Declutter and leave well enough alone would be my suggestion.

I wouldn't bother painting (unless the paint is beginning to look worn). Hardware, maybe, if you can find something cheap-ish that's more up to date. Biggest issue is all the clutter, including all the countertop appliances, boxes, fridge, etc. Removing all that will go a long way.

I agree, just clean up and remove everything from the countertops and tables. Also remove all personal and family photos.

I agree with everyone, clean, clean and then clean. Declutter, and make the place smell amazing! I would replace the light fixture.

All of the above plus change out the light fixtures. That would give you a bigger bang for your buck.

Agree with others - declutter, clean, clean, clean.

Don't waste the $ or time on stick on tiles - those would turn off a potential buyer who then has wonder how to deal with removing them (or wondered what else you "went cheap" on).

Yep, agree with the rest - just clean, clean and clean again. This is a kitchen I would completely want to redoo. The paint is fine as well.

If the paint is in good shape then leave it. Make sure the window and doors trims are nice and clean ( paint those if need be ). Clear off all of your personal items especially pics on the ref. Leave a coffee maker and maybe a nice vase of flowers on the island and just scrub everything.

Good luck and I hope it sells quick!

Ditto ditto ditto. CLEANING and all maintenance. Hardware goes with the kitchen, leave it. Paint's not peeling, leave it. Open the blinds and remove as much as you can and you have done all that really makes a difference. If you had a four person table and chairs with a thin profile I might swap that for your high top eating area. It makes your space look too small for eating. When you show it be sure all the baby and pet extras are out of sight.

Yes, we obviously would de-clutter and clean, that’s really a given. I just don’t have a photo in that state. The paint isn’t in the best shape. I can see how clean we can get it via washing but there are some marks on the walls that I don’t believe will come off...

My husband is insisting that we need to make it look more updated and different than the photos you can find online from when we purchased it. He thinks if people see we did nothing since moving in we won’t get the price we want (although it’s been several years and we did a lot of less visible things- new water heater, water treatment, etc).

And I agree it’s a kitchen I’d want to completely redo ;) that was our plan until we found a new opportunity.

I’d rather have new mechanicals than new paint.

Since it appears to be a neutral color paint, if cleaning doesn't get rid of all the marks, consider a simple fresh coat of the same color. Just don't go into the expense of a major redecoration/resurface thinking you will get more money as a result. It's not a bad kitchen, and as long as it's clean buyers will be able to see the potential to do it in their taste.

We would also be in the "better to have new mechanicals than paint" group.

Can you just clear everything off the counters/fridge/cabinets and take a new picture? that would be really helpful. You don't have to clean up everything for good right now, but just having a nice clean picture of the space will help to envision what could work better.

Heather N- this is from the listing when we purchased the house

What exactly do you mean by new “mechanicals”?

Thanks for the images. I wouldn't worry about hardware or stick-on backsplash tiles. I think a simple, neutral-toned area rug might look nice in the middle of the kitchen workspace to hide the flooring a bit. Paint the kitchen and the living room (the red room in the background) the same or similar colors - something lighter. I wouldn't go gray-tones in your kitchen with the wood cabinets and counters - maybe an off white? don't want it to be too stark. Buyers sometimes have a hard time seeing past paint colors they dislike. The light fixtures could use an update, but you don't want to replace them with something that looks cheap, but you also don't want to spend a lot of money. I would do a nice flushmount in the middle of the kitchen - keep it simple so the ceilings feel higher and it lets a chandelier over the table stand out more.

Clean is more indicative of the care put into this house. You can’t guess what a prospective buyer might want. I’d rather make my own changes and have the price reflect it.

Thank you Heather- the red room next door is a dining room.

By the mechanicals, I just meant that I’d rather see a house with a new hot water heater, water treatment, etc than a house with new paint. Feature that. Talk about that. I’m going to paint stuff my way anyways. I don’t necessarily care if you haven’t done minor cosmetic work that’s taste-specific. It’s the behind the scene mechanics that matter more.

Blueostrich- ah ok I understand :) I don’t know why my husband is so hung up on “it has to look different than it did when we bought it” but he is :-/ I don’t want to put in effort and money where it’s going to go to waste.

How would buyers even know how the house looked when you bought it X years ago?

I would not change it. Save the money on the paint and get new hardware. That's about it. Yes de clutter so the space doesn't look smaller than it is. That's all you really need in my opinion.

I'd paint it a warm white, e.g. BM Simply White or Capital White. As far as prepping for sale, it depends on your area what buyer expect.

If real estate has appreciated by X% in your area, then that is what your house will sell for, even if you made no improvements.

Buyers aren't going to pay you a premium for some fresh paint! They might not even like the colors you pick. Look at your competition and recent sales -- then price your house correctly and it will sell.

Blueostrich- apparently you can google and find the old listing. I don’t think it’s something any normal person would come across but my husband has it stuck in his head.

The market supports what we are looking for for it, so I don’t see the issue.