It depends on the condition of the cabinets minus the finish needing redone. Our cabinets are from the mid 70s are all built like a tank. Every bit of it is solid wood. No plywood, press board, MDF etc. I would never rip them out for the new crappy cabinets they have on the market now. If they are sturdy I would refinish them.

To be honest the space looks rough, and the layout looks less than ideal. If you're not willing to do a full remodel right now I'd leave them alone but start saving!

Minus the surroundings, the cabinets themselves have a fairly modern look with no reveal and the flat doors. I'd pull them off, sand and stain them. Then replace the hardware, countertops and flooring.

No. I don't. I am inclined to hire a professional. We hired a wonderful carpenter who built an Ipe deck for us to replace the old one. He's still working in the city where this flat is located.

Refinish and keep the handles. Save for a full change including the flooring. Are the handles wood?

Yes. They are wood. The same material as the doors and boxes.

There are other portions of the flat that use the same wood as the kitchen cabinets, including trim and floating shelves in the living and dining areas. The terracotta used for the kitchen floor are the same used for the fireplace.

Have the cabinets sanded and refinished. The refinishers can tighten up loose hinge screws and fix any wobbly drawers, too. Use new GFCI electrical outlets on the countertops. The tile floors might be cleaned by a pro with machines, but you should ask if the cracks can be repaired before a machine gets started on them because many look broken already. Seal the tile once it is cleaned and repaired.

Real estate agents often have lists of craftspeople to recommend.

Replace. Those cabinets look like a hardwood floor that has had one too many sandings. They look to be about 50 years old, maybe older. I think you've gotten your money's worth.

I agree with asking a pro about refinishing, if they are the solid wood they appear to be. The features around the fireplace are unique and attractive, it would be nice to have the kitchen cabinets restored to match as well.

It is too bad that the floor has been so damaged -- I wonder what your tenants were up to in there!

We also agree with asking a pro about refinishing the cabinets. It might well be worth the money, and easier than installing new ones. Perhaps get a nice rug to go in the kitchen to help cover the tiles that are cracked when tenants are using it.

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Refinishing costs more than replacing. It's a whole lot of expensive skilled labor. Clean them good, and use some Howards on them. That's not a product to use if you're keeping them, but it will make them look reasonable until you can do the full remodel.

You could DIY the removal of the doors and the sanding and have your finish carpenter apply the new finish. Get some 2-part clear epoxy to fill the cracks in the floor and clean the grout for sure. The floors and counters look really rough. Can you get some matching countertops in formica or something inexpensive? That one multi-outlet plug thing is just asking to be overloaded and could be a fire hazard. (Sorry but I'm looking at this with my landlord hat on). Seems like you could spend $1K with materials and a handyman and really fix several of the issues (lipstick/pig remedy until the full remodel).

Very helpful ideas and comments. Much appreciated!

Investment is based on the returns.

if you are planning to redo the entire place anytime in the near future I wouldn't bother changing the cabinets at this point. I would recommend just sanding it down and refinishing it. I do recommend however that you change the knobs/pulls on the cabinet just to give a more updated design and a fresher look.

The kitchen seems to go with the house. Use that lipstick and lightly stage it as a cool vintage light-filled space.

In my area mid-century modern is HOT and simple, modern, wood cabinetry is showing up in high end homes. If the cabinets are solid and the kitchen layout works, I'd probably invest in refinishing them. Maybe wait until you are ready to move in, though.

The floors are beautiful. When you're ready for a gut remodel, it would be wonderful to continue them into the kitchen.

my Rule on rentals is don’t spend more than 20% of the rent for a year. If it’s mid-range rental in a decent market... give em a solid clean, cover the shelves inside with contact paper, sand the rough out and slap some stain on. Add new counter tops, get ride of the compacter, stick in a cheap wine fridge to look cool, wax the floor and light some scented candles... you should have electric checked... looks wonky

Thank you Jane for the suggestions. I googled 'replace trash compactor with wine cooler' and found a link to an article by that name with a link to models. https://learn.winecoolerdirect.com/wine-coolers-to-replace-your-trash-compactor/ Brilliant!

Please post an update when you are ready.