Don't paint them as half the people want white and the other half want espresso so your chances of messing up in choosing a color are quite high. And don't forget that ALL new homeowners absolutely HATE the house, and plan to renovate the day the move in as it doesn't fit their personality. Give them that opportunity. If you think I'm being sarcastic, spend an afternoon watching the house hunting shows on HGTV where even the most gorgeous home has to be redone to bring it up to date.

I vote for painting your cabinets and replacing your existing hardware with something more up to date. When a potential home buyer walks in and sees something outdated, they immediately see dollar signs for a reno and time that will need to be spent on a project - two negatives. A nice ivory color will appeal to the majority of potential home buyers, and even it isn't exactly what they want it will be more palatable.
Good luck selling your home!

hayleydaniels makes an excellent point about the fickle tastes of home buyers. I have even heard them complain about paint colors and light fixtures, both of which are very easy fixes. However, if you have a small kitchen, painting the cabinets almost white will make the space look larger, cleaner and brighter. Otherwise, a buyer will try to hit you up for a $30.0 "adjustment" to the asking price because of course, they can't afford to purchase stainless steel and stone countertops otherwise.

They look like very nice quality cabinets in a classic style. In many markets, they are fine. In a few markets, the buyers will rip out the kitchen even if it was just repainted with brand new countertops and flooring. Buyers are not fooled by quick DIY paint jobs. The upshot is that talking to your agent about your local market can help you decide what to do. Do spend an hour with the local MLS website looking at the photos of kitchens in your competing houses. Note what's been done, what has not been done, what the condition is, etc. Then ask the agent about what has been sold recently.

I tend to agree with Hayley based on personal experience with both selling and buying a home. There was needed updating on a home we sold a year and a half ago. Our plan was to paint, refinish the floors, remove the cottage cheese ceilings, and more. The realtor convinced us to do very little other than cleaning, and the house sold quickly for well over the asking price. Odds are a buyer will undo what you spent time and money doing.

I'd leave them. Hayley is right. be glad they don't have the arch shaped cabinet detail, or I'd say be replacing the doors. if the house is squeaky clean and functional someone will buy it. people fear saying anything nice about a house they look at in case their agent will tell the other agent and the price will get raised, somehow.

all that said, price your house competitively. you DO have a dated kitchen. that's ok, better to be dated at a lower price than put the money in and have it not be to the tastes of half the people anyway.

I wouldn't even bother changing the hardware unless it doesn't match the finish of the faucets. everything looks a tick better when finishes match.

Keep the oak. Some buyers appreciate quality, and it would cost Buyer A a lot less to paint it than it would Buyer B to strip it after you've painted it.

No. The paint will have weird textures with the oak unless it's professional. I recommend if anything to distress it, with sandpaper. Honestly, the look of oak is a very vintage look and it fits mostly any home.

can you show pictures of the house exterior, the kitchen and the countertops? also what sort of appliances and in relationship to the market is your neighborhood in the low, mid or high end?

Don't waste your money painting the cabinets (especially since they're high quality) or even replacing the hardware. At least half the potential buyers will hate however you paint them - I know I would. I assume other aspects of your home are "dated" as well, and you can't hide that. Most important thing is that your house is spotless and clutter-free.

I'm a realtor. If you are getting that comment repeatedly then it is an issue. From your picture I can see you also have "drop ceilings". That dead wall above the cabinets..which is also dated. I would either spend the money to have the cabinets professionally painted in an off white like Benjamin Moore white dove and then also paint the room including the drop ceiling in the same color or a shade darker to make it all blend together. It will be worth it. Potential buyers will be able to live with the new cabinet color, many do not want to live with dated oak and will feel like replacement will have to be immediate instead of something they can do in a few years. I speak from experience...hope this helps.

Proper staging and editing the items on the counter can add a lot to the look of a room. If you absolutely insist on changing things, then an updated pull (both in style and in finish) will make an impact without a big dent in your budget. And before you consider painting the cabinets, consider updating the paint color on the walls to better accent the oak. Painted oak cabinetry is not a look that seems to appeal to a broad spectrum of buyers.

They are indeed outdated. Although I understand Hayley's point of view , kitchens sell houses. Either paint white and add hardware or price your house to reflect that the kitchen needs updating. Your realtor can help you decide which way is best to get.

Keep in mind that the longer the house is on the market, the bigger the price reductions get. Move in ready homes sell much faster and save you money in the long run.

I kind of like the color of your cabinets. They are not that yellow color that many people find objectionable.
And painted oak still has the graining of oak showing through the paint.

I have looked at very expensive new houses that have total crap kitchens. Not custom at all. With that awful up and down cabinet placement.

Is your house one of many of the same kind for sale?
Or does it have other features that set it apart?

Thank you all so much for your honest advice. I am taking it all in. My Realtor feels that we must paint to be competitive in this market. I would definitely have a pro do the work. We will pay special attention to the grainy wood, perhaps a distressed finish. Our floor is ceramic tile in an off white. Countertops are Tropical Brown granite. Appliances are stainless steel. Looks like it's time to get busy. Thanks.

jmurzinski. I feel you are making the right decision. Especially because your countertops are granite, and your appliances are ss. I would also look to remove the soffit above the kitchen. it will make your kitchen look cleaner and more modern.

I would do a white that does not make your floor look dirty. if the floor is a cool white, paint the cabinets in a clean cool white or a very light cool grey. if the floor is a warm white, paint it white dove.

Then paint your kitchen in an updated color, a tinted white in the same general family.

Good luck and show the after pictures please

This is a photo of our Kitchen as it looks right now on the MLS. I think the soffits may be tricky to remove (vents, etc).

What dates the kitchen most in this MLS photo is the old tv. This could indicate that there are other things in the house that are easily adjusted for staging (as in, remove tv, add colorful bowl).

I strongly suggest you hire a really good stager to come through for a couple of hours and give you some serious advice on updated staging. Or hire her to put it all together. Check portfolio and references. In my area, the brokerage maintains a list of stagers. Don't spend a couple thousand dollars on painting the cabinets without having a clear professional vision of how to make the house look superb in the photos and in real life. Your stager may want to work in concert with a pro photographer.

Photos in the MLS are not always automatically replaced with new ones, so do track what is happening to make sure new photos are visible to buyers on all the likely real estate websites.

We just tossed the tv and put in a flat screen. Makes a big difference. Stager is on board. We will see each other in the next week or so. Thank you for your helpful advice.

Yes you should paint or stain them.

Cabinet painter will be here next week. Hope it helps.

Do you have a picture after cabinets were painted?

The longer the house stays on the market the lower the sale price. Yes some like light and some like dark but NOBODY is going to like those. Paint them off white and add new hardware for a quick sale.

No. Do not paint them as they are in very good condition.

Here is the photo of our newly painted cabinets.

Looks fresh and clean and updated! Good choice!

HUGE DIFFERENCE! Very nice! Now it looks like it is ready to be sold inside of a week! I like the darker counters as well. Transitional sells very well right now. It appeals to so many people.

I just read all the posts regarding your kitchen cabinet issue and I really think your cabs painted white look great! I want to do the same but am leery of the oak grain ruining the look. Are you satisfied with the cabinets? Did you replace the hardware before or after painting? Painters in my area do not want to r & r with new euro hinges so I am not sure how to go about it.

Now paint the soffits and add crown molding and trim above cabinets to give the look of taller cabinets

Proves you can paint and it look awesome

I would have them professionally sprayed/painted in a warm white and replace the hardware.

You maybe just add some dark protective Oil. Change the knobs and add some spot to make the kitchen look more expensive and cozy

I understand your concern about the grain in the oak. I was also concerned. It took an additional coat in some areas to address the grain. We already had the hardware, but they removed it to do the work, then replaced it after.. Final result is very positive, but I'd do it with a warmer shade of white. I hardly recognize the kitchen, and it almost looks antiseptic. Another option could have been to paint the island a darker brown or black, so it would add a warmer feel. All in all, the house wouldn't sell with the original cabinets. Let's see how it goes now.

The cabinets are dated...but they are obviously quality. I would probably do nothing to the cabinets because painting cabinets (even professionally) never turns out as good as a factory lacquer finish. If you do paint them, then have a glaze put on top as this masks some imperfections in paint job.

I would ABSOLUTELY change the lighting. Florescent lights are incredibly dated. Lighting can make a dated room look dramatically different.

Notice the photo trinevig sent above. This kitchen looks very similar to yours with the biggest exception - the lighting.

My suggestion: 6 can lights and two pendants over the island.

I agree with you about the lighting. We'll get a few estimates and see if we can make this happen, good call. Thank you.

My pleasure, and good luck with the sale!

Do not get rid of them! Use a gel stain. It will still show the grain of the wood but darken the color. Also, change the hardware. Here's a thread, check out the before and after pictures. http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2451677/kitchen-before-and-after-gel-staining-of-cabinets

Most buyers lack imagination, so they assume all "dated" kitchens must be gutted. Your paint job shows that you can convert "dated" to "snazzy" with some paint and thought! Great update. I would think you would get more than your money back on this one. Good luck with the sale!

Nice update! These cab facings look very nice with their new paint job. For those who did not read the post...the job is done.

I despise painting oak as it is not he best canvas and just too many grains to deal with and try as you might those grains will be there when your done unless you take a bunch of steps that are costly to remove them.

If the interior of your cabinets are in good repair you can always reface the cabinetry. Typically our clients save 30 to 50% of what it would cost to completely remodel their kitchen.

We actually wrote a blog post about this, you might find it helpful. Click Here