just a voice on the other side...since you are on a budget... Since this house was built ten years ago and since it lingered on the market unsold, all kinds of things have changed in the house market. Buyer gripes from that period may not be the same as buyer tastes today and that same real estate agent may be looking at properties like yours with new eyes in this economy. New lists of what pays off and what does not pay off in house renovation indicate that in this economy, kitchen renovation might offer less payback than attention to curb appeal, decks, structural soundness, energy efficiency, and bathrooms. First thing you are now supposed to look into is whether front door is as great as you can make it! Articles from the last year indicate that kitchens are sometimes only a 60% payback item, although this can vary dramatically, depending on the kitchen. I would suggest that you do a lot of looking at actual places for sale in the community and discuss patterns of sales with a couple agents. The previous agent opinion has a lot of sway in your mind, perhaps too much. Find out if others agree. If you are indeed in a community of more higher-end houses than yours, your kitchen could be changed to make it a better companion to the others, but as-is it may be more affordable and accessible for buyers compared to expensive ones current buyers cannot afford. They say that paint is your single best investment. ___ I like the kitchen. I can imagine a lot of great adventures in it. You seem bothered by the "midrange" aspects of it, but there is a lot of higher stuff here, especially the layout and the spaciousness and the good taste of the features. It is not horrible and deserves respect. ____ Your kitchen is close enough to the fashionable light-colored kitchen style that you could play this up further. You need more contrast and less pastel on the walls. A stern mauve-gray? A teal blue? steel gray? Coral? Attention to that great wall beyond the table would probably be very useful, once you lose the wainscot effect and put forth a single paint color. A work of art? A distinctive display? You also have some great features in the woodwork--the grids in the window and the doors. These carry on the traditional theme we glimpse in the room (dining room?) beyond the kitchen. And in the outdoors room we see beyond the sliding doors. Once you get into the appliance replacement/upgrade trap, money just evaporates. Is it possible to locate a suitable used "bisque" range? Try posting a want-ad on bulletin boards, etc. Also contact appliance dealers as to whether they know of any used ones. What color is the ceiling? Could it be whitened? Is there a full eating area by the sliding doors? If so, is it possible to put a distinctive light over it? And could the table or chairs make a strong contrast to the lighter colored items? Backsplashes are fashionable and a choice that connects to the new paint color and which introduces a texture that is a counterpoint to the textures of the oak grain and the countertops and the floor might make the room seem very different. Backsplash could run under all upper cupboards--it would become significant enough to be a counterpoint to the strong presence of the cupboards and the new paint color paint color as a force in the room. It could also create too much tension and too much variation, so restraint might be in order. In the photos the floor does not seem to match the rest of the scheme. If this is true, it can be downplayed. Even a couple modestly priced rugs that draw out some of the new color(s) would help. A more flamboyant light fixture over the sink would add personality. Place mats, flower pots, similar items could repeat textures and colors of this room.

You sound like a kindred spirit - I'm going through the same exercise. I do everything except the plumbing, but finding the right cabinets to stay out of divorce court is proving to be the greatest challenge. :) I'm just below the NH border in Essex county, so we've probably looked at a lot of the same resources - plus I just finished putting in a complete new kitchen in my son's condo in JP. I used RTA cabinets from domaincabinetsdirect.com for him, but I'm looking for an upgrade for my own kitchen. You might want to look at an inexpensive design program called Plan3D - let's you do reasonably accurate layouts with a minimum of learning curve and pain. I'm looking at Barker and Scherr as possible options for RTA cabinets, and iEuro, Cabico, and Dynasty for manufactured lines. The jury is still out. I will tell you that it's going to be really tough to find durable boxes and doors with attractive cherry veneer at the price point your looking for. If you have the time or interest perhaps we can collaborate.

Ezra, that's a decent start, but more information is needed for people to work with. You want a lot more than a salesperson offers, but you have to feed the engine to get it burning hot. The checklist Tilenut suggests is a good place to go. Just for another quick insight, it looks like you have a decent space to work with, but how much of that do you actually have left after subtracting room for a table adequate for all your potential needs, chairs, room to walk around, etc? Do you have another dining area elsewhere for when there's more than just the two of you? BTW, I wouldn't rule out Ikea. You could install the cabinets minus doors and drawer fronts and live with that while you chose and waited for custom doors. You might even console yourselves by planning a nice trip paid for with the savings. Also BTW, although it's a decent space, it's doesn't seem extravagant, and if it were mine I'd plan on 2 things right now: 1. Frameless cabinets for the extra storage. 2. Almost all drawers (instead of less expensive doors opening to shelves). The space lost to drawer hardware is very, very much made up for by the greatly increased efficiency of access to the storage. Actually, drawers are a have-to-have in my mind, no matter what. They're that much better. Since you're feeling pressed for the time this job really needs, those would also help substantially narrow the range of choices to consider.

My house has topped out at a little over 2000sf, but I'm still a smaller homes kind of person (and a notorious cheapskate). I've saved every scrap of lumber and tile from every home improvement project, and reused as much as possible. I have more time than money to invest, though. My youngest is taking after me. ♥ She purchased a couple of acres with a shell of a building, and has been raiding my remaining stockpile (and tool room) for her very small, almost-off-the-grid, too-primitive-for-me, remodel. But our kitchens both have black marble tile!