Then we gutted both kitchens and rebuilt them with new cabinets, top of the line kitchen hardware, stainless steel appliances and recessed lighting.

We also painted the kitchen cabinets and upgraded the hardware.

Not sure how much you understand so this might be extra but you dont need to be a contractor however you DO need to understand a few basics of  physical property 101  helps  in knowing who to hire and also what to look for in terms of damage or issues-  a house can be divided in three parts... the bones/structure, the guts/mechanical (behind the wall stuff that you see during the "rough-in phase" of construction),and the face or skin/cosmetic aspects (stuff in front of the wall - cabinets, paint, light fixtures, faucet fixtures, flooring etc). 

We made space for a laundry closet which opened the kitchen up for more cabinets.

Renovations such as the following: cabinet paint, vinyl flooring, paint, removed popcorn ceiling and replaced with drop down, new baseboards, etc.

I do HVAC/Plumbing - cabinet installs and flooring. 

Spacious kitchen with plenty of cabinet and counter space with tile back splash.

(They either didn't have much cabinet/counter space, or they had to get up from the table every time somebody walked to the refrigerator or sink.)

The cabinets are destroyed from how they lived, the bathroom vanity is destroyed.

Refurbished cabinets white with new hardware.