It would be much easier to paint them BEFORE they were hung and doors attached. Do the cabs have to have a finish?

Before I would paint new cabs, I would try to cut the budget someplace else or leave something undone that could easily be finished/added later so I coukd have those painted cabs from the get-go.

100% agree with rantontoo

I honestly would if I could, however we signed on the final choices about a month ago and changing anything now would be unreasonably expensive. I actually gave up stone counters already and chose laminate so I could get the gourmet kitchen and my wall ovens (HUGE thing for me, I cook a LOT) so that ate up that already. There's not really anything else we can move back on, except for possibly my appliances. It definitely would stink having to do them myself, but I do have some friends who do projects like this on the side for companies, so it is possible I could get a good price in the end. I can live with the tannish red for now (they're a color called Mirage by Merillat cabinets?)

I should also add I did request for the cabinets to be unfinished, was told it's not a possibility BUT my builder said they'd try to custom request that for me anyways just to see what happens. I can easily ask for them to leave the doors off as well.

Don't do it, Ashley. Make the white cabinets happen from the get go. Sit down with your builder and cry, I don't know. We built a home as a young couple and juggled and settled based on money. What I didn't do was accurately assess my priorities and accurately determine what I could in fact live with versus what was going to bum me out totally if I gave it up.

My DD just went through a breakup. Before it, she kept demonstrating confirmation bias. Once we make a decision, some of us can pretzelize ourselves to defend and justify it. She ended up driving a moving van towing a car across country by herself, when two days before it seemed impossible to live without the boyfriend. Please break up with the tan cabinets. Better fewer white cabinets that make you thrilled that you just built a house (!!) than a lot of tan cabinets you're itching to change from day 1.

Hey guys! I ended up taking out two appliances and I'm getting the white cabinets. My sales manager for the house was nice enough to not charge us extra for the changes either.

thanks for all of the advice!

Well done...you won't regret it!