looks untouched from the 1970's or thereabouts. you should get an electrical contractor in. this is the time to upgrade get 220 service...maybe upgrade your circuit box and hood ventilation which you probably dont have will be easier on the window wall. You have to deal with infrastructure things . before the thoughts about shelves and color of cabinets etc. In answer to your question.....start with a budget and a timeline......start interviewing general contractors for the projects. Did you know that realtors and general people give the wise advice to wait a year before any projects/ given what you wish to do I think organizing yourselves and noting more things by living there and thus waiting for 9-12 months would be smart. Inspiration pics collected and saved in a notebook is a big help.

Thanks so much for the reply @herbflavor. The house is actually built in the 90s, but yes, I agree looks dated in the 70s and hasn't been upgraded. We have a list of contacts including general contractors, a budget and timeline. We plan on getting an electrician and plumber to look at all the infrastructure as well. We knew going in it would be rehab project, so we're up for the challenge.

Where i live all the people i know who have projects theywould like just cannot get good responses in any sort of timely manner from either handyman types or GC. start getting people in .to discuss and quote. you dont sound as tho you will wait.

I agree, wait 6 months to a year, what you think you want now, will be different than what you want after you have lived there. I would scrape all that wallpaper off, clean the walls, prime and paint them. The kitchen itself isnt in bad condition, its the wallpaper that would drive me over the edge.

How long do you plan to stay in the house? And what are the quality of the white cabinets?

If you plan to stay less than 7 years, and the cabinets are in serviceable shape, I would leave the cabinets exactly as is, and just replace hardware ($100), countertop and add a pretty backsplash. Get rid of the old ceiling fan, obviously get rid of the wallpaper and repaint everything, and i would also pull off the crown molding things at the top of the cabinets plus the strip of wood over the sink. If you have the cash, treat yourself to a new slide in range and exhaust, too. If you're handy, you could come up with a creative way to make the fridge look more built in - maybe open shelves to the side or get a single cabinet built in a contrasting wood.

As others have said, it will be a year before cabinets will be in stock or before a GC will get to this project, so if you're only there for 5 or so years, and one year is already down, plus 6 months to finish the project.... it's not worth tearing out a serviceable WHITE kitchen for 3 or 4 years of enjoyment. Also, if you just bought, you bought at the absolute top of the market and will pay insane GC prices right now (30% higher than a couple years ago), so there's no way you recoup.

If you had ugly 90s brown cabinets, i'd tell you to do it anyway. But white boring cabs, even if from the 90s, are like the white whale.... just take them and run!

Also, don't do the open shelves. Your kitchen is too small, and you won't have enough storage.

If you'll be there for more than 7 years, then for sure you can go ahead and renovate. I'd start calling contractors now, because it will be a year before you get to do this project (because of cabinet delays, and also because contractors will be backed up for months). So that will give you time to live with this for a bit and figure out what works and what doesn't.

When I bought my first house I wanted to redo everything immediately. I did listen to my dad though, he told me always keep enough money to replace a roof in savings. Instead we did one major project a year, paid cash for it, and always kept a rainy day fund of at least 25k.

I still follow this advice. I am in my drag me out in a body bag home, and waited 10 years for my kitchen. I haven't had to compromise any choice due to cost, and I will have a kitchen planned just for me and the way I use it.

Live with it for about 6 months, to see what you like and hate, what you feel you must change, and what you feel you just want to change. Your opinion will differ a lot after you've lived with (and in) it for a while.

The absolute first thing I would do is rip out all that wallpaper. It makes my eyes hurt. Even if you have to look at damaged drywall until you can paint, it would be better than that wallpaper. Then slap up some goes-with-anything right now paint and live in the house for a while to give yourself time to think things through.

All great advice! Thank you all! We do plan on staying only for a few years, not our forever home (I think) - but we'll see, who knows. Took another inventory of the kitchen again and cabinets seem to be in pretty decent shape, will change out the knobs and do a cabinet refinishing and countertop replacement, appliances will probably switch out as well. And for sure, the wallpaper has to go.