" would DIY sand and gel stain work? " Isn't it strip down to bare wood and restain? How are the innerds? Worn out and ready for new owners to rip out and replace? If so just clean and lower your price.

" would DIY sand and gel stain work? "

Still need to strip completely and gel stain is a PITA to get even. You would need a weeks worth of time to prep those or you are wasting your time. Price the house correctly and move on. They do not look that bad and a half-assed prep & gel stain will make them look worse in my viewpoint.

^^^^This.

Don’t waste your time and money. Anyone purchasing is most likely going to gut and redo the kitchen. The tired, tile floor; the fact that you’re lacking lower drawer stacks; the laminate counters; the appliances…all need updating. Even the layout is subject to change.

In 2015, DH and I bought a house that hadn’t been touched since 1970, when the house was built. None of the appliances worked. The floorplan/layout was awful. The cabinets had decorative scribed doors. Didn’t stop us from buying the house. Total gut renovation, and not just the kitchen.

If a house has good ”bones”, and is priced right, it’s going to sell.

Clean, clean, clean. Price the house based on what it is and move on. You will unlikely recoup even 50% of the amount you put into it when you sell. A lower price will be better than putting "lipstick on a pig" (channeling Sophie) and trying to pass it off as a new Kitchen and then having to lower the price later or have it sit on the market for a long time. Both are red flags to buyers.

If your area is a seller's market, that's even a better reason to leave it as-is and not over-spend (time and money) on cosmetic changes.