To paint the maple cabinets or not to paint?

7 år siden

We are about to put our 20- year- old condo on the market, and the realtor recommends painting the wood finished kitchen, bathroom, and linen closet doors for a more "modern" look (because its all soooo 1995-looking). I am hesitant because while i did just refinish the wood and add knobs to make them look better, i feel like the new owners can paint them if they want to, but they certainly cant un-paint them if they don't want to. Thoughts? will it really make the difference in increased sale price? Is this what buyers want? I should mention that the condo has a spectacular ocean view, so i feel like that is the primary selling point..... please advise ASAP! i feel stuck! Thank you!

Fremhævet svar

Kris Mays

7 år siden

I wouldn't paint them. Realtors don't know everything and I agree. If the new owners want white cabinets, they will put them in themselves.

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(72) kommentarer

Steph
7 år siden
I would personally like it better to do a small cosmetic change myself, then getting a quick pre-sale refresh that adds to the price or diminishes the finish. It's not hard to see the big potential this kitchen has for painted or stained fans. IMO, it won't be worth the money to paint.
Janeen Marquardt thanked Steph
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JAN MOYER
7 år siden
Sidst ændret: {last_modified_time}7 år siden
I repeat. The kitchen, along with a couple walls ( yes I saw photos)..........will end in a dumpster. Buy fresh flowers. price the house correctly, and move on.
Janeen Marquardt thanked JAN MOYER
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BeverlyFLADeziner
7 år siden
Jan's right. Half the people that look at the home will like wood cabinets.
Janeen Marquardt thanked BeverlyFLADeziner
Janeen Marquardt
Forfatter
7 år siden
Thank you everyone! I think i will leave the cabinets, and proved a digital rendering of the finished kitchen (once the new appliances are in) with the cabinets in white. I may even consider offering the cash rebate, will see what my realtor says. I am happy to spend that money if it really makes the difference, but i just feel like it is something that cant be undone, and who knows what the new owner will really want to do with it.

I will post updated photos of the finished kitchen and the digital render when its done. Check back in a month!
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Patricia Colwell Consulting
7 år siden
IMO it is always important when getting ready to sell that you don’t improve things that will not give ROI as I stated I would not spend the money on painting the cabinets which can be quite expensive and IMO will not make that much money back when you sell
Janeen Marquardt thanked Patricia Colwell Consulting
courtinghome
7 år siden
You could ask your realtor to do a broker open house (for agents only) and poll them. They know your local situation and buyers. That said, painting is supposed to provide a 300% roi. Also, there are a lot of painted cabinets in design mags right now. Hate to admit it, I once did let an ugly brown extermor turn me off. It wasn't until I saw the house freshly painted that I realized how much I had undervalued the property.
Janeen Marquardt thanked courtinghome
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Amy Wolff Interiors
7 år siden
I agree - don't paint these. The stainless appliances will make a huge difference.
Janeen Marquardt thanked Amy Wolff Interiors
zagab
7 år siden
We had similiar cabinets; the realtor said buy new hardware. We had "gold" tone and it looks like you might have nickel/silver. She suggested a bronze -y look to darken the effect. Couple packages from big box store and it gave the kitchen a whole new - and better-look. Sold in 6 weeks.
Janeen Marquardt thanked zagab
debthomps
7 år siden
Paint Maple ?? !! Oh No ! I hope the buyer would have an appreciation for real wood .
Janeen Marquardt thanked debthomps
05210521
7 år siden
I would not paint those cabinets, nor would I paint the wood closet doors. You have a very nice kitchen as is, if the new owners wish to slap paint on every wood surface that is their prerogative. It's a damn shame that people don't appreciate the beauty of wood any more.
Janeen Marquardt thanked 05210521
cholwerk
7 år siden
New hardware and new appliances would add more value.
Janeen Marquardt thanked cholwerk
flygirl519
7 år siden
I think you have a lovely kitchen and new appliances will make it even nicer. I have painted one kitchen and within a year it started to chip.
Janeen Marquardt thanked flygirl519
gr8daygw
7 år siden
Sidst ændret: {last_modified_time}7 år siden
Don't paint, especially since you just had them refinished. I like how the cabinets go to the ceiling and the door style still looks fine. Replacing those granny white appliances with the stainless steel you have on order will make all the difference! Maybe add a backsplash and definitely under cabinet lighting if not there. Then stage it with beautiful accessories and you're golden ☺︎
Janeen Marquardt thanked gr8daygw
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Loribeth Clark
7 år siden
Sidst ændret: {last_modified_time}7 år siden
First of all, painted cabinets CAN be undone. No one ever really does it, but cabinets can be stripped and restored to the original wood if someone wants to do it. You see it done more in pre-WWII homes. Also, painted cabinets do not necessarily get that sticky feeling your mentioned if they are finished correctly. I love painted cabinetry, and have never experienced the paint feeling sticky because of humidity.

That said, even though I don't think the maple cabinets give a beachy feeling to the kitchen, I'd leave your cabinets alone. You're replacing the appliances, so that will probably update the look of the kitchen enough for resale. Staging the kitchen will make a big impact, as will your ocean view! Good luck!!!
Janeen Marquardt thanked Loribeth Clark
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burkedesign
7 år siden
I think you are thinking about it in the wrong way, you are not making your investment of 3,000 back, you are just doing something that prevents prospective buyers from perceiving a "deficit". Yes, it may easily end up in the dumpster, but that's not the point. If it provides that first pleasing impression as your customer turns the corner into the kitchen, then you are that much closer to the sale. Light gray-white or white of some shade will make the kitchen look bigger, and your kitchen could use looking bigger, and more unified in tone. You don't want big blocks of darker wood in a small space calling attention to themselves. You want everything to be calm and restful and promote your big beach view as the attractive feature.

I've seen many flips this year done in every shade of pale grey, and it is almost always a good thing. Some sad and bad exceptions are the chunks of busy horizontal tiles in chevron designs making their way across every backsplash and even bathrooms. These masses of tile will get dated very soon, and this design trend will be associated with the esthetic of the men who were the contractors.
Janeen Marquardt thanked burkedesign
Terrie B.
7 år siden
My cabinets are similar. Not sure if I liked when I bought the house as I had dark cherry before. Our counters were light like yours. We changed to dark and the cabinets popped! Very happy now.
Janeen Marquardt thanked Terrie B.
stlouisgaltoo
7 år siden
I put in maple kitchen cabinets in my 1995 kitchen renovation...and...ooops! I did it AGAIN in 2010! (different house.) I changed it up with a more updated countertop and backsplash. Love my maples!
Janeen Marquardt thanked stlouisgaltoo
Cary McCart
7 år siden
I have been doing this for a lot of years. Painting the cabinets is not going to make it look bigger or brighter, it's just going to make it look like a big white box. I think the cabinets should have had a tint when they were refinished to warm them, but it's too late for that now. Stage the area with some nice pops of color and it will be fine. No matter what color you paint them, somebody isn't going to like it. If the new owner wants them painted, let them do it so they get what they want. Most people don't mind paying to have something refinished if they think it needs it. They don't want to pay to refinish something if they just don't like it. Odd, but true.
Janeen Marquardt thanked Cary McCart
labincurlers
7 år siden
Don't paint them. It won't make one bit of difference to a serious buyer and you are right they can't unpaint them. The fact they are in good shape and clean is what matters. Good luck.
Janeen Marquardt thanked labincurlers
DJ Jac
7 år siden
I wouldn't paint them, as the potential buyers can paint if they choose to. If your realtor insists you do something maybe stain them a darker tone to add the more "modern" vibe.
Janeen Marquardt thanked DJ Jac
Janeen Marquardt
Forfatter
7 år siden
Here is the Kitchen with the new appliances.... anyone want to revise their opinion? It is not the cost that I am resistant to, I just do not want to make a choice for the new owners that they might not be able to easily undo. This way, the new owners can paint any color they want, or just go with a darker stain if they like, or leave it alone. They might tear it all out and start over for all I know, so I just hope they love the location and can make it their own!
tarma
7 år siden
Would be a shame to paint them, for my taste, and also you have no idea what the new owners might prefer. Leave it for them to decide.
Janeen Marquardt thanked tarma
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Loribeth Clark
7 år siden
Sidst ændret: {last_modified_time}7 år siden
Love the appliances you selected. Wish I had that range in my kitchen! ;) I'm not going to revise my opinion. Even though I love painted cabinets, I think you're better off leaving them the way they are. The expense and the time will not be recouped.

A bowl of lemons in a blue bowl, some crisp white tea towels, and some blue pot holders will liven up the space. (I love the way lemons look and smell.) Maybe some fresh flowers on the countertop next to the refrigerator. That's all you need to make it feel fresh and inviting.

Oh wait... Looking again, there isn't a counter top next to the refrigerator. Nix that suggestion.
Janeen Marquardt thanked Loribeth Clark
dkbraz
7 år siden
Don't paint the cabinets. Whoever buys the property can customize it to their liking-you could be wasting time and money.
Janeen Marquardt thanked dkbraz
Janeen Marquardt
Forfatter
7 år siden
Loribeth, there is, its just cut out of the image. I am sure the stager will have just the right touch! Thank you very much!
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Loribeth Clark
7 år siden
Janeen, yes your stager will be able to pull it all together!! Some people don't realize how beneficial they can be in making everything look wonderful to potential buyers!
Janeen Marquardt thanked Loribeth Clark
milopup
7 år siden
If anything, I would change the countertops. I recall feeling so wasteful thinking I would rip out a new kitchen the owner did to sell a house I was looking at as a buyer. I agree with the logic you presented. Wishing you a quick sale.
Janeen Marquardt thanked milopup
User
7 år siden
Sidst ændret: {last_modified_time}7 år siden
Don't paint. If I were considering buying your house, my taste would probably be to remove the upper cabinets in favor of open shelving and reface the lower cabinets in a color other than white or gray, so your paint job would go to waste (and make things somewhat harder for me!) The shiny new appliances look fab. Stop there. Some staging with fruit or flowers, lovely mixing bowls & maybe an inexpensive rug/runner is the direction to go.

Before I sold my last home, I went to several dozen open houses in my area to get an idea of the competition. Two things jumped out at me: Anything dirty, broken or cracked made me want to knock $10,000 off the price of the house immediately, each problem I saw, no matter how small the problem. Any place spotlessly clean made me feel positive about the house, even if I wanted to completely change the decor to suit my taste. The other biggest impact on my reaction to the houses on the market was entry ways and hallways, whether they felt dark and dingy or cold and utilitarian. So when I put my own house on the market, I focused on eliminating every single speck of dirt & spent my "staging" money replacing aging items like faucets, light switch plates, toilet roll holders, etc. with brand new. Then I put brighter light bulbs in the entry, halls, cheery art work in hallways, absolutely new area rug and storm door at the entry. Everything came from Home Depot & bargain stores so none of it cost much, but the impact was tremendously positive and even with multiple bids, no one offered me below my asking. Buona fortuna with your sale!
Janeen Marquardt thanked User
gr8daygw
7 år siden
WOW! Janeen, the new appliances really did the trick! Money well spent, it looks updated, shiny and fresh. Good job ☺︎
Janeen Marquardt thanked gr8daygw
wantsideas
7 år siden
I would not paint the cabinets. Let the new owners decide how they want to spend their remodeling dollars. I prefer white cabinets but it would not deter me from buying a home that had stained cabinets if location and price were right. Best of luck with your sale.
Janeen Marquardt thanked wantsideas
Nellie O
7 år siden
I would not paint the cabinets but paint the walls a warm light to medium gray that pulls the veining from the flooring. This would add some contrast against the white countertop.
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Martha Nadar
7 år siden
I would not paint them white ....ONLY because the counter top is white and the wall/backsplash is white
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Patricia Smith
7 år siden
I would not paint the cupboards and I'm a white kitchen person. The cupboards are light and don't look dark and dingy. Just sold our 1976 bungalow for a good price but wished I hadn't listened to the realtor. We did work that was totally unnecessary and torn out by new owners. Kitchen looks great!
Janeen Marquardt thanked Patricia Smith
Martha Nadar
7 år siden
I am looking to paint my Maple cabinets white also, just because I love White Cabinets...but my counter top is a brown/black/cream/ granite and because i live on Tampa Bay and have a beachy/coastal home
Janeen Marquardt thanked Martha Nadar
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Amy Wolff Interiors
7 år siden
I'm not changing my opinion either. It looks fresh, clean, and up-to-date enough for a buyer - especially with everything else it has going. Sparkling NEW appliances are always a winner - try not use them too much! :)
spisland
7 år siden
I'm in a similar situation as you, Janeen. I own a (just half block off-beach) vacation townhome with small yard and garage. It isn't yet on the market, but probably soon will be.

Our real home is in the 2nd busiest market in the US. Here, homes are listed at healthy prices, selling within a day or two, with multiple offers.

Conversely, our beach home is actually in the same state, but 600 miles south. It may as well be a world away. I've seen beautiful homes sit on that market for 3 and 4 years; usually incrementally reduced only if unsold for an entire first year, while growing increasingly stale.

Due to your agent's thoughts, I'm assuming your selling market is at least a bit challenged? I'd just stage beautifully now in keeping with location. In a beach market, it really comes down most to your view, and perceived value vs. your comps to get that amazing view!

(Maybe your agent can quickly ask for feedback from other agents after they bring their clients by. Or better yet, she could hold an immediate open house the first weekend it's for sale, hearing buyer pros/cons for herself :) Best of luck!
Janeen Marquardt thanked spisland
Cary McCart
7 år siden
If I was to recommend what to do with these to an owner that was going to stay in the home, this would be how I would go. Snow white cabinets are blinding, cold, and always dirty.

I would suggest taking at least some of the upper doors off and having glass installed. This will make the kitchen seem larger. Paint the interiors of those cabinets white and add interior lighting.

Paint the exteriors a very very pale neutral blue. The kind of blue that would almost be white when looking at it. Your husband would call it white. LOL

The finish would be pigmented lacquer, not paint. Paint is good for about seven years, lacquer will hold up for twelve years without discoloring, chipping, or looking tired.

Change the hardware to a contemporary brushed nickle to match the appliances. Paint the walls a deeper color of your choice.

The room would seem larger, warmer, and more beachy.
Janeen Marquardt thanked Cary McCart
IM DB
7 år siden
Janeen, your posts keep having comments about the future buyer, but what many realtors will tell you is to take YOUrself out of the equation. Paint the cabinets (based on your flooring, grey for the lowers, white for the uppers) to freshen up the kitchen. You won't be living there, and a buyer is either going to love it or replace (this is where you need to remove your emotions because it won't be yours anymore). It will definitely make the home up to date and coordinate more with your counter and new appliances. We backed out of an offer last year after finding out the owners lived across the street. After a couple of their 'visits', we realized the comments about why we were making the upgrades we had planned were going to be endlesssssssssssssssssssssssssssss.
Janeen Marquardt thanked IM DB
spisland
7 år siden
She's shown in comments that she has already taken herself out of the equation, quite nicely. She's just trying to not turn anybody off. Because painted cabinets don't appeal to all.

For buyers who prefer to remodel, they can go for it. But we know sometimes that is a delayed pipedream after purchasing. At least her eventual buyer could paint if they want.

At the beach, it's always about the view. The view. If she stages beautifully and underprices her competition, she may just get it sold quickly. Incredibly, maybe even without white cabinets in 2016!
Janeen Marquardt thanked spisland
User
7 år siden
Sidst ændret: {last_modified_time}7 år siden
Is the realtor going to "sell" the house? Not all realtors do any more, but today it is a snap to take a picture of an exisitng kitchen and use a computer to create an image that you can show to a prospective buyer, either a print out or on an Ipad or laptop. Prospective buyer can see how the cabinets would look painted white, or blue, or gray, red, green or black or removed entirely -- you name it. Surely the realtor showing the house can say: "If you don't fancy maple wood cabinets, you can very inexpensively paint these. Let me show you some pictures of how these same cabinets would look simply painted with different colors."
Janeen Marquardt thanked User
yogapaws
7 år siden
Please don't paint them. Maybe you just need a different realtor.
Janeen Marquardt thanked yogapaws
redoredone
7 år siden
Sidst ændret: {last_modified_time}7 år siden
I would not paint them in order to sell, either. Although I prefer white cabinets and have always had them, I would like being able to choose whatever color or wood tone I want for the kitchen. I wouldn't want a light blue or gray, nor any other color cabinet.

It sounds as though the view is what will sell your condo and a serious buyer wouldn't let cabinet or door colors turn them away.

If the buyer wants another color, it could be negotiated in the contract that you would have them painted, if you agree to it then. If not, then you haven't wasted your money paying for something the buyer may not want.
Mary Anderson
7 år siden
I wouldn't hesitate to paint those cabinets, believe me, most people don't have an imagination. Gray (dark pewter) lowers ( for contrast between white counter and floor) with white uppers, black handles and pulls and stainless appliance. I have flipped enough homes to know what counts. Beautiful, light, airy and so in style now to paint! Remember first impressions are what sells homes and an out dated kitchen is bate for low offers. Also with a water view what could be beachier than white cabinets and wood work? Your realtor is spot on. She has your pocketbook in mind as well as a quick sale for your home. Good luck
Deb C
7 år siden
I think a really dark colour would make the white and the appliances stand out. You could even go a dark grey and it would make the darker grey in the marble stand out. Looks like you have enough natural light so it won't be too dark in there. Would make it look classy.
PRO
Niche Painting
7 år siden
I'm obviously no Photoshop expert (uppers are pretty bright) but thought you might want to see what they might look like painted. I would paint them, particularly in a beach location. Painted cabinets are very current design-wise and your buyer really would rather buy new construction if they could. I've never witnessed a buyer come around a corner of a kitchen with painted cabinets and say "Well, we'll want to replace those immediately" This would be a $2000 job where I am.

I saw some comments saying how Maple is untouchable. It actually takes paint the best. Wish they were all maple. Also, no reason for ambient humidity to 'soak in' and soften paint. Otherwise there would be a lot of sticky boats

Full disclosure I paint cabinets.
chucknglenda
7 år siden
The View will sell your Condo....don't put anymore money into it!!! Let the new owners make their own decision about wood cabinets.
Aj Rog
7 år siden
Oh please, don't paint those gorgeous cabinets! If I were the new owners I'd keep the cabinets and do a colorful backsplash :) Other than that, it would be a dream kitchen for me.
3housesfull
7 år siden
Its your realtor's job to sell the house for the highest and best price. Please don't go into this thinking your cabinets demand a credit. They look great. Get your realtor to do their job! I sold a home in three weeks with 1990 maple cabinets (unpainted) in a 1950s house. The cabinets were one of the features that sold the home.. Don't let your taste/preferences or prejudices about the property influence the sale price. Its why you hired a realtor. Make the realtor work for their commission and work for a full price offer. Good luck.
ksmdesign
7 år siden
Maybe change your realtor? I'm betting that they say "paint the cabinets" to everyone... If you look at kitchens on Houzz, do you see all painted kitchen cabinets, or all white painted cabinets? Definitely not. And just slapping paint on (as commenters have pointed out) can look really cheap.

Our realtor gave everyone in the family a set of tasks to complete to stage our house. We got rid of a few weeds and super groomed the yard, consolidated and covered stuff in the basement, and updated textiles and rugs super cheaply throughout the house. We also fixed some grout and did a little painting (to cover up some kid "grafitti"). We finished everything within a week or two and the house sold quickly at our asking price.

You don't need to spend a fortune to sell your home. If your realtor is not on board with that, then it's time to find one that is... Good luck with the sale!
PRO
Loribeth Clark
7 år siden
We recently sold our house. Our realtor suggested things to do also. We replaced the carpet in two rooms, touched up paint, and really cleaned. (I thought I was good housekeeper until I saw how dirty the house was after everything was out.) One thing we didn't do that our realtor suggested was water the grass. The house didn't have a sprinkler system, and most of the houses in the neighborhood didn't. It just wasn't practical to water when we weren't living there. So that meant our grass looked like the grass at most of the other houses.

Our house sold in one day, full asking price, and the people were so impressed with how well it was kept up that they didn't even do an inspection. I shared this because it shows that you don't have to do everything that a realtor suggests. As long as your home looks and smells clean, as long as it's in good repair, if it's in a good area, it will sell.

To paint the maple cabinets or not to paint?

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