Should we paint or just ask for lower asking price?

Question

Hi guys,

I am in need of help with my decision as to paint my kitchen cabinets or not. Would y’all be willing to look at this photo and give your opinions?

I don’t want to hire a painter to do this. The quotes I got are outrageous! Also, should I paint the inside as well? They are just raw press board now.

Theresa Harris · Answer

Why do you want to paint them?  It is hard to tell from the photo, but they look fine.  I'd add hardware and throw down a small rug (with antiskid mat under it).  I'd also try washing the cabinets and if they are wood, use rejuvenate.

Corby Goade · Answer

You get what you pay for. Painting cabinets is not like painting a room. There is far more prep, detail and care that goes in to doing a decent job and it's super time consuming. If someone quoted me $1500 to paint cabinets, I'd run the other direction.

I've seen lots of DIY cabinet jobs that are awful too- wrong paint, no prep in the interest of saving a few bucks. The paint rubs off, turns brown, you can't clean it without rubbing it off, etc.

If you want to paint them, hire a pro and pay them a reasonable rate- it's usually at least $3K to do it right, or just leave them.

Juliette Olsen · Answer

We just did this— it’s a lot of work but we are happy with the final product.

We only lightly sanded/roughed surface of cabinets after a thorough cleaning and time to dry, then we primed with a water base heavy duty primer (we used 1-2-3) and got Enamel Sherwin Williams paint (like $100+ gal). We used roller for primer and sprayer for the top coat…and they turned out beautifully after one coat. It was a messy job. But I really love the results.painting cabinets I think can be very subjective and it can depend on the comps in the area your comparing your property. we also started from the ceiling and move down with this refresh— painted the ceiling and installed new light fixtures to Brighten the space—and sometimes that’s enough to “refresh” a space but in our case we wanted to move forward with painting the cabinets from the orangey oak.

before

after

Alecia Loveless · Answer

@Lisa Rechsteiner The prep work alone to me makes painting cabinets myself be out of the question.

If you want them painted and to look good hire a pro.

We sand down all our cabinets prior to painting. It’s a huge job.

They look fine to me as is.

Chris Seveney · Answer

@Lisa Rechsteiner

Leave as is.

Sergio A. Chucaralao · Answer

If that was my case, I would first look at the comps. Also I would check the return on investment, if you were to make those improvements. It is all about if it will helps the sale, in price or time it will sit on the market  which it ultimately comes down to money because of holding costs.  I hope this helps! Happy investing!.

Allan C. · Answer

@Lisa Rechsteiner I wouldn’t even add hardware. Hardware is a personal preference and you’ll likely turn off some people with your choice. It’s best to just leave everything as is and let the buyer decide how they want to upgrade. I’m saying this because the entire kitchen looks tired, and cosmetic fixes can only do so much.

Lisa Rechsteiner · Answer

Thanks guys for your input. It really helps. With those comments in mind it almost makes sense to wash the cabinets and add hardware. The prepping sounds like a nightmare!!

Robert B. · Answer

I would not paint..let it ride.

Should we paint or just ask for lower asking price?

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