Can you post some pictures? I'm sure there are some creative things that can be done with that budget. Do you not like the functionality of the cabinets or the look of them? You could always replace the doors & drawer fronts or just paint them. Also, search this forum for formica - some people have posted pictures of their formica countertops and they look great. Lastly, how long do you plan on living there? If it's less than five years I'd do the bare minimum. If it's more you might want to consider doing a few upgrades to make it a nicer kitchen since you'll be the one living with it.

I don't know if you much of a DIY'er but labor cost save alot. Do post pics, painting cabs is not difficult but labor intensive. You can get pre-fab granite slabs for about $300 a slab (just check craigslist). People on this forum are really creative but pics will really help.

Uh oh, that's how my gut renovation started! Couldn't put granite on the old oak cabinets.

I do think your $25K estimate is realistic. The more DIY you can do, the more bang you can get for your buck.

$25K is a lot of money to spend though for something that is settling.

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.

Thank you all for your feedback. Plllog...thank you especially on the cook top advice. Never thought about the downdraft sucking the flame...maybe that's why we ahve electric to begin with. Also on the 6" shallow cabinet advice and tiles. Great things to consider.

I can't post pics now. But will try to do in the future.

Z.