I seriously, seriously advise you to look at induction instead of gas. Downdrafts and gas don't get along well. If the downdraft works at all it sucks on the flames. Induction might mean buying some new pots but that's not so bad in the scope of the whole remodel. Sometimes you can get the store to throw in a set of pots, especially if you choose a brand that has a bottom price it can be sold for. That's the bottom received price and says nothing about freebies. A lot of people prefer induction to gas, it's that good, and much better with a downdraft. Also, since only the pots get hot, it's better for island cooking in general. Re counters, tile is highly functional. Be careful with "large tiles". You want it to look like a counter rather than a floor, and the bigger the tile the more likely you are to have a crack down the line if the house settles or shifts. I wouldn't go above 8" or 10". But also look around for interesting and beautiful tiles. You can make a very beautiful design with very inexpensive tiles. Can you tell? I love tile? But I think it looks a lot better if you just go for it and let it shout "TILE" rather than going way neutral and plain and trying to hide it. Formica, Wilsonart and that other brand that starts with P all make some amazingly beautiful designs nowadays. I kept trying to find old fashioned and funky for a project I was doing, and other than their purposefully retro lines, they don't have that. They just have pretty--mostly stone looks, plus some wood looks and other natural inspirations. With Formica and the like you have to be careful not to set a hot pot on it, and it has to be sealed correctly around a sink, but it's very functional. For the cupboards under the island overhang, if it can be done, I'd preserve them as shallow cabinets or shelves. It's amazing what you can store in a 6" deep cabinet. It wouldn't be convenient for everyday, but still useful, and less expensive to finish since you have the doors already. It all sounds like a good plan. Why should you get "best of everything" if you don't want to? For selling, you'll lose the people who want turnkey, but you also won't turn off the people who want to customize for their own selves. Clean, functional, and brought up to date a little with fresh appliances should be just fine.

Oh sure Squirrel, breeze by and blow up a picture but you won't come out and play? Just giving you a hard time..tee hee! It was pretty blurry to work on but it came out okay I guess. If those windows are easily accesible from inside, I would do metal window boxes. I soooo wanted these for my house but my window wasn't within reach. I also put some of your stone (blurry) around the window for accents. I think I'd keep the shingle on the far left and over the garage but maybe it needs replacing???

Paint the red steps to match the gray concrete porch. If the wrought iron is rusted, paint it with Rustoleum. Remove the shutters, BBQ and dish. Make sure there is nothing wrong that would cause the new renter and you any grief. Put your For Rent sign in the yard. Don't plant anything you don't want to be neglected and to die. Renters don't to much more than mow, and sometimes they don't even do that. Be sure they own a lawnmower and know how to use it.

I think the photo Patricia posted is beautiful -- I'm not sure sage is going to work well on our home, as our brick is orangey, while that brick has pink undertones. Also, they have siding, with a farmhouse type of feel, while we have a stucco-esque material. Anyways, I've put together my four top options, here they are!