I really appreciate everyone's time, but, really I'm not asking whether we should get new cabinets or not, just what color/style. I don't mean to offend AT ALL, and this forum is a wonderful resource and a place I spent hundreds of hours a decade ago when renovating my own home. But we are pretty experienced remodelers and feel quite confident with our assessment of the market and the best and quickest way to sell this house. We've done very well with renos on our own homes for sale and rental. We've taken all sorts of things into consideration, including our time and parents' health. It's an upscale community where people want a turn-key house that they can live happily in at least for a few years while the plan an addition, etc.

A lot of great ideas here: the bi-fold replacement ideas, trying to upgrade to stainless, etc. I really appreciate your thoughts on style/color!

[(Here's a kitchen I did recently for $13,000 using many of the same strategies we plan to employ to make this space look a lot more expensive than it will actually cost.)[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/finally-finished-gray-and-white-shaker-kitchen-with-wood-floors-dsvw-vd~5438434)

[(And a $3,000 DIY bathroom makeover)[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/3k-budget-elegant-bathroom-renovation-done-dsvw-vd~2467623)

Does that all sound snotty? I'm really sorry if it did. I just don't want folks getting too involved in the pros and cons of replacing the cabinets, since that decision's been made :)

The boxes won’t take up much room to store, because they are flat packed. The boxes are only 3” or so deep, and their kitchen is small. If you keep your existing layout, I’m counting 7 lower cabinets, plus uppers along one wall? You’re looking at 10-12 boxes total, which isn’t much. It would fit under a bed or dining room table, in a corner of a room, or along a wall in a garage.

As far as mixing the two door styles... it’s been done for a while, because I first saw it when I was doing an Akurum kitchen in 2014. They had a shaker door option (Ramsjö) in both a black-brown and off-white colors, but their off-white in that particular door leaned pink. People mixed the black-brown Ramsjö with the white Lidingo (now Bodbyn). Here’s a photo:

Other options include painting the black Lerhyttan a lighter grey, or going third-party (Barker, Semihandmade, etc) for doors, but none of those will be as quick or cost-effective as buying one of their existing door styles.

Hillside, Yeah, you're right, we could probably store them up here (I live in Maine) but there's no room at their house. it's probably worth it for the savings, though!

Thanks for the visual. Does that work, though, because the island is different than the perimeter? I love a mis-matched island. I wonder if it would work as well as uppers/lowers?

Your post doesn't sound rude at all! I truly lament that our society has devolved to the point that we feel rude if we clearly state our opinion and it happens to differ from someone else's :-/

Since you are determined to get new cabs, I would go with only white. The black and white will be too overpowering in such a small space, and too trend-specific. And with different door styles that will just add to the busyness.

So my vote is for white uppers and lowers. If people want turn-key, that is your safest choice. The black appliances won't look dreadful; we had a black fridge in our white kitchen for a couple of years and if anything it just receded. Especially with the fridge placement in this kitchen, having it look like an empty hole is not necessarily a bad thing. And it will be easy for a new owner to replace that if they so choose.

I actually happen to like black hardware on off-white cabinets. It looks cottage-y and cute, which seems appropriate for a sea-side house. but again, that's something a new owner can switch with relative ease.

Sorry, haven't read all the comments, if the cabs are functional, what about simply replacing the counter and the over the stove fan, those are the most dated looking at quick glance. What's the state of the sink, faucets, is there a backsplash.

Oh, you repainted melamine, so you can,t do much more, the floor is also too busy.

I like the blue or white is always classic and in demand. I like clean kitchens

I’m stretching here, but was just down there (Alden complex) for a painting workshop. The art community is strong and perhaps someone in the area would store the flat packs. Seems a shame to purchase them stoughton, schlep to Maine and then have to bring them back down again.

What about having the cabinets professionally painted And upgrade hardware New countertops

Oh- the simple frame / shaker is a good style to roll with in an old home.

Prospective buyers will mentally replace the appliances anyway. No buyer would be put off by white cabinets like they might be with black or gray.

Helen- I didn't see your pics yesterday... thank you. That's almost exactly the look I am after. Except slightly less "modern" (I'd do different pulls, no waterfall countertop edge.) What part of the country was that in?

My parents house in Arlington MA is a 50’s colonial with a kitchen that hasn’t been updated in 30 years....the bathroom never updated from 1952. We refinished the hardwood floors and painted the stair risers then staged it, that’s all! It went under contract in 3 days for over list. I know the buyers are planning on renovations so I’m glad we put less than $5K into it. Declutter, clean and stage is easy!

Agent here: I would paint the cabinets white, change the counter top and change the flooring. I dont think its necessary to put in a new kitchen to sell a house. Clean and fresh is what sells.

I think all white cabinets would be better than white/black. Maybe black counters (to tie in the black appliances or just to add contrast)?

I’m in agreement with some of the others here: HOLD ON! Your inlaws have obviously been through an ordeal of some type. Your husband needs to be with them and not spending all his free time undertaking a renovation. Unless you can do a major house overhaul, that kitchen (which may or may not have mass appeal) will be a waste of time and resources. You can’t do a room-to-room renovation on $15K anyway.

My son was in a similar situation when a job promotion necessitated a sudden relocation. A very wise realtor told him not to make any changes, just sell it as a clean slate! We put one weekend into a cleaning frenzy, only painting where touch up was needed. He had multiple offers the first day and sold it for $20k above asking price. As it turns out, there’s a market for clean slates. :-)

@Stacey - I am in Los Angeles but I think the flip is fairly universal in appeal which is what you were looking for. The Shaker type doors are traditional but the finishes are contemporary without being ultra modern. I think the gray and white works well in this relatively small space because the white uppers fade into the background visually and open up the space and the gray lower cabinets are both of the moment and have some added visual interest. The small open shelf at the far end of the condition also lightens up things and isn't as dysfunctional as open shelving throughout would be. And the flooring is warm enough so that it works with the gray cabinets.

The waterfall counter is ridiculous but this flipper did want to cover the bases :-)

Any renovation takes time you don't have. You want to sell ASAP. Get estimates for all the work you believe is needed and price the house realistically below houses of the same size in the area to allow a buyer to select their own materials and have the work done to their taste. Anyone capable of spending $400-500K on a small beach house has the money to fix it up, and they will do so if you price it fairly. It can be bought and remodeled in time for good weather next spring. Remove excess furniture and have a professional crew come in for a thorough cleaning (and maybe a stager) to let it appear fresh and open.
The folks may need any available cash for relocating and other expenses. The illness is their focus right now. They don't need to be concerned about selling the house.

Encourage you to remove the breakfast bar and do a table and chairs.

for selling purposes I would do a white shaker cabinet and a grey quartz, including the breakfast bar, and change the appliances to stainless or even white (counter depth refrigerator,) and de-clutter all counters, black cabinets can be beautiful but not for everybody and black appliances are a terrible idea altogether

best of luck

I like your breakdown of the kitchen remodel for 13,000. Do the prices include labor as well or is the labor separate. How many man hours did it take...those are also remodeling costs in the price of a home when you get ready to sell.

Love the remodel for 13,000. Do your price breakdowns include labor or just materials....labor is a big part of a remodel if you have to hire it out, and if you do it yourself, it is a big part of your free time if you have a full time job. Also you are raising some great questions regarding remodeling possibilities and how long it actually takes to remodel something! Great post.

You do not sound snobbish at all. You have made the decision to buy new cabs and asked for advice on color. I think you know what you are doing since you have done it before and anything you do will add value. We know turnkey sells very quickly there and will fetch you more money in that area. No brainer. You are spot on.

A great kitchen and cute up-to-date bathrooms...good staging. I think your on the right track. Love the inspiration picks....yes to white!

I would buy used...better appliances to "sell" the kitchen. A cool gas top commercial name brand range and good hood.....would rock that kitchen! You'll have it all open for gas piping when you gut it....so ......

I find high end appliances on CL or the Restore for about 90% off the price of new. Look in the nearest big city stores.

Update: I spoke with our realtor friend who loves in the town the home is in. She gave very good advice. Her vote: Grey + white Ikea Bodbyn with white counter, used stainless appliances, and take the breakfast bar out. Unfortunately, we'll have to stick with smooth-top electric range, since there's no gas or propane at the house.

Susan Davis, on the $13,000 rental home kitchen I linked we did all labor except floor refinishing, counter install, framing and drywall ourselves. That's why we were able to do it so cheaply. That'll be the same with my in-laws kitchen that I'm discussing here.

Nicole is right! I completely forgot about Restore to check. Also can try FB Marketplace for good used appliances.

Not to hijack the thread but I am finding the dynamics of this thread interesting.

OP has repeatedly stated that she has fully considered pros and cons of remodeling the kitchen versus cleaning and selling as is. OP has shown herself to be a relatively sophisticated remodeler who has done a similar remodel for the budget. OP has repeatedly stated that she knows what she is doing and is merely asking what style the remodel should be.

And yet, numerous posters have written posts advising her not to remodel.

I ask why are people so intent on wasting their time by writing posts that are completely irrelevant to the OP or the thread. This isn't a case where the OP should be warned because she might not know what she is getting into.

Do people not bother to read the posts?

The fact that on top of this a realtor in the same town instructed her to renovate is also a reason I do not understand people telling her otherwise....

I read her post...and she clearly stated the septic was updated and ready for 3rd bedroom addition. Two bedroom houses do not sell well here...so If a selling point is "addition ready" and the walls and everything will change....why on earth would a new kitchen be put in and the capital return expected. Sell at a fair price with "clean slate" for new owner to renovate. Makes sense. How does the TIME and expectations for return after renovating a small HEMMED IN kitchen possibly make sense? Maybe she likes to do kitchens..fine..do it....that's not a debate...that is her bias. People are commenting on the logic...not her desire. Usually, with kitchens, logic would prevail because of money, time, effort. One or two realtor's opinions would not matter to me. A contractor or builder would hold more merit as far as construction costs per sq foot and what you could do on the property, with adding on to the structure. We don't know enough details about that.…..so we can only go back to the logic of what she states. she wants to act on her desire and hope. The arguments for differing approaches should be appreciated.

Yes Helen.....I read the post. The OP does not want to replace the appliances, some are even new......but I also flip houses....and think the remodel styles she posted in her inspiration pics is fine. Just needs some name brand ....high end....appliances. So I posted my support "and" my opinion. ......as others did.

Stacey C,

We sold a home 22 miles north of Boston a year ago. And it sold in 21 days. I believe the market is still pretty good. Good luck on your mini reno and sale of the house. And get well wishes and peace for a new healthy direction for your in law. Boston has some of the best doctors in the world. Hoping this all happens fast and effortlessly so that you can get back to caring for your in-laws.

Broad Appeal? You already know this...white, light, fresh... Change the lightbulbs to super bright, paint white when you can, deep clean every little area, declutter and dejunk and with your mini reno make it great!

I read all the posts too. I don't have the same perspective as the OP; I would not renovate. I fully trust her ability to do so, and do it well. For me the piece that changes everything is the very, very serious medical condition that a parent has been diagnosed with. Of course we have no details of this condition (nor should we) but I do have experience with supporting a parent-in-law through a terminal medical condition. We signed on our extreme fixer-upper on the same day my mil was admitted to hospital; she never left. I myself wanted to spend every bit of spare time plus more with her while I could and the work on the house was on the back burner for both my husband and I. So my advice to leave the house as-is is biased by my own personality and experience. However I respect that the OP might very well appreciate the distraction that this project will provide. Everybody is different, but sharing the perspective I've acquired from being in a similar situation (kind of) might present someone with knowledge they haven't had before. That's all.

To Stacey, I still disagree with the realtor's suggestion of a two-tone kitchen. They are trendy but not universally loved, especially in grey. Why not go with white uppers and lowers, and a neutral light grey paint for the walls throughout the house? That will have more appeal; a person who likes a two-tone grey and white kitchen will almost certainly also like an all-white kitchen with grey walls. And for someone who hates grey (they do exist) the walls can be painted. The cupboards, not so much.

White kitchens are definitely more universally appealing, but I’m biased since I like light & bright kitchens & baths. I think two toned kitchens are too taste specific, as are black cabinets. I’ve definitely noticed a trend back to wood toned kitchens, mostly in the higher end homes where I live ( coastal So California ) & also in the desert communities in the Palm Springs area, but that may very well be geographically skewed. Every higher end new builds I’ve toured recently have incorporated wood toned kitchen cabinets.

Budget remodels are near and dear to my heart, and I really enjoyed reading this thread! A couple of things I can comment on from personal experience:

1/ IKEA cabinets are a GREAT deal for the money. I use them in flips and renos whenever I can, and the ability to mix and match is unbeatable.

2/ I am also in the middle of remodeling my mother's kitchen, and wanted desperately to use IKEA. Unfortunately, they no longer have any traditionally styled door in brignt white. The current Bodbyn is most definitely a VERY off white. You may have already seen it in person and be okay with it, but I find the off white is hard to match, and can risk looking dingy if you don't get the match just right with tile, countertops or paint.

3/ You can definitely pair the black shaker with the Bodbyn off white or grey door. I did it in my old kitchen with the previous door styles (Lidingo white and Tidaholm black) and they look great together.

Also, I just finished a remodel on my mother's old house, which is now a rental.

I know you are set on new cabinets and countertops, but if you feel the need to go in a different direction (for time or money purposes), you may want to consider just replacing the cabinet doors and painting the linoleum countertops.

My mother's old kitchen had the exact same linoleum and oak doors you are dealing with. I ordered new custom cabinet doors, and painted the upper doors and boxes white, and lower doors and boxes grey. Added new hardware, and it looked like a whole new kitchen. I don't know that it saved me a ton of money, but it definitely saved a ton of time and labor.

I also (with great hesitation) used a Gianni countertop paint kit for the linoleum countertop. I was certain it would never hold up, but figured I had nothing to lose, and could always replace the countertop if necessary. I added a couple more coats of sealer than recommended, and much to my shock, it actually looked good!

Even more to my shock, it has held up GREAT. My tenants in that house have been in there for a year, and after my yearly inspection, it quite literally looks like the day they moved in. And they have four boys. I truly can't even believe it myself.

Anyway, just a couple options from one who's been in the exact same situation very recently!

Brickman House, your kitchen is gorgeous! I love when people post photos of their homes :)

The difference I see between your kitchen and OP's is that yours is very roomy and there are a lot of perimeter cabs. This gives the white an opportunity to establish itself as the main idea, with the black shaker taking a very definite secondary place. In the OP's room there would be equal black and white. Neither will be the dominant player so they will compete for attention. Some may like the look or love it, but others (such as myself) will potentially think it looks like either someone was trying to be too fancy, or they could only get a limited amount of each style in a rush.

Helen, since you asked the question I shall answer from my perspective (I can't speak for others). I did read the post, and read it as a request for advice. I interpreted it as an agent had 'advised' to update the kitchen, not 'instructed'. Given that estate agents have their own motivations and are often not held in high esteem, I would not take that advice as instruction.

It is really the second post that is more explicit (in my reading) about why they are looking to do more than declutter and clean. For clarity, although that is timed a couple of minutes before mine, it was not up (on my tablet) when I answered; if it were I might have answered slightly differently.

When viewing a house, I tend to look at the potential of the kitchen rather than he quality, because I know it is likely to be one of the first rooms to be taken out and redone. I don't pay any attention to the appliances, as (1) I don't know if they will be part of the sale and (2) I more likely have, or will buy, my own appliances that will suit my needs.

Some of that will be personal preference and some will be local market driven. My comments are based on my opinions/tastes and experiences and I don't expect anyone to read them as anything other than an opinion to be considered or ignored as they choose. I respect people's knowledge, understanding and research of their own local markets and I do not presume to trump that knowledge with my subjective views.

The opening post concludes with the very broad question what do we think would make this kitchen as appealing as possible to most people in the context of a quick sale. When asked to an audience drawn from different backgrounds and different parts of the world, I am not surprised that at least some of the answers are to do very little and simply declutter. For the most part, all the suggestions appear to be offered in good faith.

I hope that helps you understand the dynamic of the thread a little better.

I am specifically responding to a post by OP which was posted two days ago which couldn't be clearer that she had rationally explored all options and thanked people who were recommending a different course - I quote below - Again not to hijack the thread but interested in why people would persist in attempting to convince what appears to be a knowledgeable person who had carefully weighed options as to why she should proceed in a different manner

Her post (partial)

Thanks, folks. We've already spent a long time on the exercise of "how much to do", from nothing except cleaning and de-cluttering to simply repainting the cabinets, new pulls and vinyl plank flooring, to changing the floor plan to a more usable space. We really explored all the options and priced out each version. The deciding factor was really the input from a local realtor who lives in town and really knows her market: she thinks the Ikea kitchen is the way to go. She knows what the competition is like. She says that in this market, houses that need a new kitchen (which this one surely is regardless of whether we declutter and paint etc.) or bathrooms are just not selling very quickly. And that if the house is on the market for more than a month or so, it becomes tainted with a sense of "there must be something really wrong with it!" and outcomes are even worse.

The realtor (who, by the way, is not the listing broker, but a high school friend of my husband) thinks that these expenditures are, in her words, a "no brainer" as far as recouping the cost.

What seems to be missing in this discussion is the parents’ wishes, and that is what I think the focus should be. We understand that FIL truly loves his Brazilian Uba Tuba breakfast bar (probably the only item in the kitchen that would appeal to an affluent conservative market), but he gets no vote on whether it is given the heave-ho? Do MIL/FIL have any wishes as to how their money is being spent? Maybe I’m missing something.

Also, I’m puzzled as to how “affluent conservative” tastes are going to align with trendy IKEA.

Please post an update when you are ready.

AEM ... my thoughts exactly regarding the IKEA idea. I know many remodel using IKEA cabinets & are very satisfied with the results but I’ve also heard others, like one of my friends who told me that they were remodeling their kitchen in their newly purchased home because the previous owners had installed IKEA cabinets & they perceived them as being of inferior quality. I’ve never had any experience with IKEA so I have no opinion re their quality.

I would do all white. I'm redoing my kitchen with all white IKEA cabinets. It will make it feel larger and looks really nice with stainless steel. Is there any way you can move the washer and dryer to the bar area? would make the kitchen feel so much larger! If not, at least take down the wall around them, so they're just part of the kitchen and take up less space.

http://houzz.com/sr/m=7/u=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaG91enouY29tL3Bob3RvLzE1ODAwMDYtZW5nbGlzaC1jb3VudHJ5LWtpdGNoZW4tdHJhZGl0aW9uYWwta2l0Y2hlbi1kZW52ZXI=

Not to sound negative, but the house is going up for sale so it doesn't really matter what anyone wants or likes etc etc... they need a fast sell - I would show the door style options/finishes to the realtor that will be trying to sell this home and get their professional opinion...

It seems that time is of the essence, sadly

Hoping it all comes out to a great result!

Thank you for the comment on doing your own labor, which in essence you would recoup from the profit of the sale of the house.....the 13,00 being materials only and seat equity for install.....

The easiest thing in the world is to say rip it all out and put new in, especially when you’ve got no skin in the game, regardless of how well meaning and how much you like them. People love ikea kitchens except those that hate them, and while I’m in the I love them camp, I wouldn’t buy someone else’s because ikea is only as good as the installation. If I were you, I’d do the bath for sure, but I’d lower the house price or offer cash money at closing in lieu of redoing the whole kitchen, maybe include your plans and a mood board to give buyers an idea of what they could do themselves with the cash you will give them or with the savings they will have.

Hi folks (OP here)- for some reason Houzz won't send me notifications when new comments are posted (even though that setting is turned on) so I didn't realize there'd been all this activity.

I'm going to Ikea tomorrow to buy the cabinets and doors, and maybe the countertop as well. I've been scouring FB marketplace and CL for appliances and missed a few, but am encouraged to see that it won't be that hard. We'll get SS. I will get a counter-depth french door fridge and a slide-in smoothtop range which always look higher end than the standard type.

Unfortunately, moving the washer/dryer has been nixed by the in-laws. That was my first thought: I had a great new layout which included coat closet too. But no, they have to stay where they are. Thanks for the idea though.

I'm leaving towards off-white Bodbyn with a light gray counter and beveled-edge subway backsplash. Wood floor. Open shelving in the corner between the two windows (Ikea planner won't let me add any). Here's the new plan (note I took the laundry closet out so that the viewer let's me see the space better in 3D.)

Black cabinets would be a total deal-breaker for me, especially if they were new and factored into the cost of the house. Dark, depressing, and every drip of water would show.

I think that’s unnecessarily risky. I agree that white cabs with black appliances will make the space seem clean, fresh and open.

"Unfortunately, moving the washer/dryer has been nixed by the in-laws. That was my first thought: I had a great new layout which included coat closet too."

Maybe your realtor friend could sit down with them and give them some info on how much an improved layout will increase the sale price and decrease the time on the market. The layout as-is is quite restrictive and in a brand-new kitchen you have the chance to really make it great. (I know you know this). Maybe if they hear it from a professional realtor it will hold more weight than if it's "the kids" saying it.

It must be hard to let go of your home with so little warning, I feel for them.