light gray would be nice

Oh - it looked like those old Spanish brown tiles from farther away. Maybe you could put in some undercabinet lighting to highlight the reflectiveness of the copper? That shouldn't be too expensive if you get the kind that is battery operated.

emwallace we have under counter lighting. Just forgot to turn it on. :(

Live and learn Stan! ;)

I would change the door knobs for some in copper.

Even if you paint the cabinets, buyers will probably find something wrong as the kitchen has character and is not "neutral" to most buyers so I don't think changing one thing is going to make much of a difference. Your selling feature is your Viking range and other appliances so make sure those are sparkling clean all the time.

That being all said, if you have an open floor plan post photos of the other area as maybe the kitchen is not complimenting the rest of the area and the reason the Realtor has suggested painting..

Is the backsplash a copper metal sheet or copper-look ceramic tile?

applepie, it's copper looking ceramic tile.

All realtors want you to paint cabinets white or grey. I didn't to it, house sold in 3 days.
Really depends on your area's market.

tedbixby, here are more pics.

Thanks for info. You never get a second chance to make a good first impression. I agree with the Realtor for most markets. In a market where you get 18 offers in the first three days, it wouldn't matter at all, but most markets aren't like that now.

Replace the backsplash with a plain off white tile that matches the off white color in the granite. Then paint the cabinets the same off white as in the granite. It looks like the off white wall paint you already have, so use that if it really is a good match in real life. Done.

Looking at the cabinets they look old and need replacement based on the style and color. That said you have a small kitchen and all new cabinets from IKEA would run about $2500.

Realtor should explain selling price before and after updates. Will they guarantee you a return and even take it out of their commission if not met? No, it will never happen. The realtor should get an IKEA quote to replace the cabinets ad have it for buyers to see so they know value in home and what it would take to replace. Given the option buyers would rather have done to their liking and have money offset to do so. Then there are buyers who won't buy a house because wall colors aren't correct.

If it was be I would have them refaced or replaced. You have expensive appliances and spending $8k-10 on cabs and counters would change a problem into a positive feature.

wannabath, thanks. We're in a golf community where folks don't want "projects" after moving in and we don't have younger folks either, so no houses in this community get a ton of showings. So it's important that we get it right the first time.

Getting it right the first time will include removing some of the furniture and art and redoing the kitchen. Kitchens and baths sell homes. Are there any other homes in your area on the market? If so, go to a showing and see what's been done. Your high end stove needs more complimentary surroundings to impress the chef/buyer who doesn't want a reno when they move in. Consider new doors on the present cabinets. The groves look like a maintenance issue for cleaning. Perhaps the corner door can be glass and you can light up that cabinet.

Replacing the cabinets could require repairs and refinishing the floor. Just leave them in place. It's a good compact floor plan already with nice appliances and expensive granite. The architecture is beautiful, the view is gorgeous, and it looks well loved.

Price it right, declutter, clean & leave it at that. Impossible to predict what a potential buyer might like.

Too dark. Especially for older eyes which you say is the dominate buyer likely to be looking. Paint them white, and turn on all the lights when showing. Including lamps. Maybe even add lamps.

Definitely paint the cupboards. Not white, a light cream. Will bring up your copper and floors, make the entire place look bigger and more welcoming and fresh. Tone the paint with the walls, but not too dark.

You have a beautiful house. In my opinion I think painted cabinets push away most potential buyers. But on the flip side. The buyers could be morons and paint the trim and everything anyway. I would just leave it the way it is. The backsplash is what I think looks bad.

Tell your agent they can paint the cabinets. Really, no house is HGTV ready. Yes it's dark, not to everyone's taste, but how many kitchens are? The layout looks good, let the buyer decide.

The cabinets are too dark so painting them a lighter color would greatly improve the kitchen's appeal. But those copper colored tiles are the real problem. They will still look awful after the cabinets are painted.

I think if you paint them one thing is going to lead to another. And the black works nicely with all your other wood and you do have other black furniture pieces which pulls it all together. The only thing I would address is the back splash as it isn't working as well as it could.

Have the Realtor show you recent sales in your community along with photos of those houses so you can compare your home with those that sold. Did it sell because of the price or the way it was decorated or the location on the golf course. What are the plus' and minus in comparison to yours? If it is because of the price, just price it accordingly so that you can get it sold. You may have to put it on the market at a lower price than what you had hoped but keep in mind the carrying costs and would it be more advantageous to sell it now rather than sitting on it. If you go this way, you can also tell your Realtor that there won't be much room for the buyer to negotiate as you are offering the "deal" right up front. Don't get emotional about it. Look at it as a business decision. Been there done that, learned my lesson.. Good luck.

Reading these comments makes me laugh, neighbors moved in last year , had ebony colored cabinets installed, removed the light colored cabinets, they're in their 60's. One size doesn't fit all...

I like the black cabinets. If you declutter, stage with bolder art & accessories, and light everything well, you should be fine. I do like the suggestion of bold copper handles and knobs.

all, I really appreciate the suggestions. One of the reasons why I was asking is because I was quoted a price of $1500 to repaint the cabinets - and this from a painter we had done business with before. Based on all the suggestions I'm leaning towards leaving the cabinets and replacing the backsplash with a nice grey/white/black scheme that would tie everything together. Any idea what a handyman might charge me for that?

maybe something like this?

I agree that you should see if you get negative feedback before you paint. I don't know what the rest of the house looks like and the kitchen could look out of place. Some buyers want a turn key house and some want to make it their own. Staging is important to sellers and buyers alike

$1500 is way way too cheap to be a good professional job. 7-9K would be average. For hour splash $1500-2K would be average for a new splash. Add in demo, and the drywall replacement that it will need, and you'd be looking at another $600-900.

I wouldn't change anything with your kitchen. From the photos, it looks like all of the rooms flow nicely together & are filled with a ton of character. I'd steer clear of a gray backsplash, since your home has a great, warm feel. Gray is SO OVERUSED! Just clear everything off of your counters for a clean appearance. If you're still encountering resistance from the realtor, then look for a new one. Once the listing & photos are posted online, then your house will sell easily.

Please do not install that black and grey backsplash. Please look at your competition.

I would just change the backsplash to a lighter color and be done with it. Btw, I had my kitchen hand painted and waxed 15 drawers and around 40 doors. $5000 and it's perfect!

@ sophie, are you pulling these numbers out of a hat? Thats not a huge kitchen. 7-9K would buy her new cabinets not a paint job. A good contractor could take off those tiles without doing to much damage to the drywall. It doesn't have to be perfect if its gonna get covered back up anyway. If you do it right, you can rip tiles from drywall 2-3 times before its heavily damaged. Even if you do replace it $600-$900? It better be gold plated drywall. Your a "pro"????

I would paint the uppers a creamy white/ivory and leave the base cabinets dark. This would accomplish two things; it would update your kitche and brighten your space.

Back splash - one color and no grey. We don't want the backsplash to become the "star" or a focal point. You just want it to disappear.

Painting cabinets is a lot different than painting a wall. If your painter has not painted cabinets before would you want to be his first? Let the future owner decide what to do. As this site shows, you can't please everyone-lol and just because you do what the Realtor says, is she/he going to guarantee a quick sale. Naw, they will just be coming back to you in a few months and asking you for a price reduction.

Tony- they make gold plated drywall now? I know that gold is making a come back but I hadn't heard of it in drywall yet. Does it sparkle? LOL

Stan ,that black/white back splash is no improvement on what you have and certainly does not go at all with your counter tops. Think more plain,maybe the lightest color found in the counter tops. Hard to see in the photos.

Here's the thing...right now you have cabinets with a factory finish that looks to be in great shape. When you paint them, it will not look as sharp, and you have no guarantee the any prospective buyer will prefer the new color to what you have now.

So, no.

Personally, I think the copper is a mistake. All the other metal is silver, and the copper looks like it is a fake finish. I'd replace the copper with a very light warm grey/almost white backsplash.

I actually like the black cabinets and would not change them. Agree with tatts- the copper backsplash is off.. A simple, creamy white subway tile with matching grout would be a big improvement. Good luck.

I do not care for the cabinets or splash at all and I am guessing this is fairly high priced home aka one I would not want to "settle". I would lose the sunflower and maybe declutter a little as well. Sure the buyer might want to change it eventually but moving is sort of a pain as it is so last thing I want to think of is more work.

Something like this but keep the grout similar in color as the tile as you have enough pattern going on with the cabinets & countertop. And don't do any different pattern behind the range. Keep it simple.

Leave them. If someone wants to have them painted later they can. I'm one that if I were looking at your home, I'd be happy not to see white cabinets.

Leave them..........they seem to work well with the rest of the home finishes. Someone will like it as is. You don't need 20 buyers, you need one qualified buyer. Just make sure your realtor gets feedback on each and every showing.

I think you have a beautiful house and very nice kitchen. I would buy your house the way it is.
Don't paint anything!!!

I like it as it is, it works with your house. Let the buyer select their own new backsplash. Put away every extra bit of junk and clean everywhere.

To answer your question - no.

Hi Stan! Your Kitchen is beautiful. I'm sure even better in person. Is the realtor saying it's too dark? Or does it need repair we can't see on camera? If it's the latter, you may need to touch up or paint. If you paint, you could do two tone, light cabinets on top and dark on bottom. We had ours painted by a cabinet refinisher! They are awesome! Now for that Copper Backsplash! Do not change it!!! I love it! I say add more copper to bring it together. Maybe a few pendant lights over the peninsula or a new copper faucet and definitely new copper knobs! Throw in some accents in your kitchen and around area in copper to bring it all together! It will pull it all together. Make sure to declutter everything and take out that hutch so it doesn't block view of awesome stone. Possibly hire a home stager who can work with some things you have and bring in others. Worth the money! You have one shot!

One other idea for selling homes is to declutter everything. I like that hutch but take it out so it doesn't give idea you don't have enough room and you can see that awesome stone. Possibly consider a home stager who can work with what you have and bring in pieces you don't.

Sorry about the repeats. It looked like it deleted it. So I added it in...

@ T.J., AMEN!!!!

Do not change the backsplash or paint cabinets. Hire a professional stager, after looking at their work, for a whole house consultation. Declutter and clean the entire house. Do your homework on comps and ask a fair price...start packing. It really is simple.
No matter what you could do to "change" the existing kitchen, the next person may not like it any better than what is there now.

all, thanks for the decluttering advice, but I'm really focusing on the kitchen cabinets. We will definitely be decluttering and staging before we list the house.