Personally I would scrub it clean, but inexpensive appliances and save to do the job right. Most of us have to do that. I lived with oak cabinets that I hated for 25 years.

HI -- Those old cabinets look like they are done , so..... save up for a while and then do it all new . It looks like this kitchen really needs a new layout too. I would do a straight galley layout to avoid those tight corners . Meanwhile then just do small repairs and a good cleaning and that gives you time to price out the appliances and which appliances you like and the kind and style of kitchen you want .

I agree with Maureen. Keep the tile counter for now. Buy what you HAVE to buy with appliances, and paint the cabinets. Then SAVE.... here are some different color pallets to think about. You might want to go for the 'Tuscan' look because of the floor and counter.

Good photos, thanks for posting them. I suggest you spring for professional tile cleaning for the floor. Pros can work wonders because they have experience and the right machines. Your real estate agent can provide referrals. I agree with Diane Lane above about color schemes. Replacing the wonky hinges will be pretty easy- they look standard. Keep the ceramic tile countertop for now, if you need to patch up some dings or nicks the size of a pea or so, try getting some semi-gloss paint tinted to match the tile, then apply two or three coats on the nicks like you would nail polish.

A good way to carry around colors for shopping is to get paint chips that match the tile countertops and floor tile, circle the chip colors that really match, staple them to an index card, and go.

Try this link for photos http://www.houzz.com/photos/kitchen/query/saltillo-tile

One of many questions to consider: beyond financials, are you ok living in your condo without a kitchen and with construction mess for possibly a few weeks down the road (cabinets are not messy to remove but ceramic floors are)? It's always easier before you move in, but sometimes having lived in the space gives you better ideas on how to improve.

Do check real estate listings for other units in your building for great and not so great ideas in a similar space. If you can, figure out your future layout before buying appliances (do you need a narrow dishwasher? How much room available for fridge, left or right hand swing, etc...).

Those cabinets are done, but they probably can function another year if you wait to renovate - however don't waste money redoing countertops now. If you keep them for a while I suggest you treat yourself to new inexpensive (the pack of 10 for 20$ variety) pulls - at least you won't feel like you're touching 4 decades of dirt and grime ;).

Thanks for your help , great input. Have you any experience with Ikea kitchens?

That is exactly what I was going to do today, buy pulls but then I kept looking around thinking I need to redo it all, lol. Got overwhelmed so I came home and poured a glass of wine with lunch!

Just don't know when to call it quits with the old and do new. Thanks again for the info.

Try the online Ikea kitchen planner. It'll give you an idea what a very inexpensive kitchen could cost. It's quick and easy.

I'd just paint for now- wouldn't even get new appliances. Go with used if it's absolutely necessary. You need to take time and save; small kitchens need thoughtful planning and can be expensive to do right.

And the knobs are kind of cool- they'd look great painted in a glossy pop color. Caribbean colors would go well here, or an Italian/Spanish style. Check out Apartment Therapy for ideas.

How can you paint knobs? Won't the spray peel off?

If you replace the appliances make sure you get a counter depth fridge!

Hi, I have seen that a number of places, what does that mean? That is items are flush with the counter?

And thank you for replying :-)

Yes, it is a fridge that does not protrude from the cabinets. More aesthetically pleasing.

Oh and if your knobs are metal, you can wipe them with Clorox wipes, then spray with Rust-Oleum metallic spray paint. Many online blogs about this.

Yes it makes a huge difference in a galley kitchen (which I also have)

You maybe happier with stove farther away from sink.

If money is very tight and you are not even sure if new cabinets are a possibility, you can be very creative with what you have - if you like an somewhat vintage - cottage / european - cottage style. This would involve removing some of the upper cabinets and replacing with shelving - very inexpensive, but can reduce the amount of storage. Bottom cabinet doors can be replaced with curtains or baskets. If using curtains, make sure they swing back and forth easily to make it easy to retrieve items.

The walls that had the cabinets may need a little patching. The beadboard wallpaper could be used as a back ground for shelving, or leave the wall plain - or if you really get into DIY, you could tile it. This might allow you the money to get new countertops. The least expensive are the stock laminate at the home center store, or check your local ReStore habitat for Humanity Store - they have gently used / leftover construction materials and might have a countertop. I got an inexpensive piece of butcher block form a home center store for my small island.

Hi Zoe - Our kitchen is all IKEA cabinets, sinks, and wood countertops. Our laundry room, and my studio also have IKEA cabinets and sinks. We've been in the house almost five years now and everything seems to be holding up really well. We assembled all the cabinets and drawer units ourselves and had the contractor (new house) install the cabinets. However, the cabinet installation itself appears fairly straight forward. If you decide to go with IKEA, I would strongly suggest a *small* nail gun, a portable compressor, and two *small* rechargeable hand drills. As mentioned by someone else earlier, take advantage of the IKEA kitchen planner; when I used the planner, it was downloadable software, although that may have changed since. Also take advantage of the kitchen folks at IKEA as well; they are quite knowledgeable in kitchen layout and will also review your design.