Well, I don't know if this helps or not, but many slide-in ranges come with a metal piece to put in where the countertop should be, so that's not as much of an issue as you think. The empty space on the back wall seems to be your biggest real problem, so I'm afraid mostly this is a question of budget and how badly you want the new countertops, etc. (I know I would!)

Thanks -- that would at least allow us to cook while waiting for new counter tops!

The feeling that I'm missing something is odd -- but I've had it a couple of times before, always portending something I miscalculated.

The metal piece is not necessarily temporary, unless you want it to be. It's intended for just such installations as yours, where a standalone range used to be. It can be part of a permanent installation, too.

Are you really asking if you should go ahead and get new countertops without getting new cabinets? That depends on what countertop material you're thinking of AND the condition of your cabinets.

You say your kitchen is 30 years old...so I assume the cabinets are as well. Look at them critically...are they in great shape structurally? Or, are they only a few years from falling apart?

What type of countertop are you thinking of? Laminate? Solid Surface (e.g., Corian)? Quartz? Granite? Soapstone? Other?

If you're planing granite, soapstone, quartz, or other expensive countertop material, then...
.....If your cabinets are in great shape and you can see them lasting at least another 10 years or so, go for it!
.....If, however, they will not last that long and will need to be replaced in the next 5 to 8 years or so, I would think hard about putting in an expensive countertop that will most likely have to be replaced when you replace the cabinets.

If you're planning on laminate and your cabinets will last another couple of years...go for it!

Can you wait until you can save enough for a bigger remodel? That might be your best option... Lights can probably be done anytime.

HTH!

Yup, I was there. House/kitchen was 14years old and the appliances were dying.
Replaced everything but the cabinets and the floor:
- granite countertops
- sink
- faucet
- lighting
- backsplash
- fridge, range, DW, hood (vented it out)
- trash in a cabinet
- cabinet hardware
and even though we DIY everything but the counters, it cost almost $16K. Even though the kitchen looked great, if I had known about IKEA cabinets, I would have changed out those 1980's golden oak cabinets in a heartbeat. And while we're at it, we should removed the dated/cracked tiled floor and put in wood.
But then we moved, so now I have a new kitchen to renovate (this time, the whole works, including removing walls and changing footprint.)

Think about what's your end goal. While it did help us sell the house, I cost have save 1/2 the money if I didn't think that we were staying there for a few more years, so I did things for me.

Buehl, you successfully read my mind... Thanks!

I am thinking along the lines of quartz/granite/soapstone for counter top (expensive taste is a given!)

I would guess that the cabinets could easily last another 10 years, but they are 20 years old, so maybe that's wishful thinking (and possibly the source of my uneasy feeling).

I'm right here with you guys. That's been my delema. SO far I'm keeping the cabinets but replacing everything else and I took down a wall between the office and the kitchen. Hope I'm not sorry in a few years.

Maybe, if you're brave enough, you could show us some photos of your cabinets and get some feedback?

I'd hate to see you spend thousands on new expensive and heavy stone counters, then have dirty and/or worn looking cabinets stuck underneath them.

My builder told me that anything salvaged would look worse than I expect once it's placed in a new setting surrounded by brand new things. I pooh poohed him because I LOVE old houses and honestly think mixing old with new is what keeps things interesting.

That said, he was totally right.

So now we are repainting radiators that previously looked fine, fixing the grout and caulk in a bathroom that never bothered me before, etc. Old is one thing, but shabby/tired is another. It's not actually a great mix.

BUT I don't think this means you need to replace your cabinets. You may want to refresh them with new finish, hardware, or even new doors. But if they are structurally good and you like the style/layout, it would be wasteful and unnecessarily expensive to get all new cabinets when simple refreshing would do the trick. Think of all the things you could do all those thousands of dollars instead!

You can put new doors and hardware on old cabinets, paint them all creamy white, and they will look like new. I did just that on 34 year old cabinets, and they look fabulous. Cabinetry is the single most expensive item in the kitchen. New doors can save you a lot of money.