We haven’t sold the house yet. The most common objection has to do with the kitchen; it’s either too small (can’t do much about that), or old-fashioned, or “tired”.
— The old-fashioned part probably has to do with the 60’s style pink-ish Formica.
— The “tired” part has to do with the cabinets …. almost all the cabinets have wear-marks right where the hardware is, I suppose from 15 years of grubby fingers rubbing against the wood. (The wood is stained, not painted.)
Today, a kitchen-dude from a kitchens-only shop in town stopped by to give us an estimate on sprucing up the joint. I told him beforehand that we are selling the place, and are loathe to spend additional monies, and that we want something inexpensive, but without looking cheap-ass. Well! …. he quoted us at $11,000 to resurface the cabinets and install granite counter-tops. Uh huh. Fuck that shit!!
OK, so I’ve been on youtube … lots of vids on refinishing cabinets without having to strip it down. Quickies. And, from the vids, it looks pretty good.
Have I, myself, ever finished wood? (heh, heh, wood? finished it off? yes I have!!) Yes, in 8th grade wood shop I made a cutting board from raw wood and mom still has it today. Also, when my kids were tots I bought a couple pieces of naked furniture and finished them nicely. That’s about it.
Here’s where you come in … we have a lot of very handy and gifted people here! Yes, I can watch endless you-tube vids and read articles. Been doing a lot of that already this morning. But, nothing is better than first hand advice … from people who have actually done it. Also, it is sometimes difficult for a neophyte such as myself to sift the bullshit from the pearls.
Note 1: I am NOT looking for long detailed instructions. I wouldn’t even think of imposing on your time like that.
Note 2: Other than removing the cabinet doors, I am not willing to do any other manual stuff — ie; removing the sink, the actual counter-top, etc.
So, in general …
1)– Any websites and/or vids which you’ve used which you can endorse?
2)– Any quick hints? Such as — “Absolutely don’t do this …” or, “You must do this …”
3)– Currently the wood is stained maple. Should I only re-stain? Or, would you paint it?
4)– I always always underestimate the time it takes to do manual work. (I have 11 full-size cabinets, 8 half size, and 10 drawers). Am I looking at a week? Two weeks? A month? Will I want to kill myself afterwards?
5) Regarding the counter-top …. Rust-Oleum makes the product below. Looks pretty damn good to me … a lot better than pink Formica. Whatdya think?
Lastly, I know I’ll get a few answers … because that’s the way you people are …….. and, in order to not be like Robert Gore by thanking each and everyone separately …… you do know that I appreciate your help from the bottom of my cold dark heart. Thank you … in advance.
Just sand and paint them a light neutral color. This will also add brightness and add an illusion of more space. Add new modern hardware and DONE.
I’d paint them as close in color to the original stain so you don’t have to worry about painting the interior. Follow up the mechanical sanding with a liquid sander, following the instructions closely.
I’d do that Rustoleum stuff if you really don’t want to mess with the sink. If that doesn’t work out, pull the sink, peel off the formica and tile the counter tops.
Just remember, you’re selling the kitchen to the next Woman-of-the-House.
And for God’s sake. Use oil based enamel paint. If you use latex you should be kicked in the nuts.
Follow BC’s recommendation below and use a liquid sander. Easy peasy Japanesy.
What is in is chalk paint. Highlight with a brown. Colonial ivory is the color. Then put down ubatuba granite. It’s the cheapest color and looks nice with brushed bronze fixtures. Match the hardware to it. Plenty of chalk paint videos must be out there.
Thats how I am doing my kitchen right now. And now its gay approved. Insane. I am even doing the uba tuba granite. If I ever finish I can post a pic.
Put a pot of grease on stove.
Turn stove to high. If it is a gas range all the better!
Go to movies and watch latest Ghostbusters flick.
I heard it’s real good.
Milo liked it lots!
Seriously though paint is quick fix for cupboards. I wouldn’t worry too much. The people who buy it wouldn’t likely prefer the type of granite you pick. They will end up tearing it all out for a redo anyways. Look at it as a selling feature.
I made cabinet doors. Turned out pretty good. All you need is a good table saw and a workspace.
I’m not a carpenter but I think as long as you follow Dutchman’s instructions and use decent hardware you can make a real change and add appeal without breaking the bank.
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I built a wine cabinet. Didn’t use expensive wood. I’m not even great a painting but if you take your time you might be surprised at what you can accomplish. I find it to be true for a lot of things. I think there is an artist in everybody. Give it a try!
Stucky,
We had our kitchen expanded and rehabbed by an ace smart-ass former Jersey boy contractor. It only took about 6 months and we were cooking on a hot plate in the family room and periodically eating dust. I would move out and rent a place on the water rather than go through that again. But the guy was really good and I sharpened my wits parrying his sarcastic zingers.
Here is a brief el cheapo suggestion. Paint the walls and cabinets white, it will brighten the room and make it look larger. White is in again. Put on some shiny new hardware. We had some doors made with pattern glass inserts for the upper cabinets. They reflect light and you can see the colors and shapes of what is inside. Find a good south of the border tile man and put in tile counter tops and floor. Go with a light color that will help brighten the room and not show dirt. The stuff is bulletproof and will be cheaper than granite or any of the fancy composite crap. You’re welcome. Heh.
You will need to remove the doors and pulls and hinges. Number the doors (on the back, use blue masking tape and write the door number / drawer number. Start with the top cabinets.
There will be considerable grease/grime (does your wife use Pledge or other stuff?) you need to get that off for the finish to stick. TSP (trisodium phosphate, or another cleaner) will take off the grime.
If you can setup some type of temporary work area, at waist level, where you can lay the doors flat.
Sand with 150 grit, be sure it’s all scuffed. Use a vac and remove all dust. Then wipe with a ‘tack rag’ (that’s a sticky rag – just ask for it at the paint store). Use a semi-gloss enamel, such as Bengamin Moore Advance.
I use a cheap sponge brush – leaves no brush marks. Don’t ‘flood’ the paint – if the doors have a panel, you don’t want excess paint to pool – it will take a long time to dry. Wrap the brush in foil with a touch of water, and you can use it for a couple of days.
I’ve heard of some guys using a foam roller (small diameter) with good success, but I’ve never tried it.
You will need at least 2 coats, maybe 3. If necessary sand any rough spots. Be careful not to sand the paint off the edges.
Do the same prep for the face frames of the cabinets. Wait till it’s all good and dry (maybe 3/5 days) before reassembling. Put those little ‘stick on’ buttons (soft, clear plastic) on the inside corners of the drawers and doors – so there isn’t alot of contact with the fresh paint.
Rockler.com has cabinet hardware.
I would not use that Rust-Oleum product on the counter tops. It is easily cut with a knife, hot pot, etc Either buy a new formica top, tile it, or leave it as it is. If you are going to do something with the counter top – do it before you refinish the bottom cabinets.
I learned from a Mennonite carpenter that a great finish does not come out of a can, no matter how expensive the product. It only comes from the elbow-grease of bristling with fine sandpaper between multiple thin coats. He left that to the women-folk.
If you have the equity (i.e. not in an “upside down” loan situation) – I would tell your realtor that you would consider an offer for maybe $5,000 to $8000 below your comfort zone and dump it. This way the next buyers will feel like they are getting a deal and you are setting your self free without any further hassles and still less than the $11,000 estimate to do it all up classy and such.
But that is just how I roll.
Otherwise, do like realestatepup says above: Sand and paint the cabinets in a light neutral color and go to your local big box like Home Depot to pick up some new hardware.
For countertops, consider a “molded” hard surface. It’s way less expensive than Corian and way, way, way less than granite or quartz.
Yep, Uncat has the answer. Save yourself the toil and hassle.
Have you decided where you are moving to?
Stucky
Go to Pinterest on the interweb and sign up, pick ( ideas for kitchen makeovers). Also there is a floating floor that you can install in no time without tools that looks fantastic at Home Depot and the price is crazy good. My daughter just redid her kitchen and the above is how she got the ideas. Also it is very popular to take of cabinet doors off and leave a select one or two completely open. There is a tutorial on Home Depot.
That rustoleum stuff is good shit.
My wife took the kitchen cabinets apart, cleaned, painted and put back together in 5 days. She hates work almost as much as I do. Soak the hardware in tarn-x. Paint it all white. My favorite color. She did some kind of artsy shit with a sponge, they were just stained before. Looked nice.
It soumds like a small job as you describe it. People buy kitchens and bathrooms and spiffing yours up will probably help you a lot.
Go visit the local granite yard. Not the upscale ‘showroom’ where some dipshit tries to bend you over the rail and give it to you good and hard. Find the foreman of the granite yard. Tell him what your plan is and to show you a remnant big enough for your job. Bring your rough measurements with you. A picture or two never hurts either. Remnant. Be flexible, you’re selling the joint after all. This is a tit job and a mini face lift. No More. Get a cash price including all the prep cutting/ polishing etc. of the rock.
Press a couple or 3 ten-dollar bills in yard managers hand and tell him you want the best, quickest, no bullshit trustworthy son-of-a-bitch he knows to quick and dirty tart up your kitchen: maybe reface your cabinets, new hardware and pulls, measure and install the counters, I’d suggest a complimentary colored tile backsplash (they ae cheap to do and class up the joint) and possibly a new sink/disposal? and maybe a floor?. A new overhead light never hurt anyone either. Tell him you have money and need a good quality job – but its’ not the Taj Mahal -no bullshit – a firm price and done right and fast. If the guy you speak with cannot do it all without delay – find someone else. Whatever price the guy you consider asks for take at least 10 – 15% off and ask him if he will do it for that. If not get a guaranteed finish date with financial penalties (10 – 15%) for late finish. Get a reference from another job like yours, call them and Go Inspect the work if you can. If its a Good Result the people will generally be proud of it and like to show it off. In your mind Be Critical.
When you think you have found someone, when discussing terms, offer him 20-25% max of the total job cost – No More up front and tell him he aint gettin another penny no matter what until he is done and you are happy and if he tries to get over on you your cousins name is Vinny and he doesn’t want to meet him anyway (Vinny optional). Get appropriate paperwork, confirm they have correct insurance in place for your area and they are licensed/bonded, etc. Generally speaking, but not always – every area IS different – permits seldom needed for light cosmetics unless plumbing or electrical is being moved/modified, etc. I am not an expert, so do check into this locally. An un-permitted not-to-code ‘remodel’ could really be a deal breaker and a potential legal issue. Do check this before beginning or money leaving your hands.
When he starts, be there every day – the whole time, ask questions and if you see anything that looks shaky – call him on it right away. No delay. If he gives you any shit or starts talking about needing an extra two weeks- throw him off the job and immediately tell him to get the fuck out of your house and you want all your money back. Mechanics lien my ass you fucking scab. If he ever doesn’t show up when he is supposed to, call him relentlessly and drive him/his office/wife/family batshit crazy. This may sound extreme, but not really – Trust Me.
Everyone has their own ‘style’ dealing with people, but remember, You either Run the help or they will Run you. Remember That.
You’re Welcome. Good Luck !
My wife has refinished the cabinets in our kitchen and two of our bathrooms. Form most of it she used General Finishes Gels Stain. This works great, but you MUST do several light coats and bear in mind that it will look like shit after one and two. However, if your kitchen looks smallish, you should go with a light color paint–whit is back in style.
All the paint companies make self-leveling paint that is specifically for cabinets. This is important, otherwise you will see brush stroked (and I’ve always found it nearly impossible to get a good finish with foam). Never used the epoxy counter top finish, but it is a good cheap alternative. Even if you fuck it up, your only out a $100 or so when you have to buy Granite counters. But, the pink Formica MUST go. Bathrooms and kitchens sell houses, period.
If you’re going to have it done instead of doing it yourself, look at Corian (or one of the competing brands that are essentially the same) for the counter tops and having new faces manufactured and installed on your cabinets (leaving everything but the facing and doors the same) instead of having someone resurface/refinish the existing ones.
If you’re going to do the labor yourself look at the same thing but just having them made and delivered and you installing them. If the counter top is cut for the sink, removing the old one and putting it back in isn’t that hard or complicated but you may find a better looking result by replacing the sink with a new one.
The rustoleum stuff looks like it is just an epoxy coating, there are others to choose from as well, or if the top is in good physical condition just paint it and give it a coat of that epoxy that is used for table tops to give it a glass like look.
All depends on how handy you are and whether or not you want to do most of the labor yourself or hire a professional to do it.
If you decide to paint anything, invest in or rent a decent spray gun. You will never achieve the finish with a brush or roller that you will with a spray gun.
Stucky, your miserly approach to life brings a tear to my eyes.
Seriously, based on your cutting board experience three quarters of a century ago, do not attempt anything in that kitchen. I wouldn’t trust you to remove the hinges successfully, never mind put a decent finish on a formica counter (seriously? formica? maybe you should just contact the local museum see if they want to acquisition it for a display on mid-century lifestyles, you know right next to the butter churn and the dough trough carved out of a log)
Offer a price break you cheapskate or pay the dude 10K- either way the new owners are absolutely gong to gut it and start from scratch because if it’s been 1960 since you’ve updated there’s at least a half inch of desiccated human tissue laying in a film over every surface in the house.
That was pretty damn funny, HSF. Who doesn’t enjoy a good-ole down home feud?
You’re a helluva nice guy, but Stucky pressed your ‘asshole’ button awhile back, IIRC. He oughta know better.
Bet he’s got one, too!
Winner Winner chicken dinner!
Brutally honest you made me laugh HSF.
Yeah Rob,
I love ’em both. Stucky has yet to realize that HSF is on a whole ‘nother plane than himself.
As a side note- For such a big guy, he sure does get butt-hurt easy.
Conversely, it is also incumbent on HSF, by virtue of his innate abilities, to teach, and not alienate potential allies.
The door swings both ways.
Desiccated human tissue? Ew. It sounds like the opening act at Marilyn Manson concert.
“…you know right next to the butter churn and the dough trough carved out of a log.”
Priceless.
He shoulda been a stand-up.
that ain’t no sarcasm.
Stuck, if you need a good agent, the Mrs. & I have a couple that work in your area.
Just redid a bunch of cabinets for a townhome I bought for my Mom. It’s a shitload of work. As others have said, remove the doors, hinges, knobs. Scuff everything down. You’ll want a good primer – the original oil based kilz was the best shit I found for covering stains, etc. but it stinks like Hillary’s festering vajayjay. Do two light final coats with sherwin williams ProClassic or that Benjamin Moore Advance – both good stuff. I sprayed all the doors with an HVLP gun for a really nice smooth finish, but you could use a little hotdog roller and do almost as good if you’re careful. Get a 1/4″ nap roller, NOT I repeat do NOT use a foam roller. Foam rollers tend to put air under the paint. Oh yeah, paint that shit white, and replace the knobs. You can get decent new ones for a couple bucks each at Lowes (though Home Depot selection is better.)
Just as a follow up – this place was built in the early 80’s and had the original crappy wood cabinets, which were pretty banged up, water stains, etc. Painting them white made a freaking amazing difference. Final cost was a few hundred $$$ in materials but probably 20-30 hours of my labor.
Sell the place ‘as is’ – don’t waste a second of your time or a dollar of your money ‘fixing it it’ for whatever asshole ends up buying it . . . unless the increase in selling price is going to be enough to compensate you for the massive pain in the ass and the expense involved (and it likely won’t be).
Alternatively, look for old clothes irons at swap meets, with no safety features . . . .
There is some sort of protective finish over the stain on the cabinets. Since it is a 60’s kitchen it is almost certainly an oil based finish. In addition to Dutchman’s advice, start with a primer, but make sure that it is a primer that will work on top of an oil based finish AND will work with whatever paint you choose or your paint may just peel off in sheets. Paint the cabinets white, as everyone is saying white is in and it makes the kitchen look bigger. If the backs of the doors and the insides of the cabinets are a dark color you should paint them, too. Whatever you do to the countertop go a little darker for contrast. I think stainless steel appliances are still in. If you replace the appliances get the same brand and model line so they match. It’s worth the couple extra thousand $ to get middle to higher end ones so they look fancy. Depending on what the floor looks like you should consider having it redone, too, or if it’s not too bad consider some strategically placed area rugs.
My other thought was to up the price about $10,000 and offer $10,000 or $15,000 back towards redoing the kitchen so they can do it in their own style. People like getting a deal and doing it this way at least partially offsets the negative of the current kitchen with the image of a new kitchen, where just reducing the price does not. The problem with this is that there are web sites available that list the price history for each property so you can’t raise the price without people being aware that you have done so.
I could do the job myself but it’s definitely not my favorite kind of work.
It is A LOT of work. You’ll need to sand everything at least lightly to break any gloss and to remove any remnants of greese. Actually starting with a good wash with TSP (NOT the phosphate free variety) and a rinse. Label everything! Lower cabinets and drawers on the bottom edges upper cabinet doors on top edge. After sanding use tack cloths to remove dust before finishing.
I can’t say whether paint or stain would be better. Any grease or oil that penetrated deeply will make stain go on uneven and look like shit. Paint, if done just right will look good but if done poorly it will look dated.
Good luck!
Well Stucky, after you read all these comments, get your gun out and end it all.
CABINETS:
If you decide to finish existing cabinets, after cleaning and sanding, use KILZ oil-based stain blocker. Then you can paint.
IMO, fuck all that time-consuming and labor intensive shit, and I’m a person that has gone thru shitloads of interior work on many homes. A cousin has bought some fix-er-up homes for resale in the last few years and has put new, white, contractor grade cabinets in each of the homes – looks greats. Measure each of your existing cabinets, go to big box store, sit down with an associate and get a quote on matl. Then, if you are still sane, ask for a contractor estimate to install.
COUNTERTOP:
Same thinking as cabinets. Go to big box store, select a new formica top, sit down with an associate, arrange for store guy to come out and take measurements. Ensure you have a real nice looking kerf on the front edge. I have seen some of these tops look exceptional. Install a new sink and faucet at same time, and go with an undermount sink (it will help sell the kitchen). I’d tell you what faucet to get but I don’t know the Brand/Model. I’ve seen UGLY faucets on up-scale new kitchens – just don’t understand.
The big-box will set you up with contractor.
Get it done as fast as possible and YOU don’t need or have the time to go thru all the laborious work.
And that vid refinishing the existing countertop is a fucking joke.
HSF is right – do not touch it yourself. You will fuck it up.
Hire a painter to come in and paint the walls and the cabinets in enamel. You are not a good enough painter to paint enamel. I believe you can get counter overlays pretty cheap that simply lay over the existing counters. They install fast.
Good luck.
This is good advice. It is cheap and easy and will freshen things up. On the other hand a good insurance policy and a blow torch are pretty handy too.
Looking at your kitchen and wanting to get the best “bang for the buck” I would:
Leave the cabinets themselves alone and my preference would be to not even screw with the face frames if possible, unless you absolutely have to don’t mess with them.
That means that whatever you do with the doors and drawer fronts it need to stay consistent with the existing finish.
The cabinet doors and drawer fronts I would say you have three options:
1 refinish them yourself
2 have someone refinish them
3 replace the doors and drawer fronts. There are companies that do nothing but cabinet doors and drawer fronts. Again it you match the existing finish you don’t need to touch the cabinets themselves.
Replace all cabinet hardware.
Counter tops. What I would do in your kitchen is go with Granite tiles. They come in 12x12in sq and are about 3/8 in thick. Set them with the minimum grout width and use unsanded grout. As for the front edge of the counter top you can either pay someone to ‘bullnose’ the tiles for that front edge or do a wood strip along that front edge that matches the cabinet finish.
You could do the tile work yourself, you would need to rent a tile saw.
I would use the same Granite tiles on both the counter top and backsplash or you could do a coordinating tile on the back splash.
Example of 12×12 granite tiles
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Asig, My counters are 2 feet wide. I chose 6 inch squares to keep the tile cutting to a minimum. The final look is similar to your pic above, I got rid of the bullnose tile and put the 2×6 pieces on the edges. My wife had the idea that she wanted shiny tile like granite or marble but we found some sand colored ceramic tile with splashes of yellow and green that gave it a more interesting look. Since it had a sandy feel instead of a polished surface, I sealed it and a year later, no stains in the tile or grout, something that granite can get. The colors give me the option of green or yellow or light brown colors in the kitchen.
http://www.artisticstoneinc.com/blog/page/3/
An alternative to the Rust-oleum product for countertops:
If you want to paint the cabinets:
Instead of spending the money for a kitchen remodel and offer about half of it as an allowance to the buyers so they can update the kitchen to their liking.
Stucky, a whole bunch of terrible advice here. Your house isn’t selling because your agent has convinced you it’s worth more than it is. Drop the price 20 grand. See if you get any offers in 90 days. If not, drop it 20 grand more for another 90 days. Repeat until you find a buyer. That’s how you sell a house. Not putting fucking flowers on the table and baking cookies. The idea is to find the price point where someone wants to buy your house.
These replies are a sad testament to the invasive power of HGTV.
I *like* 60’s kitchens. I like flamingo pink formica, the kind with the steel band around the edge, yes? Those were great and they last forever. I’d be pissed to buy a house with some shit pintrest remodeled kitchen to discover the previous original had been torn out and a cheap Home Depot replacement complete with faux granite counter top had been installed. A pox on that trend.
Don’t do it. If the cupboards are grubby you can paint them. All original features in good condition should be kept. Especially if it has a nice old stove -pink- in good working order, love those.
I also love the old bathrooms with green/blue/pink porcelain matching tub, toilet, and sink. Amazing. I cry every time I see people on TV rip those out and \update\ with some cheap and unfitting ‘spa-like’ remodel that sucks.
Paint the stuff that needs painting, clean the stuff that needs cleaning, declutter.
If the buyer wants to ruin the house after they buy it it’s their business.
I liked most of your comment except for that almost religious mantra – declutter. Yes decluttering is good but people can go too far. Take a look at the pics, what more would you have Stuck throw out? The place looks barren enough already.
Stucky
Last year due to a water leak under the dishwasher, I had to replace cabinets and floor. Since I was working with a 62 year old kitchen, it only made sense to change out the sink/faucet and replace the formica counter, which I have hated since day 1.
Homeowners insurance helped, but it only partially covered the cost of the cabinets and the floor. I have a small galley kitchen 8×14, and the total bill was almost $15,000 with low-end semi-custom cabinets and another (but pretty ) formica counter from Home Depot, sheet flooring, moving the microwave to above the stove (uh-oh new wiring), etc. I can guarantee you that if you start taking your kitchen apart, you will uncover problems that at this moment you are blissfully unaware of. Also, if you try to go the stock cabinets route, you will find measurement issues with what you currently have.
In my past lives I have sanded and painted cabinets twice. It’s doable but a shitload of work.
Potential buyers may look at your kitchen and think, “This HAS be remodeled,” and dollar signs dance around their brain. The cosmetic approach is probably your best bet, but I think a new nice countertop would be a good investment. Formica and Wilsonart have come a long way, no matter what HSF says!
The beautiful blonde had a flood from a busted bathroom hose, one of those cheap metal hoses that had a kink in it and she never thought much about. The repair guy told her if she had let the water run more, she could have gotten more stuff replaced free. She got a bathroom cabinet, carpet, wall paint. Then she splurged and had them replace her kitchen tile, kitchen lights, had the whole house painted and likely had the cabinets resurfaced.
The insurance company would have paid for other accommodations if the kitchen had not been usable. So she had to live in her house as it was under construction. This went on for more than a couple of weeks as originally estimated, more like a couple of months.
Some of the comments may be helpful to you. I am with a couple
of the ideas: Clean the cabinets and drawers with your favorite wood cleaner. Install updated hardware…$200.00 or so. Declutter
drastically. Box stuff up. Offer 15K back so the buyer can update
the kitchen to their liking. Or, drop the price by 20K. The paint
and/or refinish work will be a killer. A new formica counter top
in cream color will be drastic enough to have installed, and adding
new hardware will make a big change also.
Your house hasn’t sold because it is priced too high. You want
a sale, not grueling projects.
good luck! Suzanna
I am liking the comments suggesting that you lower the price until it sells. Any kind of remodeling project is a pain in the butt, and in your location it might just be money down the drain. Let the new owners decide what they want to fix up. I am guessing that even if you drastically reduce your asking price you will still walk away with enough to relocate in a less expensive area.
I’ve built a few houses and lived in them long enough to avoid capital gains taxes a few times. I have learned that it is impossible to know what your ultimate buyer is looking for in a home and one can drive themselves crazy trying to speculate.
Don’t spend any money. Your house is what it is. I realize you weren’t seriously considering spending $10,000 on cabinets but I believe dropping your price $10,000 would do a lot more to sell your house. Starfcker is right. Drop the price till it sells. That is how much your house is worth whether you agree or not.
Also, open houses are a waste of time.
And don’t sweat the small stuff when cleaning up before a viewing. A buyer can spot a polished turd.
I may seem overly critical in going through every room and pointing out things but they are minor things and not suggestions to drop the price or do a complete remodel. More like matching paint or relocating lamps, removing old curtains, ditching old and mismatched pieces of furniture.
Oh, and you might want to move that fridge. There is no law that says it has to be in the nook the builder made for it, I’d suggest moving it next to the window and fill the nook with something else, a cart or whatever. The point is to balance a kitchen where the fridge appears to be outside the triangle.
I googled ‘narrow dining room’ and found a beautiful room that looks like yours in a different color scheme.
Do you want me to have my Mennonite connections give me names of good people in your area?
My kitchen, hardwood cabinets of solid maple and granite countertops and island cost $7,800.
Period.
They take a bit more time because they mill their own lumber or purchase from trusted millers and they truly “measure twice cut once” but they cannot be beat.
My builders brought their charming daughter to help when they installed the doors!
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I should take a new photo… the backsplash is finished and I have my Lladros up above the stove. It is a neat little cooking area now.
Oh, this is about STUCKY’s cabinets. Oops.
Cute girl, any chance she is daughter in law material?
Stuck hires it done:
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Stuck does it himself:
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The “hires it done” image doesn’t show up.
I like the “does it himself” look actually. Clean it up to within an inch of it’s life, install a few more shelves and I’m set! A house is basically for eatin’ shittin’ showerin’ and sleepin’. A nice workshop takes care of the rest!
I’d rather have that than some shiny stainless/granite mortuary.
Nice stove BTW.
We had a lot of fun that day… I took her for a ride on the quadrunner.
Well, you get the idea.
Stuck, I’m a painting contractor.
If you want a quick and easy change just paint the cabinet doors, leave the cabinets themselves alone.
Remove the handles, sand by hand or random orbit sander, wash with Wil-Bond or any liquid sandpaper, prime with any waterborne primer your local Sherwin Williams store recommends, then follow with two coats of any waterborne semigloss. The new waterborne (latex) paints are awesome.
Paint them white, use the same hinges if you want and change the handles if you want, odds are the new owner will change anyway so don’t go expensive.
As far as the counter tops, you can paint them but that’s tricky, XIM primer and Urethane is recommended and that is not for the amateur. We can apply a cementitious coating and custom color that, but why do that when the new owner may not like it anyway?
It’s funny, my daughter and son in law spent thousands on new carpet and other changes when they sold, just to be told the new owner is going to rip out everything installed anyway to change.
It’s a freaking racket as the same carpet installer worked with the realtor and got two jobs out of one house, again and again and again…..and I’m sure your realtor “knows” somebody who can do the work.
Stucky,
I agree alot of good people here…all wanting to help you. Thats cool! Some advice…not so cool.
First, what is the value of the home? What have the homes around you sold for and where is your price in comparison to them? You don’t have to answer, but THIS is where you start. Will your buyer expect a refinished kitchen or will they accept “dated”. You are competing with the current homes for sale, how does your home stack up against them?
All of the people who say don’t put a dime into it and lower the price, are wrong. These are the same posters that will remind us of how stupid the Kardashians (sp) watching dumb masses are…but here they expect these same people to look past your getto kitchen. 😉 Point being, return on your investment can be in the form of cash return and/or faster selling time. Kitchens and bathrooms do sell houses, and I have sold many, without a realtor. Painting the cabinets white, by a professional (craigslist a source in your area maybe) shouldn’t cost too much. New hardware, like others stated, does wonders.
Check with Home Depot or Lowes, I had them do a resurface with current marble looking laminate in a galley kitchen for about $400. My guess is you’ll probably spend about $900 – 1200 total for the kitchen update…which will be a good investment of both time and money. Other advice is to hire a stripper to sell it as a bachelor pad. Might not work, but it would be fun to hear how the Ms. liked the idea from here.
Clear out all personal crap, photos, clutter too.
Best of luck,
Alex
Drop the price, throw it out there that you will kick back 10k to redo the kitchen, as others have suggested. There are already signs of the real estate market starting to crack. If you are positive equity in the house, just take the hit and be rid of it. I think you said its listed for 400k or so? If the market drops 10%, you are going to feel pretty stupid for not dropping the price 20k or so. If your goal is to sell the place and get the fuck out of new jersey, just bite the bullet and do it.
Stucky, some random thoughts:
Has your realtor shown you listings of comparable properties (similar neighborhood, sq/ft, age of home, etc)? That should give you an indication if your home is priced right.
If you have a home that is sorta – an inexpensive, starter home, the people who purchase it – can’t afford $10k to remodel the kitchen – but they can afford it, if it’s wrapped into the mortgage. So if you do remodel the kitchen, it might be a plus. Then it can sell for the asking price.
There is a lot of good advice given here. If you want to invest $10k, and a month’s worth of work: Paint the cabinets, new pulls, either new counter tops, or tile with granite tile ( it’s so easy to tile over Formica – maybe a days labor) , buy same brand appliances and hood, put down an interlocking wood / faux wood floor, new stainless steel sink and faucet. This is mainly cosmetic.
Think of it this way: You lived in the home for a long time, and you did shit – nada – nothing. Now you’re going to have to pay – one way 0r the other.
If I wasn’t in Minneapolis, I’d come over and give you a hand.
If you have a larger room on 1st floor and it could use a fresh coat of paint, I strongly recommend: 2 adjoining walls = white and the other 2 walls = Coral from Sherwin Williams.
It will impress the prospects.
Wow, ol’ Stuck can really pull in the comments.
I appreciate this article or QOTD, I got a lot of ideas because I have some cabinets to resurface or paint, idk yet.
Last year, I proposed to install mini blinds in the kitchen window. The wife wanted a new counter and sink. So the blinds got ditched and we went to look for supplies. I have done floor tile but I never did a counter. I watched several videos. What seemed like an easy project turned into a two week adventure. I found out how handy an electric demolition drill is. I set up the patio table indoors and used several buckets to give my wife a way to wash dishes. I measured and dropped the sink in the tight opening several times on different days. I drilled the nail holes in the cement board because I did not want to use the square head screws or hammer in a nail and bend it. I used a $50 half gallon of sealant. I had gotten a new one-hole sink so I went for the new disposal. My son in law installed the heavy disposal and helped out a lot with the plumbing work under the sink.
You know what the payback is? I get to watch my wife give the grandson his afternoon splash-time in that big sink. It made all that work worth it.
Fuck those bastards that want you to change all the shit for them. Find a buyer who appreciates a challenge. Shit, if somebody came to my house and said, ‘you’ll have to change the floor tile and sink and cabinets’, I’d pull a gun and give them 30 seconds to get out of my house and 20 seconds just went by.
Look, my niece married a white boy. They had lived with my wife’s sister until they saved the $40K down payment for an old house. Her husband ripped out walls and remodeled the entire place, my wife said it was totally different from the house they originally bought.
What is wrong with Jersey kids?
EC,
Methinks Joisey niños don’ know noethin’.
But, hey, whadda I know?
Guerrero was a nice experience once or twice.
WOW!! My friends, … no, MY FRIENDS …. you guys really came through, as I knew you would! I’m almost tempted to thank each one individually but, I won’t. You should see all the notes I took just trying to keep all this stuff straight. And believe me, I considered each and every post.
Special shout out to hardscrabble farmer …. who FINALLY made a funny post that made me laugh out loud. Desiccated Stucky tissue laying around. Really!!!
OK …. here’s the deal.
First of all, fyi, …. the link below is a picture of the kitchen (and more of the rest of the house).
Stucky’s kitchen —- http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/2125-Meadowview-Rd_Scotch-Plains_NJ_07076_M69668-16874#photo7
You can see the pinkish Formica (or whatever it is, I really don’t know). You can NOT see the wear and tear on the cabinet doors.
Every comp we’ve had since last year — and we’ve had many — have come in around $448k, give or take $2k. We lowered the price to $438.5 and can’t go much lower than that without having to bring money to the table. That’s not the lowest price for similar houses in this area, but it’s close.
The elderly person Ms Freud bought the house from (well before I showed up at the door) is the one who didn’t do shit in the past 25 years. It was it rough shape. She hired out a lot of work, and I’ve done quite a bit in the last 9 years. Actually, my dad was a professional painter at one point (trained in Germany) and, he taught me a lot. I do decent work in that area. Anyway … we MIGHT drop it to $435k, and that’s it.
Our realtor — who is starting to really piss me off — said that offering “X” amount of dollars to remodel the kitchen is generally ineffective because at this price people DON’T want to fuck around with a project, regardless of who does the work. They just want to “move-in-and-be-done”. I think he’s right.
SO …. HERE”S WHAT I THINK I WILL DO;
Counter-top Bottom line … I decided to NOT to fuck with it. Either I find a cheap solution around $1k (we have about 30 sq ft of counter space) or it stays pink.
1. I really like the idea presented by 3rd Generation — getting a remnant from a granite place. I’ll be going to a few quarries by the end of the week.
2. Gayle mentioned Wilsonart. I went to their webpage. The stuff looks pretty damned nice!!
—————————
About that Rustoleum Countertop stuff. Wow. The negative reviews I read on Amazon were brutal. Also, based on comments here, that stuff is hard to work with … and I know I don’t have the skills for it. Finally, I thought to myself … do I REALLY want PAINT on the counter-top where I prepare food? I don’t care how chip-resistant or durable they say it is — the answer is “NO!”. Thanks for scaring me away from that. Really.
I also liked the granite tile pic posted by ASIG. But, after reading this article, it seems the product is less expensive than a full slab … but the installation seems to be a nightmare … even for a pro. Think I’ll pass. http://www.silive.com/homegarden/homeimprovement/index.ssf/2010/12/granite_tile_countertop_is_che.html
I would say only about 25%, or less, of our lookers actually stated their desire for granite. Granite is a funny thing … it’s the “in thing” for now … but there’s no guarantee it’ll be as silly as Formica some day.
The cabinets ………….
Vodka’s comment stuck with me … “a great finish does not come out of a can”.
I decided to do the doors and drawers only. The base wood is just fine. Gonna strip it down to the wood, and then restain with a darker (or, lighter?) shade than the base. I figure 7-10 days should do the trick.
Again, a bazillion thanks to one and all for your advice.
Thanks for the listing Stuck, that helps.
The price history of this house is…..interesting…..
Property taxes nearly $1,000 a month? :-O
http://www.zillow.com/homes/2125-Meadowview-RD-Scotch-Plains-NJ-07076_rb/?fromHomePage=true&shouldFireSellPageImplicitClaimGA=false
I think the other posters have a better suggestion to reduce the price to what the market will pay + 1k a month in taxes. The condition of the house looks good, the kitchen was probably renovated in the 1980’s so any of the original kitchen charm has long since been removed.
The outside is cute.
Get rid of the mausoleum drapes in the living room. Makes it look like a funeral parlor.
Cross your fingers and hope for the best. A house that probably cost $40,000 in 1950 may be hard to move for 10 times that amount in 2016.
I hope it works out for you.
1 Grand a month in Taxes! Holy crap that is a lot of money to be pissing away on Baby Mommas, Hood Rats and their EBT’s. Our house is worth 170000, we pay about 1500 a year and I still think we pay too much.
“Get rid of the mausoleum drapes in the living room. Makes it look like a funeral parlor.”
Awesome, man! REALLY.
For some reason, Ms Freud really likes it. We had identical drapes in the dining room leading to the deck. I was finally able to convince her to let me tear those down. It’s not the first time we heard that. I’m showing her your post when she gets home today. Crossing my fingers that your comment sinks the U.S.S. Mausoleum!
The taxes are actually just a few dollars shy of $1,100/mo.
The prices are what they are in this town. The house bordering out back yard …. a TWO bedroom ranch in terribly poor almost falling down condition sold for $300k last year. (The buyer gutted it, extended it, and added a 2nd floor …. a Mcmansion that now takes up just about the entire back yard that should be done by this fall …. when he will list it in the low $800s.
Stucky, the granite tile countertops are easier than you might think. The upside is you can screw cement backer board directly to what you have (remove sink first) use ready made thin set, a bag of spacers and a cheap tile saw (you can rent) and you’re almost home! Grouting it is the part I hate but it’s easy enough.
Wilsonart is a great product. We use it for building telescopes that get bounced around in the backs of trucks. It takes plenty of abuse no problem! It can be a bit tricky to apply but not impossible. I have a stack of old window blind slats I lay out on the glued surface, place the Wilsonart on top of the slats in final position then start pulling slats from the center out working it down with a j roller. Use a small router with a straight cutting bit to cut the sink opening, do the edges (the tricky bit) and you’re done!
I think you’ve got the right idea though……wham, bam, thank you mam! I agree with losing the drapes in the dining room like stanley suggests. A day/night shade or some sheer curtains would be nice.
Wow! Your property taxes are double my mortgage payment!
Man I must be out of loop style wise because there is nothing wrong with that Kitchen. In my opinion anyways. My house was built in 1966. Is much the same size. All that is missing is a garage give or take 300 Grand. We bought it in 2006. Funny thing is Kitchen was updated in 2004 and my wife hates it. Keeps talking about replacing it with something else. Oak cabinets excepting it is pretty much the same size as yours. Why paint those cupboards. They look fine to my eye. But the price wow. I should move to Jersey and start a new Levitttown. never too late to find my inner Trump.
That aside I think your plan Stucky with the change in colours should spruce er up quite a bit.
You should post an after picture. Be interested in seeing how it turns out.
What I noticed about your kitchen (which really looks OK to me) is that there is no contrast – the cabinets / white appliances / light counter top / light floor – it is bland. There is no focus. Nothing jumps out.
Maybe an ‘designer’ could give you some advice on how to ‘spruce it up’ without a lot of money / time.
Stuck – nice house. Kitchen is the weak spot. Nothing wrong – just dated. Stainless appliances, etc., would be needed to really change it. Even $11k without new appliances would be wasted.
You are on the right track. Again, look to see if you can find overlays if the pink is an issue. Not costly. I would not toss good money at it. Someone will eventually want it. Good luck.
Rip out all the cabinets, sink, etc. Im pretty sure your good at tearing shit up.
Tell the prospective buyer you did the hard part costing you 10k and now they can remodel it as they want but there was a death in the family and you werent able to finish. Do a Glen Beck and put a little Vapo-Rub under each eye when they arent looking.
Oh and hide that Dinosaur you drive before they show up.
Done and Done.
PS
Get rid of the pink flamingos and folding lawn chairs out front.
Yer welcome.
Llpoh —- The dishwasher, microwave, and fridge — although inexpensive, have all been replaced in the past two years. Stainless appliance are out of the question. However, I’ll be looking into costs of getting a stainless sink. We’re going to a store nearby this afternoon which sells Wilsonart ….. it looks to cost about $20 – $30 per sq ft, installed. That makes it under $1k and, so, is doable. Again, they have really nice looking stuff.
Rob —- Ever look at a used car online, looks all shiny and perfect …. then you get there and you see all kinds of scratches and imperfections. The cabinets are like that. Nice pics … but not so nice in person. Trust me, I wouldn’t go through all this crappy-ola if it were not so. 🙂
Touché.
You will have to post pictures up close before and after then. Be interested in seeing how it turns out. Maybe I can convince my wife to paint cupboards in our house instead of replacing. They only have varathane on them now.
Over 400 large and a 1000 a month shakedown by thugs at city hall. Wow! I am glad to live here.
Or you could just lower your asking price !!! Save yourself all that trouble and expense .
El Coyote — who said he’s thinking about redoing his cabinets.
I found this late last night …. Gel Stain. Gonna do some more research, but it sounds very promising … for these reasons;
How does gel stain compare to traditional wood stains?
Gel stain is applied to the surface of the wood but not rubbed-in like traditional stains; the application is more comparable to painting on multiple thin layers.
The gel stain is thick like pudding, not a liquid.
While gel stain does go on thick and sit on the surface of the wood, I found that you can still see and feel the natural wood grain beneath, unlike paint. With the oak cabinets, the grain was very evident post-staining.
Gel stain will not require you to sand the product to a raw wood finish. It can be applied over only lightly sanded pieces just as well.
The condition of the wood does not play as big of a role in the finished result of the gel stain – the knots in your knotty pines will look less pronounced when the job is done.
I found gel stain to be more forgiving; because you will need to do multiple coats, you can even out the finish over time.
Because gel stain is thicker, it can be used for more creative applications too, like for painting a faux wood grain.
Transformations
Cabinet Transformations® Wood Refinishing System by rustoleum
http://www.rustoleum.com/product-catalog/consumer-brands/transformations/cabinet-transformations-wood-refinishing-system/
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/kitchen/
Inexpensive modern looking kitchen systems, some assembly required, we use them to freshen kitchens for house flips. Nicer than pre made at big box stores like home dump and Blowes.