I vote no to painting. They look like nice cabinets. Not sure, but I'd guess it will take a considerable amount of time to get a good quality paint job. Will it be worth the time and money? Do you think you can recoup the money?

Lovely kitchen. Realtors always want you to spend money with no proof or guarantee it is needed and money spent will be recouped. Price the home correctly and it will sell.

When I look at kitchens like this I wonder what were the builders thinking with the weird hi/lo upper cabinets? That is no longer your concern. Your kitchen is very dark, maybe painting the island the soft creamy color would lighten the space, but I would recomend a professional.

Is there a common negative thread from potential buyers about the kitchen cabinets? Maybe the market in your area is all about light colors. I don't know. It's a hard call. You may not get the investment back. That kitchen stands out, it's beautiful.

I think the cabinets and floor both being a similar wood tone is overpowering. BUT...as the seller, don't redo anything to our, your or realtors taste. Get a professional painting estimate and be prepared to offer the seller a painting concession, if needed.

I meant offer the buyer a concession...sorry

I think it is the combination of wood flooring and wood cabinets. So, drop your price if you can because just painting cabinets will lead to, oh the backsplash is dated, and on and on. The problem is we are in a buyer's market. Wait a while if you can, warmer woods are coming back. White sterile kitchens are becoming passé. Like all trends they come and go. Go look at new model homes in your area. That is what buyers are comparing your house to. Good luck. It looks like a very nice home, well maintained. So, it will move eventually.

I like the cherry cabinets and dislike the stark white clapboard cupboards that are popular now, just goes to prove you can't please everyone.

No

HI --- Do not do anything to the cabinets if your selling .... not worth it . Get a home stager in to pretty up the house when you list it . They give great advice and can make the place look it's best . Having the house staged can actually make the house sell for more at times . Maybe look for another realtor if needed , one that knows a bit more than this one seems to.

Maybe post more rooms to see what else could be keeping the star from shining :)

I don't think the cabinets should be painted either. I just think the kitchen needs staged. There is such a thing as de-cluttering to much. Maybe a nice canister set on the counter. Flowers on the island or a plate of cookies. Counter stools. Not much, but just little touches. Look on examples of cherry kitchens on the internet.

I don't think it's that the cabinets are too dark, it's that they look a little worse for the wear, particularly around the knobs. (And is that a gouge in the countertop in front of the sink?) Also, the lighting isn't doing your kitchen any favors: there's a burned out bulb in one of the recessed cans; the undercabinet lighting (is it fluorescent?) makes the backsplash look green; the lack of lights (undercabinet lighting) above the cabinets. All in all, it's a nice kitchen that (mostly) just needs a little maintenance from years of being used!

P.S. The undersink cabinet doors need some adjustment. Check the others, as well as the drawers, to make sure they're in good alignment and that the drawer slides and hinges are up to snuff. :)

I think the rug under the dining table makes the area look very small as well as not matching anything. Is a 4 top all the room that is available?

Good eye Sammy. Yes the wear around the knob is very distracting to a buyer. I have seen this before. If you don't routinely clean your cabinets the dirt and grease from your hands eats into the finish and when you do clean them the finish comes with it. I would get some cherry scratch cover and see if that would fix the problem. If not I would think about lowering the price to compensate for the wear and tear in the kitchen.

I wouldn't paint. If you feel the need to do anything I'd change out the back splash; subway tiles are very cost effective., and I would paint just the island. I think if you did a white subway and white island it would really brighten up the space.

HI -- You could get a furniture re-finisher in to re-stain any areas that need to be brought back to original look.

Treat the lowers as furniture, and paint the uppers.

No subway and why introduce stark white into a warm kitchen? You have white walls already with what appears to be cream trim.

Very nice cabinets, don't paint them.

Sammy is correct when I enlarged the picture, you can see all the cabinet doors are worn around the knobs. If you can't do it yourself you need to get a professional,to touch up the cabinets. Otherwise get an estimate an offer the dollar amount off the listing. Your agent should be able to give you some suggestions that will work in your area. Good luck.

You realtor is an ass. Painted cabinets won't last, not that she cares, and will cost you time and money. Smoke and mirrors I would see right through and walk away. When the buyer comes on here asking the same question the response will be NO! Stage with bright tea kettle, canisters, flowers, clean up and cover scratches, make them shine!!

Paint, clean, fix the wear marks. No matter, new owners will want to rip it out.

I like your kitchen. If you want to do something, go to HomeGoods, get the prettiest rug you can find & put that under the table/chairs.

Thank you so much for the helpful replies!
The home is staged with the best stager available in our area. Unfortunately there is a large inventory of homes for sale and this is the best available. It looks much nicer in person. :) We are out of state which makes it much harder and normally I would have done some accent staging in the kitchen myself, but had to move quickly under stressful conditions to come care for a relative with stage IV cancer.
The counters are not gouged, they are perfect but of course photos can be wonky. We knew the wear and tear would be an issue but the situation was tricky and our budget was used for a quick move. We would have to take money from a small retirement account at significant penalty, so we are very relieved to read your responses not to invest in an overhaul. I will however get an estimate for touch ups. Huge thanks for your time and advice!

Sorry to hear the circumstances of your move KO. your home is lovely and will surely sell. Best of luck with everything.

I’m back with an update! We decided to have the cabinets professionally painted, and let the cabinetry folks choose the color since we were unable to be there. Our realtor sent out new photos which generated new interest as well as a return looker who made a CASH offer within 24 hours! Closing took place 6 days later and that, my friends, was that!

Congratulations on your sale!

That is great! I hope you recouped your investment. Best wishes to you and your family.

Paint the uppers to match the wall. Let the lowers appear to be furniture.

Congratulations. I have the same cabinets but was worried about the paint not holding up. Do you mind sharing which company painted your cabinets and how much they charged? I love the results. I'm happy that everything worked out for you!

It's not the cabs, it's the marketing or the price. Would love to see the listing.