Bang for Your Buck Experts Discuss the Best and Worst in Remodeling Investments and Home Staging

Best thing to do:
Monica: Reface or replace worn kitchen cabinets.
Elizabeth: Yes and no. Reface or paint old cabinets for sure. However, replacing can cost thousands of dollars.

Worst thing to do:
Monica: Repainting unsalvageable cabinetry to save money. A new coat of paint can only go so far. Elizabeth and I disagree on this one. There is an abundance of affordable cabinetry out there for someone who is willing to get their hands dirty in order to get a return on this investment. The hunt is half the fun.
Elizabeth: Older cabinets are most often solid maple or oak. If you have to, replace only the doors or have a carpenter add a trim frame to the outside then caulk and paint the cabinets. It will cost hundreds verses thousands of dollars.