Flip home kitchen...complete gut or just replace doors?

[Leah Roberts]

Hello,

My husband and I are about to close on our first flip in NC. We have all of our contractors and work lined up to start when we close March 4th. We are a little hung up on the kitchen. The home was built in the 70's and the cabinets are definitely original. The boxes seem pretty sturdy and one option is just replace the doors and drawers. I have priced out shaker mdf paintable doors and drawers with concealed hinges for $700. I also priced out new expresso shaker cabinets from a local supplier which would obviously be beautiful once installed. They come to $2790, which includes adding a cabinet above the fridge, a lazy Susan corner cabinet, a pullout trashcan, 42" uppers and all trim pieces. Either way we are doing granite countertops. I've priced out cabinets on a couple of websites and none of them come out as cheap as the local supplier. That price does not include installation and they come in flat packs. They are plywood boxes with solid wood fronts. There is room in the budget to add the new cabinets, but I would like advice whether or not it's worth the extra $2100 to replace them. My husband would be the one to install them. Thanks in advance!

[Jake Thomas]

What is the price point of this house? If it is higher end and the competition has newer updated kitchens then I would go the whole new route. If this is a sub $150K property I might just put a new coat of paint on the cabinets, change the counter top and add a back splash to bring it all together. I don't know your market but don't over rehab. Plus, committing to a kitchen gut job isn't as easy as just putting up new cabinets sometimes.