IMO, there is no need to do anything to this kitchen if you're going to be moving soon. The previous owners of the house we bought two and a half years ago refaced the kitchen from white to wood. I wish they would have left it white because the kitchen faces north so it's dark. What I'm trying to say is for every person who likes wood there is someone who likes white and visa versa. Don't spend your money trying to please someone else.

My kitchen of 12 years has virtually the same issues as you - (supposedly) high quality appliances, cheap every where else. However - your kitchen is beautiful! I’d trade you in a heartbeat. If you’re moving soon, please don’t do anything. Many people will like this and those that don’t will want to do their own thing.

If it were my house I would paint them. Painting gives you the biggest bang for the buck and also make your kitchen look fresh, bright and newer. All positives to potential buyers.

Thank you, I appreciate the feedback

i agree with those who say to leave it. The next person will most likely redo the kitchen to their own taste.

I agree with the folks who say to leave it as is….everyone has a different taste and style, and you have no way of knowing that the buyers will like what you do. You could spend several thousands to change it, then people see a “before” photo and wish you’d left it! Or they might begin a complete remodel, remove walls etc! But: if you absolutely want to change it, I would paint the cabs in a light tone (soft white or light gray)….it will stand out form the walnut and look good with everything else.

I love the look of white kitchens and I’m leaning that way. I just wasn’t sure if it would look “okay” as there is no other white in the house all of the trim is dark stained. I looked at some inspiration pics and I do like how it looks. Thank you all for your input. I’m going to work on getting some quotes for painting.

Completely agree with those who said to leave it as is if the point is resale value. If you can’t live with it, that’s different. Personally, I like the maple with the floors. I do not like the countertops or the dark backsplash. The extra pattern in the granite seems busy to me with the pronounced grain in the floor. And, I’m not a fan of the mismatched countertops in this space. Painting the cabinets doesn’t in anyway resolve a quality issue that future buyers may prefer to address. If I were buying from you, I’d rather make the changes myself.

I am another vote for leaving the kitchen alone. Actually, I love the look of your cabinets with the flooring. And…natural wood is making a comeback in kitchens. So…especially if you are moving…give your buyer the option of loving it as it is, or making it their own.

White would be a big no for me as a buyer, so I wouldn’t want to pay for the painting only to have to redo it. I like your kitchen as it is. The previous owner of our house wasted money putting in a new stove and flooring that we quickly took out. The stove never even got used by us (electric coil).

As someone who is currently on the market for a new house, please leave the cabinets alone. It is unlikely that your potential buyer will have your same taste, and they won’t be thrilled about having to pay extra for an upgrade that you made in your own taste. Two years is no time at all and they cabinets look just fine and not like they’re about to fall apart.

I am SUPER picky about cabinets and flooring, and keep skipping over houses that we might have otherwise bought because the current owner or a flipper has put in stuff we don’t want but would hate to just tear out.

IMO if they are cheap cabinets adding expensive doors is not the answer since the doors are the pricey part of cabinets. I would leave all of it as is and BTW I spend my bucks on good appliances before spending it on cabinets sine the appliances are the work horses in a kitchen I use Ikea cabinets a lot in my design biz since most of my clients are cooks and agree the appliances are the first thing to plan. If I was to buy that house with that kitchen the first thing on the list would be a redo of a dated space with a poor layout .

Thank you Patricia for the comment about the appliances being the workhorses of the kitchen. I did not think about it that way, nice to have a different perspective.

I agree, I do not like the dated layout either. The refrigerator is in a main walkway. There is no natural light, I put in a solar tube last year which helped somewhat. The only window in the kitchen is located in the pantry.

The pictures do not do justice to the cabinets, especially the base ones. They are dented, scratched, peeling from water damage in some areas, especially the island.

I have not liked the cabinets/layout/lack of light of this kitchen since we moved in. We purchased the house 5 years ago based on pictures only and feedback from our realtor. We made a move from the New England area to the Midwest. We did fly out once to look for houses but did not find any . We then saw this one come out in the market shortly after we returned. I was pregnant at the time and felt it was best to have a house in order prior to our move. We moved when I was 8 months pregnant with a preschooler at home.

I’ve made another post in the past about about some other structural things that I dislike about the house, but then realized that it would be cost prohibitive to make these changes (dislike location of stairs, layout of foyer and no privacy in one of the bedrooms) best idea would be to move.

It is difficult to be patient and just “live with it” as I’ve been living with it for 5 years in addition to the other things I dislike. I was thinking that maybe if I made some improvement then I would feel not feel quite so antsy to move. I’ve followed the market closely and there are no houses I like more than this one enough to move, even in significantly higher price ranges. The majority of houses here are either McMansions or located in tiny lots with no trees (previous farm land). The lots that are for sale do not have any trees and lack privacy. We looked at one lot and half of it was wetlands, the only one we’ve found in the last year that had any trees 🤪My current house backs out into a nature preserve, I love that there is lots of wildlife, trees and privacy.

If you are still reading this thank you 🥰. I guess this had turned into a vent by me. I know that in the grand scheme of life, all of this is frivolous and doesn’t really matter. It’s nice to talk to others that worry about such things.

the small kitchen has an upbeat quality about it. It will be found to be pleasant by many lookers. Perhaps there is a better layout but it looks to be cohesive with the main living area and clever as it is part open/part concealed so people on both side of that debate can have their wish at least for a while before they choose to renovate. Its best you save your money.

I truly appreciate your comment. I like how you pointed out part/open part. I don’t like completely open concept homes and it is nice to have that bit of a divide between the kitchen living room.

Are you required move in 2 years, or are you frustrated so much you want to move? It the former, get whole house advice from a well-established realtor before you spend a penny. If the latter, and this house will work for your lifestyle changes over the next 7-10 years, but the kitchen layout is the problem, then save enough to get the kitchen you really love.

It’s more that I’m frustrated and want to move. I guess I gave the 2 year timeline as I’m hoping the housing prices/building prices stabilize. I know we can’t predict the future but those are my thoughts of why I gave the 2 year timeline. We have a 15 year mortgage and 2% interest rate, which kinda makes me think I’m being foolish about wanting to move. I guess I just don’t know what the best decision is.

With 2 young children and impractical kitchen layout (plus foyer, stairs, 1 unprivate BR), no wonder you are frustrated and it is by no means frivolous because your family most likely feels your frustration. You focused on features you don’t like. Do a deeper dive - as you go about each of your daily routines think how does that part of your house help you with the task and how does it hinder you? That will suggest priorities, and that will help you plan.

Wow thank you, I feel like you understand my frustrations and that I’m not just being spoiled wanting a house with a better layout. There are lots of things that I really like about the house but the things that bother me the most are not easily able to be changed. Right now the girls share a room as I refuse to use the room without privacy as a bedroom. I think originally it was designed as an office and there are two bedrooms in the finished basement. The basement bedrooms have daylight windows but it is still a basement, doesn’t sit well with me having one of the girls sleeping down there.