Refurbishing Cabinets 101

Most Realtors® will tell you that the kitchen is the heart of the home and can make or break a sale for some buyers.  If your kitchen is old and drab you may have decided to update the appliances for that new kitchen look, but what about the cabinets?  If replacing the cabinets is not in your home improvement budget, there is the option of refinishing or painting the existing ones, adding new hardware, and revealing a new fresh kitchen to potential buyers.  But how do you begin?

Well, according to some experts at the local home improvement stores there are some basic items you will need along with a spare weekend.  They include:

• Drill for installing new hardware
• Permanent marker
• 220-grit sandpaper
• Quality latex bonding primer
• Spare rags
• Flush spackling compound
• Paint. Ask for recommendations from an expert at the paint store.  They can find you just the right product that will stand up to kitchen chaos.

Once you have your necessary tools and products the first step is to remove the doors from the cabinets, and then remove the hinges and door hardware from the doors. It is best to put a number on the top of each cabinet using a marker, and then make a map of the cabinets matching the number of the door to its exact location. If you need to drill new holes that fit the new hardware you have chosen, fill the existing hole with flush spackling compound.

Here are the next steps that will take you to an amazing finished kitchen:

1. Sand the entire surface of the cabinet doors and frames, and then remove the dust with a damp rag.
2. Prime the front of each door. Remember to drag your finger along the bottom of the door to remove any paint that has crept underneath. Once the front dries, prime the back. Sand the doors lightly to smooth out the surface. Do the same process for the framework of the cabinets.
3. Painting time! Paint from the inside out in the same manner as above. Let dry completely, no rushing the process! Flip the doors to repeat on the other side. Apply another coat, allowing it to dry completely between coats. Be careful when painting the framework and cover all floors and counter tops that could get drips on them.
4. Once the doors and framework is dry, reinstall the hardware or install the new hardware and hang each door according to its number.

Though the project has a little sweat equity, it is also a very affordable way to update those old cabinets and make the most important room of your house grab buyers’ attention. There are also products on the market to refurbish old counter tops and make them look much more expensive and impressive to the eye.  Combine with new appliances and this weekend project can appear to be a renovation with a pricetag ten times more than what it actually costs you. This adds value to the home as well as helps you appeal to buyers and sell quicker.

original image courtesy of alleus