I would suggest, paint the cabinets and doors any light color that will match you floorings. Also, it will save you a lot of money :) i think that after you've done this. you kitchen will look more spacious and elegant :)

New shaker doors, and paint the whole thing white, or gel stain it all darker. That being said, you can get really nice cabinets from something like cabinets.com for very close to what new doors and a professional spray job with cost.

How long before you plan to sell? I ask because in general it is best to simply clean well, fix anything broken and price right. Rarely do buyers love the updates previous owners do to sell the home. Often it is done as you plan, on a budget - often budget granite and paint or gel stain - which may or may not still look good at the time of sale. These cosmetic changes will not result in your being able to ask more for the home. Even my neighbors brand new $50,000 kitchen would not up the selling price of her home much and has only increased the value by $4000 as per the appraiser. HGTV gives the idea that small updates can allow you to ask more and this is usually not true. It would not hurt to talk to a reputable realtor to find out what is expected in your area and for how much money. Keep in mind it is easy for the realtor to suggest updates in hopes the home will sell faster, though not necessarily for more money. In my area, the lower priced homes with the older kitchens are selling faster than the homes with "updates" and much higher price for same square footage in same neighborhood.

Check out home for sell in you area on Zillow or another realtor site. Compare like homes for sale to yours. Note how long they have been on the market.

If you want to make changes for yourself, then think about what you like and do you want to put money into this kitchen that you likely will not get back. I have similar cabinets and did get new quartz countertops, farm sink and backsplash - total cost about $6000 - that included a Kohler Whitehaven farm sink. I plan to be in my home many more years - I did the refresh for my own enjoyment and in a vintage style that some will like and others, not so much. (pics of my kitchen are in my "my pics" idea book.)

Sophie has point. To make this kitchen decent looking would cost a min of 5K. will it make a diff in the sale? Remove every single item from the countertop except a bowl of fruit. Maybe splurge on some decent looking hardware ($50) and perhaps a new color for the kitchen walls. Clean the cabinets well with degreaser and then wipe them w/a good wood renew polish. Put down a nice colorful rug or runner and get a few potted herbs. Done.

To paint those cabs yourself will take weeks. I've done it. And you'd want to do it correctly. but why waste all that time if someone is going to rip it out?

If you have to get a new countertop, make it one of the nice new laminates. get a black one like one of these (looks good w/oak)

put some hardware on like in one of the pics. get a nice runner or rug w/black/whiteand maybe some red or blue in it.

If you really want to spend money on something, use it towards that ceiling light. Is that florescent?? if yes, for sure fix that.

if your kitchen consists of that U area and a straight wall aceoss from it you can get good soft close plywood fashoinable cabinetry for around $4000. FYI. look for JSI Designer Series OR Forevermark cabinetry. good luck

I know the layout is bad, but almost all kitchens in my neighborhood look like this since there isn't much room to expand them. I added a couple more pictures to get a feel of the size, pictures are taken from the opposite sides of the kitchen. Even those homes that sold and had new cabinets kept the layout...
I was asking because I was talking to a friend last night about remodeling and installing hardwood vs carpet. And she was wondering if the difference of budget between hardwood and carpet wouldn't be better spent in updating the cabinets ...

Your kitchen is fine ...just clean the surfaces and leave it alone ....

Leave the cabinets, do the floors, granite, change paint, sink and appliances.

For resale you will almost definitely never get back what you spend. Lipstick on a pig, leave it all alone in my opinon. What does your real estate agent suggest?

If you are selling just clean , declutter and leave it. No matter what you spend the money on you never get it back. I can see many things that need upgrading and if you were staying then a redo would be worth it.

Real estate agent suggested paint the house, change the carpet (is really old and stained), if we get a deal definitely get new ss appliances. He wasn't very sure about granite/floors in the kitchen, he said changing them definitely will help but not sure how much.

I also have a friend who used to be a real estate agent and she said to update the kitchen because that's the messiest one in terms of labor, put hardwood and update the bathrooms...

I would leave the cabinets, change the dishwasher to a ss one (you can find one that is affordable). Whoever will buy the house, will most probably get a new fridge that is counter depth

For the floors, if you want to change them, then you would probably need to change it everywhere you have tile. You could do that or just clean the grout.

You will not get your investment back making the changes your friend suggested. One of my neighbors is trying to do that. She has way over priced her home to pay for the upgrades she did over the past 7 years. One "update" includes a professional paint job on her cabinets which now have worn spots. She has some lovely landscaping - which no one will see once the snow starts and the plants are already looking fall frazzled. She has already dropped her price $50,000 in the last four months and she will probably need to drop it at least another $25,000 to get in line with this neighborhood and even then she is going to be a little high. In the meantime, so called "dated" but appropriately priced homes are selling fast.

Ok, my dilemma: We bought the house 5 years ago at 200k. We replaced the windows last fall (11k) and replaced the water heater and washer/dryer (but I don't really count those). Townhomes like our model sold in the last couple of years for 260-270k (3 houses) with granite and ss appliances, and for 240-250k (2 houses) with the old laminate countertop and white app. All had carpet and refin estimates the value of all these around 275k.

There was one house that sold in 2014, they installed hardwood in all living area, new carpet in bedrooms, new cabinets, granite , ss appliances, knocked down that half wall, new baths and it sold then at 258k, redfin estimates it at 290k today.

I am not going to do all the upgrades that the 2014 house had, but I am hoping that if I install granite ( around 2k), add new ss appliances (around 2.5k if I get a deal), replace carpet ( somewhere between 4k and 10k depending if I go carpet or hardwood) I can get into the 270k price range when I sell it. So I was thinking I can add another 10k investment (granite, ss appliances, carpet) and jump from the 250k range to 270k range. It's my first house so I am not too familiar with real estate but I thought it was worth it.

You've gotten some good advice so far; we'd suggest adding hardware to your cabinets. It's an easy way to update the look of the room without spending too much.

Oana,,,look to craigslist for used SS appliances (or floor models) there is no reason why you have to put in brand new pieces. You can find perfectly good looking used dishwasher for 150-200. Fridge-600.

Look to pre fab granite countertops. $400. and another $500-700 to have someone cut and install it. there are ways to upgrade if you're a savvy shopper. you want it to look good. doesn't mean you have to buy brand new or top quality.

I agree with Beth.. just clean and get things at discount. Whoever will buy this house will most probably redo the floors and layout

Reading everything ..all the wonderful suggestions , but still think it's for nothing ..you will not get your investment back . If someone doesn't like the color or needs something that is not there ..tell them you give a little discount for that and leave it be . Get a buyer first then you see what they say . Sell it as is ! Be happy ! It's not a bad kitchen , just clean it up ,

Definitely change countertops and declutter them. Add some nice hardware on your cabinets and maybe think about replacing one of the upper cabinets with open shelves or a glass cabinet door. This can open your kitchen space a bit without painting all cabinets or replacing all doors.

Countertops are always worth the investment as one of the most hardworking parts of any kitchen. I would go with white granite without a lot of movement. This is why quartz may be a better and easier solution. Regarding the cabinets, if you don't want to replace them, you can hire a professional to paint them, but know that this is also expensive and can actually take more time than replacing the cabinets.