shape.
If I were considering buying your home, I would not be put off by the cabinets.

The clutter needs to be totally eliminated. I would remove the above the cabinet items as I think they draw the eye upward. I think the kitchen would look much better with nothing sitting on the tops of the cabinets. It gives the appearance that you don't have enough storage space in the kitchen.

I would do a small "collection" of some intersting items on the open cabinet on the left. Same with the glass fronted cabinet. Go through the things in your home. You'd be surprised what you may be able to come up with. Do you have a collection of pewter or stoneware that you can pull from other rooms in the house, or go through things you have stashed away in the attic or basement. A few well chosen accessories with a tuscan feel would be great. Perhaps a stoneware vase of sunflowers on the kitchen table?

I agree about the appliances not matching. I would look into the stainless resurfacing products that have become available for DIY in the past few years. You are currently planning to replace the refrigerator?

I think besides a good decluttering, the thing that stands out the most for me is that the kitchen could feel warmer. Perhaps some type of window treatments?

The kitchen floor stands out as well. I know you can't replace it, but perhaps there is a product you can find or someone can recommend to clean up the grout a bit. I imagine there are companies that professionally deep clean tile floors? That may be something somewhat inexpensive to look into as well.

I totally understand the kids and multiple pet thing. Cleaning, decluttering and painting the kitchen a warm color would be my first moves. I would not put significant money into the kitchen as I don't think you will recoup it. Elbow grease and paint are where I would start, I think you may be pleasantly surprised how a warm paint color transforms the room.

You have a lovely room I think it will show well with just a few changes.

Best of luck to you!

My opinion:

If your home is considered a "starter home", I would paint the cabinets and try to make everything look really good. Most people shopping in the starter home market won't have money to refurbish anything right away. They will want to move right in and begin to enjoy the fresh paint.

If your home isn't a starter home, I would just deep clean and list it as is. Maybe try to darken the stain on the cabinets a bit? A lot of buyers that are looking for something beyond a starter home will be coming into it with some back-up funding for remodels/repairs.

Here's just throwing some color around with stuff I have (not supposed to be perfect). I also put some baseboard or coving material over the tile under the cabs and removed one shelf, if possible, for cookbooks to fit. Showing the refrig painted in black or stainless, if possible. Put some decorative tiles or something across the backsplash. Material on the window, some plants, cushions maybe. And it's all yours when you move!

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I just sold my home in CA last December during what is still a horrible market~sold in 3 months. I'll also add I only had six showings and six offers. They all came in low, since it was a buyers market, and I had to hold out for the right price. Everyone who came in noticed the decorating FIRST, and I feel this is what grabs the buyers initial interest. Of course they have to like the layout and other features, but keep in mind that buying a house *is* an emotional experience, especially for women.

Squirrel has the right idea! 'Stage' the hell out of it!! 'Beauty is in the details'. I HAD to do a lot before I sold cause my home was build in '84, but I had started long before I sold by adding wood floors. You don't want to spend a fortune and then not be around to enjoy the benefits.

The only 'pricey' item I would replace is the refrigerator with a black one.

'Disguise' the backsplash as SH suggests.

Place a rug under the table.

Add LOTS of accessories.

You don't mention a wall color, but a sage green would look great~SW Koi Pond. It would also tone down the color of the cabs.

The best of luck to you. ;o)

squirrel - I love your ideas and I hope OP does as well.

Your suggestions are just what I had in my mind's eye regarding "warming" the room. A bit of paint and the room will be perfect for showing. I truly believe prospective buyers are hooked by the way a room/home feels when they first view it. The kitchen is the heart of most homes, and your ideas give it that warm feel I envisioned.

I especially like the wood baseboard you added under the cabinets. It totally eliminates the worst of the tile problem.

I am relatively new to this forum, but I have enjoyed your P/S abilities immensely. You are very generous taking time to help posters get a real vision of what the addition or subtraction of things they are considering will actually look like. Are you a decorator by trade, or work in that field of in any capacity? If not, you've certainly missed your calling. I've no idea how to photoshop, but you are the master. I just wanted to say kudos!

All in all, your ideas are not costly ones, and will go a long way in achieving a positive reaction from prospective buyers. Most people really don't have or want to spend obscene amounts of money to ready their home for sale. With the economy such as it is, combined with the soft real estate market, I think your vision is right on.

I am interested to see what OP thinks of your great ideas!

Thank you Work_in_progress : ) That's exactly what I am, too, lol. Glad you enjoy the ps'ing : ) I think you're so right, how warm and homey it feels is what's important. And eliminating the tile baseboard really does make a huge difference, doesn't it.

I'd meant to put some paint in there, too, but then forgot. Here are a few shades of green : )

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I don't know what to say - it took all these posts to finally get my point across. I want exactly what squirrel just did. I have absolutely no decorating sense, but I knew something could be done to make the kichen 'feel' better. Thank you very much. I spent almost 2 years house-shopping with my daughter last year. She and her husband wanted to move back closer to us. Prices were off the wall and they wound up staying where they were. I saw houses that were 'staged.' You knew they had decorators because the houses were sooo perfect. We would walk in and want the house. She and I would get so excited about these houses and she wanted them. After calming down I would realize some major faults with them. But the initial impression was like impulse buying. The houses would grab you. It allowed you to see an ordinary house look fabulous. I would realize later that the decorating, accessories, paint, etc. made the difference between a ordinary house and a gorgeous one.

This kitchen opens to a great room, dining and living room. All glass with oak floors throughout. Same high ceilings. Makes the areas look huge. When I ordered the cabinets years ago, I was going with the oak in the rest of the house.

I love the baseboard (would never think that), like the paint color in the last photo and burgandy looks great in the kitchen. I had a burgundy, cheap runner in there for my old dog who would slide on the tile. I was amazed at how good it made the kitchen look. I love, love the shelves. I will see if I can remove one. They are attached somehow. Last question, would you recommend molding above the cabinets?

The kitchen is messy because I had to move stuff from the sunroom in during the construction. Cabinets are in excellent condition. Paid a lot for them years ago. Can't see in the photo but I have different pulls because I've been trying different ones and don't like any of them. Will keep trying. If I do the granite, I can change the sink. If I don't I'm stuck with the ugly sink.

Great job, just what I was hoping for.

Jane

I buy and sell at least a house a year, and have done more. I like to buy places like yours...dated, that others won't make an offer on because they can't see through the skin to the good bones :)

So for what it's worth...here's what I'd do to get your house off of my hands :o)

Your kitchen is horribly dated, and you know that. So what can you do cheaply to fix it? First, pant the grout black on the floor. Don't do anything else with the floor, just paint the grout. You'll have a high contrast floor that pulls in the black granite. Second..do the granite...it's huge, the fabrication costs aren't the major expense at all there...you have free granite available...take it!

Tile right over that backsplash. 4" square tiles are very dated. I'd do white subway's (cheap from home despot) with a grey grout. Then change out all those knobs for black knobs. If that BS is solid, you can easily tile over it, and even do it diy if necessary, but changing the shape there will be a big deal.

Then, paint those cabinets. And if it were MY kitchen to sell, I'd not only paint them, I'd trim them out by adding a molding strip to the inside of the existing strip (glue and some pin nails...not hard...I've done it a few times). And I'd paint the cabinets in a heart beat. Their shape and color are frankly horribly dated. Cleaning them up with paint is a big deal. It does NOT Matter what the future buyer does with the kitchen "after you do all that work". What matters is that you catch their eye and sell the danged thing in the first place! This is NOT a cool 1940's kitchen...it's a dated 70s at it's best. (I am currently doing a dated 70's kitchen myself...I will be doing the cabinets in a soft yellow). In yours I'd go for a white that works with the floor tile. You give yourself a crisp black and white theme that way.

I don't like the white walls on a tall room like that. After all is said and done, I'd paint either a pretty butter color, or perhaps a soft green...gray would work as well, just paint some color!

I am just one person who has an opinion :) But I do buy and sell houses and I drool over houses like yours where the stuff is left as is...because I'm one of a few (and I'd count many of the folks here like me) who can see beyond your "Stuff". But 99% of your prospective buyers...they can't see that. Some elbow work and a few bucks would help a lot here.

Get rid of everything in the dining room except a table and chair. Edit to death. Those wires make me crazy, and they'll cost you thousands. I would add a chandelier or I'd buy a cheap oblong or rectangular table and do pot light conversion kits on the current pots. (You can't do that with your current table). If it were me, I'd do that before I'd add a chandelier. I would however change out that fan for a chandelier over the kitchen. Keep to simple black and white lines which will make your floor tile look great (if you paint the grout) verses doing something else that will highlight the out of date features.

And change out the appliances. People do notice that. You know that :)

I've never used an agent to sell a home, (I do it myself) but I will say....most agents I've run into have no clue what it takes to stage a home for sale. Typically they're failed workers elsewhere who go into real estate for a few years then fail again. (I've worked in real estate...I see this all the time). And then there are the top preformers who are really good...they can be of help, but you still get their opinion most of the time. If you really want to sell..consult a professional stager...not an agent.

jane_ny - I thought squirrel was able to get down to what you were truly looking for - inexpensive cosmetic changes.

Best of luck to you with the sale of your home!

Jane, I have to agree with those that say getting a house prepped for sale is different then decorating the house for you. I've posted many times on the real estate forum that I past up houses that had painted cabinets or ones where they gutted and redid the kitchen. I think finding the paint color that will work with the cabinets is going to be the key, but I would wait until you pick the counter.

I do like the black counter and think it would look great since you won't have black tile on the wall. I would then go with black pulls to tie it together, then using the black grout as igloo suggests. You then find a few items to stage with.

I think that when you interview agents, ask them what they suggest you do with the kitchen and what sells. I don't think you need to do much, you just need to find the right color (wall/accessories) to make what you have work.

Thanks for the advice. Where do you find a professional stager?? Someone provided a link to a real estate site (can't find the link) and I posted this question. Their reply was to ask the Realtors for a recommendation. I have no idea where to find one.

I'm not going to paint the cabinets. They are solid and in perfect condition. The carpenter I'm using on the sun-room said he could lightly sand them and stain. He also suggested changing the doors and matching the sides to the doors. Either choice was too expensive and time consuming.

The tile grout is/was Chocolate. Very dark brown. I know it appears dirty in the photos. It is not. I was toying with painting it. I'm not pulling up the tile. I like the idea of tiling the backsplash on top of the old tile. Maybe I could do that myself. I can't find pulls. I tried various ones and don't like any of them. There is a gold beading around the door molding on the cabinets. I tried to remove it and I can't. It's built into the door. I'm stuck with gold. I plan to paint the entire house. I'm waiting for the electrician to change the ceiling lights.

Thanks again,
Jane

Here's one shot of a couple of pulls. I don't like either of them. I never realized how much I dislike these cabinets. They didn't appear as yellow 18 yrs ago. BTW, I found the receipts for the kitchen work, it was 18 yrs.
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I know nothing about decorating. I can't find pulls. Any suggestions as to where to look?

Thanks again,
Jane

Jane, someone mentioned painting the grout black, and you said it's original color was dark brown. The trend these days is grout very close to the color of the tile. Dark grout only emphasizes the tile and all it's flaws, and makes each square stand out much more~i've not seen dark grout used in the last several years.

There's a paint made especially for grout, and available in several colors. I painted tile with an acrylic paint, but it didn't hold up to the wear and tear of everyday life. I have a friend who used the grout paint and it held up very well~it would probably be a good idea to seal it also so it won't discolor if spills happen. ;o)

Jane, your house reminds me SO much of our house! It was built in 1980, and pretty much hadn't been updated since then, except for a few poor choices here and there. Our kitchens are very similar - nice quality cabinets that look dated, vaulted ceilings with huge windows, etc. And just like what a pp said, our house sat on the market a long time because no one could look past the whole 80s vibe. But, really, these houses have great bones! I love the windows in your dining area and your vaulted ceilings.

As for the cabinets, I wouldn't paint, but here's what I would do: It's the finish that is really aging the cabinets. Cabinets nowadays are just not that sheen or color. They are way too high-gloss. I would sand them down a bit and restain with a darker (maybe darker reddish?) satin sheened stain. It wouldn't be a huge project. Definitely the pulls need to go. I would go with something more modern, of course. Granite is great, and if you can get it for free, by all means, do it! I wouldn't worry too much about the floor, but for heaven's sake don't paint the grout black! You don't want to see the grout. I would just steam clean the grout and call it good. Paint the walls.

Let me see if I can post a picture of what our kitchen looked like when we moved in. We are in the midst of new flooring, new tile, and taking down a wall. However, we decided to keep the cabinets and just restain them, put new hinges/handles on. Those cabinets, like yours, are probably way better quality than you could buy without spending a ton of money today. Oh, and for sure replace that dated ceiling fan (it's just like our 80s gem!) {{gwi:1802696}}

Jane, is there any way you can paint that gold piece black?

The knobs I'm thinking about can be seen here.

Jane - if you can't paint the gold trim on the doors black, how about getting some thin molding, staining or painting it black, then putting it butting up to the existing edge trim and covering the gold? I don't like the pulls on doors, I'd rather see knobs but the way they are placed you'd have to use a wood putty to fill the extra holes. Just don't go crazy - with an 18 yr old kitchen, buyer is just going to gut it anyway. If you have an Ocean State Job Lot near you, check out pulls/knobs there - $1 each. Or look for contractor packs (usually about 10 knobs in a pack so less expensive than buying per piece). If you apply for a Home Depot contractor card (you don't need contractor license) you get 10% off each Friday. Or Home Depot Consumer credit card get 10% off first purchase and financing (6 months, sometimes they give a year) for any purchase over $299. With all you're doing to the house, it may be worth it. Good luck!

Sheila