replace or reface laminate cabinets for a rental?

Question

I had a topic earlier on rehabbing my kitchen what type of materials to use for flooring, counter tops etc.  If anyone missed the picture of the kitchen I posted it. I have laminate cabinets in my house, they been there since the house has been built. Some of it is peeling off, drawers can't even hold in. I'm getting reality of cost now. I just went to lowes, giving me a quote for furnished cabinets around $3,400 or just basic unfurnished cabinets $1,200. That is just cabinets. Granite tops quoted me for $1,300 including installment. As for laminated tops $500-600. This is DIY myself cost without labor.

Since I have so many other projects on my house. I figured can I just rip off the laminate, replace the doors and put some facing to give it a stain, professional look? Put a other counter top on my old one or just paint it really nice? Than burning a hole through my wallet when I'm going to turn into a rental anyways? Judging by the looks of this kitchen, just replace it or reface it?

Thomas S. · Answer

Patch, paint, repair drawers and install laminate counter tops.

HD sells a cabinet quality paint I have used on a couple of kitchens that does a really nice  job with brush and roller. Go with white.

Jeff Wallace · Answer

@Nate S.

locally we have a small cabinet builder who has started specializing in building only doors - He stays VERY busy - if you have a decent priced replacement door available (you will not be able to get these from Lowe's) I would pull the doors, pull the laminate from the cabinet boxes and replace the doors with a modern flat panel or shaker/mission style door ... then paint EVERYTHING cabinets/doors/ and even the current laminate countertop - we use a commercial grade paint vendor that paints a product that looks like stone and it is pretty durable - unless your tenant sets a hot pot on it

Brian Pulaski · Answer

I have done some real wood veneer work (boating application, not residential). Although not rocket science, it was definately something you could mess up. They sell veneers with an adhesive backing already on them which helps. You will save money over new, but to buy new doors (you won't be able to veneer over the detail on those doors or the crown) veneer all the cabinets, buy new crown, stain it all and then a bunch of coats of polyurethane, you will have quite a bit of labor into them. Personally, I would leave the doors, fix the drawers, sand them well, prime and paint. Less work than the veneer, and easier to fix if a tenant causes an issue.

Nate S. · Answer

I did some research, I could rip off the laminate on the cabinets and put on Veneer, get rid of that laminate look. Stain the Vaneer, to make it look really nice. Hopefully that is cost effective, just replace all the doors and fix the sliding so the drawers can be functional. Bring it up on a modern look. Has anyone done this before? without replacing all the cabinets.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSNeBwBYhNM

I got a other quote to have it repainted, $1k. I might as well buy the unfurnished cabinets for for $1,200 with a laminate counter top for $500, I just don't want to replacing the laminate counter every time. I'm really thinking of doing the Vaneer cover over the cabinets since I'm going to turn it into a rental.

Jim Adrian · Answer

@Nate S.

A kitchen can make or break you.   If you went high everywhere else and cheap here it will so.    I would go plastic laminate counter tops and get a good High Def granite image.   Fix the drawers so they are functional.  You could add new modern hardware to dress up the cabinets.  You could paint or do an 1/8" oak plywould overlay on the cabinets and stain.  Then get new drawer fronts and stain to match.  This would be better than painting and would hold up longer.  I would tile the backsplash area to give you the extra wow factor.   Im assuming you are preplacing the appliances.   Go black or stainless.   Not a fan of white appliances or cabinets but personal preference.

Ritch Bonisa · Answer

Cheap, clean, neat, brighter colors!

Bob Okenwa · Answer

@Nate S.

Reface it if the market calls for it. A rental shouldn't be treated with as much design care as a flip. Most rental tenants will not pay you any extra rent for granite tops and high-end cabinetry unless you live in a high-end, high-rent part of town with luxury rentals nearby. As long as the frames are in decent shape, I'd reface them and go with the laminate counters. Before I owned my own home, I didn't care what the cabinets or counters were made of because ultimately they weren't mine. As long as they held my pots and pans and gave me a surface to prep food on, I was happy.

replace or reface laminate cabinets for a rental?

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