Best to consult with a real estate professional familiar with the local market and your parents’ home to see if a refresh is the best way to go in this situation. Typically just making repairs, decluttering, a thorough cleaning, and neutralizing is advised to ready a home for market. I suspect a complete refresh may be needed for the home, so the new buyer would rather get the home at a lower price and update it the way they would like it.

i would leave things. the wood with the dark granite is classic altho its older. the shutters are nice. people see through the old finish....they will evaluate things on function/layout/etc For you to start working on the older cabs isnt worth it. people do their own thing .....reface/ strip and restain/ paint/ gut the kitchen...you cant possibly know.... I'd look for an upgrade to the dishwasher and probably get a somewhat stylish light fixture over the table [eliminate the fan] make sure the shelves inside the cabinets are not degrading or damaged from moisture and so on. Good Luck/ dont spend much on it. people are liking wood in the kitchen now and the right person can do something with those but the right person for the home alternatively, may do something entirely different to the kitchen.

Keep what you have, looks in good shape.

I went through a conundrum when I inherited my sister's house last year. It was 40 years old and showed its age. As I thought about trying to freshen it up, I realized one thing would lead to another more expensive thing. Repainting the interior would make all the light switches and outlets look dingier and highlight the dings in the baseboard and casings. Fresh paint would make the flooring look old and highlight the broken down cabinets. Refreshing parts would just have made the rest look shabbier. I left it the way it was so the buyer could choose what updates to do on his timeframe. We could not have DIYed it and hiring someone would have cost way too much and taken too long.

First, ask your realtor. My guess is they will tell you just to clean and declutter. Buyers don’t tend to appreciate a “refresh” as much as a complete overhaul. Updating cabinets will end up bringing attention to a dated floor, and then where does it stop? Agree that they’re unlikely to get their money back.

Thanks everyone for your comments. My parents proceeded to consult with a real estate agent who did in fact recommend giving the cabinets attention. She recommended not to leave them as is due to the rough shape some of them are in. We will proceed to explore options. The plan is for us to do it ourselves. The real estate agent said wood grain cabinets are making a return in the area but painted cabinets are still quite popular as well. If anyone has additional thoughts or suggestions please feel free to chime in. We really valued everyone's input.

when my 80 + yr old parents sold their relatively new home [ built in 2001] to move on to Senior iiving they talked with two different realtors. It was quite a remarkable difference between the two... the few "things to do" / the price point etc...I would take the time to speak with another realtor. Relative to the time and exhausting experience you think you will "do yourselves" .... simply another discussion with someone experienced could be an important step.

I'm with herbflavor, I would call another agent or two and ask them to do a competitive market analysis--a written analysis of what has recently sold and what's on the market. Any good agent should offer this at no cost to you. Consider it a bid, a part of getting the job to sell the house (with a tidy commission). A single agent, no matter how experienced, will have their own biases and preferences. You need to see what several agents think are comparables and where yours stacks up.

I think a better use of your time would be in perusing Zillow to see is on offer or has recently sold in your area. The pictures won't give you a perfect idea of what condition the finishes are in but you'll see how your parents' house compares.