I think the best bet for selling is always to go neutral. I'm not a realtor but I've had enough friends sell recently and that is the advice they got. Arctic white is very popular right now. If it were me, I'd probably go with a very neutral beige or linen color on the walls then dove or arctic white on the cabinets. If you are painting cabinets anyhow, you might want to consider moving the hardware placement on the doors/drawers for no cost but updated look, unless of course you are not comfortable drilling and spackling. I know tiles can also be glazed back to all white without the added cost of a rip/replace but I'm not sure how much the glazing costs. It could really have a big impact on the overall look of the entire space.

I think with clear counters, maybe some fresh flowers and baked cookies out on the counter you are sure to find a lucky homebuyer for this great space!

One suggestion if you are planning to paint the cabinets. Take the knobs off and place them at the bottom corners of the top cabinets. Top corners of the bottom cabinets.

Yes, I think neutral is probably the better way to go. I keep getting stuck on those green tiles, and I've heard too many horror stories about failed attempts to change tile colors, I think I'll leave them green. I suspect any buyer will immediately want to tear out the kitchen, so I just really want to make it presentable, for the least amount of money. The cabinets were painted 10 years ago, and are very scuffed and chipped, I have tried to touch them up, but the original color has yellowed, and I just can't seem to match it, so I guess I'll have to just repaint them.

I also thought about doing the walls in something like this beige, (Sherwin Williams Accessible Beige) with the cabinets white (the white in this picture is SW Alabaster), any thoughts? Do you think this beige would clash with the tile?

[Beach Style Entry[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/beach-style-entryway-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_741~s_2110) by San Francisco Interior Designers & Decorators Regan Baker Design

I can totally understand not wanting to spend the extra money on tile. I say leave it then. Maybe find a pretty vase and fruit bowl with that color for the showings. (cheap!) It think the beige will be fine with the existing tile. I'd just be careful not to pick a beige that will look "yellow" next to nice freshly painted white cabinets. The color selections in your photo are very pretty. I think Dove white is a nice soft, warm white too that is popular for cabinets and would look nice with Accessible Beige walls. BM, Carlisle Cream is also a nice beige. Would you consider moving hardware placement of knobs? I think that could have a huge impact.

I can totally understand not wanting to spend the extra money on tile. I say leave it then. Maybe find a pretty vase and fruit bowl with that color for the showings. (cheap!) It think the beige will be fine with the existing tile. I'd just be careful not to pick a beige that will look "yellow" next to nice freshly painted white cabinets. The color selections in your photo are very pretty. I think Dove white is a nice soft, warm white too that is popular for cabinets and would look nice with Accessible Beige walls. BM, Carlisle Cream is also a nice beige. Would you consider moving hardware placement of knobs? I think that could have a huge impact.

Yes, I could move the hardware, although I have so many cabinets, it would be a job. It's nice to have all the storage until you want to paint or change something on the cabinets, then I wish I had a smaller kitchen.

I'm wondering if a cool neutral might work better, since the tile is "cooler," with the teal green and gray undertones in the white tile. Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray looks like a pretty color. Is it better to use cool neutrals if your accent colors are cool, or use warm for the contrast? I don't understand the whole warm v. cool very well, lol. This is a picture of a kitchen painted in the Agreeable Gray,

[Contemporary Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2103) by Dallas Home Builders Rosewood Custom Builders

Definitely change the hardware.
Have you looked into tile decals or tile tattoos? Some look very good.
Or another option is to install beadboard over the tiles.
Finally, I'd consider putting a drum shade over your fanlights.

If you buy a lamp shade that has the spider attachement and use one with the numbr of bulbs (3 or 4) you have, they fit very nicely over the existing bulbs

Here is a link that might be useful: tile tattoos

Yes, it would entail a lot of extra work. Drilling sanding, spackling. It could make a big difference but might not bw worth your time in the middle of everything else involved in selling a home. Plus, in the northeast at least, it's a sellers market - so time is of the essence to get it on the market. I love a gray and white kitchen - but gray is tricky. Looking again at your picture, you have a fairly large dining space too. Does that open to anything or is it a closed distinct space? Also, what color is the trim around windows/doorways in the room, if there are any? If wood, then the gray will not work as well and the warm beige would be best. If white, then you could do grey - with the white cabinets and white trim. Maybe find an inexpensive piece of ceramic or vase with both the grey and green from the tile to tie it all together.

Could you take a close up picture of the wall tiles?

Between beige and gray, I would choose gray.

Although you generally want neutral paint colors for sale, sometimes a highly popular color is also a good choice. SW Sea Salt may not be a bad choice for the room.

You might want to remove the ceiling fan. I like ceiling fans in rooms, but not kitchens. The space will look a lot bigger without it. I would install undercabinet lights if you don't already have them.

All the woodwork in the kitchen/breakfast nook is white. The room has a smaller opening (slightly bigger than a regular doorway) into the hall and dining area, but it's cut off enough that I don't think I need to worry about the colors clashing. The dining room and hall are currently painted a warm yellow, with reddish oak floors, but I'm planning to repaint the living and dining areas in a neutral beige. I just did my bedroom in SW Kilim Beige, and love it, but I don't think it would work in the kitchen with the green.

The house came with undercabinet florescent lights, but they are so old, I've been unable to find replacement bulbs, I may try to replace them. I guess if the wiring is already there, it shouldn't be that hard.

Here is a close-up of the floor tile. The grout is a dark gray. I guess I'm most worried about whether I should go with a warm neutral or a cool neutral.

I like your idea of using SW Sea Salt. I have it in one of my rooms and used it at 75% -- it reads as a neutral. I don't think beige would be a good call in that space.

I vote for a light gray - it will wok with your grout color and will make the white cabinets pop. Choosing a gray is hard. Maybe go with one that greenish undertones to complement the tile versus fight with it, since it's there to stay when you list it. Truth be told, someone with a good eye will see a wonderful, large space to work with and will likely update the space to make it their own.

I think I'll get some samples of the Sea Salt and the Agreeable Gray, and see which one works best. I'm planning to have a realtor come by and do a walk through, to give me some ideas, I'll ask her opinion, she would probably have a good feel for what would make it more marketable.

Great idea! Beware, we did the same thing, and by the time the realtor was done listing the necessary 'upgrades' we decided to just update for ourselves and stay put! The thought of all the work we needed to do, just to sell it and start all over was too much. I'm so happy with our decision and am fully enjoying every bit of work we did. But everyone's circumstances are different. Best of luck to you!

Honestly, Rebeccamom, every time I think about cleaning out my closets and the garage, I wonder if I should just stay here. But I really want to get something smaller, and get out from under the yard, which is way too big for me. Plus my house is 35 years old, and every time I turn around it needs some expensive repair.

who do you think can afford your home, what is the listing price range? Will it be in the bottom range of your region? Are the schools stellar?

If you can imagine a well established person buying the home, they will likely do a full gut job straight away, so it may not matter at all what you do to this kitchen.

If you can imagine a young family strapped for cash buying the home, it will pay to freshen it up as best as possible to make it look like something they can just move in to and not have to drop $$$ into it just to live there.

What is selling price range for houses in your neighborhood and school district of similar square footage, beds and baths?

This will help us make suggestions that are appropriate.

In certain markets, it even pays to gut the place, stage it, and make it sparkle before putting it on the market.

All said, I suggest doing the lowers in Sherwin Williams Dovetail 7018 with the uppers in Snowbound 7004. I used this combo on three accent walls in my home and it gets more compliments than any other color I used. It is a calming warm neutral gray that looks modern.

This post was edited by detroit_burb on Sun, Nov 17, 13 at 18:31

I've heard about painting tiles. Is that an option here?

This post was edited by Steph2000 on Mon, Nov 18, 13 at 3:20

Well, my realtor told me at a minimum I need to replace my green and white kitchen floor, and consider replacing the counters and backsplash, to sell in this neighborhood. Almost everything on the market in this area has updated kitchens, most with granite countertops. There is a picture of my kitchen in the first post.

I'm considering replacing the floor with a gray tile, and popping out the green accent tiles in the backsplash and replacing with the white, and painting the walls a neutral color. I had almost 2 boxes of the white tiles left over when I put the backsplash in 10 years ago, so I should have enough. The counters are a Wilsonart solid surface, white with green, blue, gray and brown specks. Here is a picture of the white tiles and the counter, but the colors are a little off, the specks that look red are actually brown.

Any opinions on whether this kind of update would be a good idea, or would I just be changing one dated look for another? My other option is to take out a loan and replace the counters, floor and backsplash.
I

Before going to the expense of replacing major elements like that, why not see if the house won't sell first. You might get lucky and find someone who is looking for a kitchen that is in need of remodeling, for which you could include an allowance of what you are planning to spend now. There's nothing quite like having your own kitchen updated or designed to fit your own needs and taste. When that has already been done for resale, it can be hard to justify a renovation.

Even with the upgrades, the next owner will not only prefer to pay for their own choices of flooring, counter, backsplash, but they'll also want to be replacing those cabinets. So the kitchen likely will still look like a re-do to them.

I would test the waters first and see what buyers are out there.

Oh, it will sell, but the difference in price will be significant. If I sell it as is, I'll likely only get about $87 s.f., if I update it I can probably get $103 to $112 per s.f., depending on how much I do. It's an older neighborhood, and prices are all over the place, depending on how much updating has been done. IOW, If put in about $20k in updating, I should get back about $36k, so it should be worth it. Hopefully. My realtor sells a lot of houses in this neighborhood, so I'm hoping she knows what she's talking about.

This is tricky due to the teal tiles. No amount of wall or cabinet paint is going to distract from that. I would make it my goal to make the kitchen look BIG. Take down the fan. Get a stainless waste basket and find an out of the way place for it. Take everything off (everything) off the countertops except maybe some stainless canisters or cool vintage salt and pepper shakers. Remove the upper cabinets above the peninsula. You will have to repaint the ceiling. Paint the walls an off white. The room should look close to double its size by now. Make everything spotless. Buy a colorful rug that has teal, white, cream and maybe some other colors for the kitchen floor. Pick an accent color from the rug, buy a vase in that color and add fresh flowers. Done.

Or, call a tiller and get a quote for removing the teal tiles and replacing that tile spot with white or some color that would jive with what you have. Then, paint the walls something that reads neutral.

If you must, then I can't see replacing counter, backsplash and floor without updating the cabinets too. If you're going to do it, do it right and go the whole nine yards. Otherwise, it won't be fooling anyone and they will still be thinking about how much it will cost to redo the kitchen.

I did see a blog recently on how to paint tile. In the article, the blogger painted over an entire kitchen bar surface that had a tile mosaic. I have never done it so I don't know how difficult it is, what the pitfalls are, or how it actually looks in person. Check out the link below and see what you think.

Carol in Jacksonville

Here is a link that might be useful: How To Paint Tile in 2 Easy Steps

This post was edited by love_the_yard on Mon, Dec 2, 13 at 0:24

I think there so many changes that you should need to do in your interior..the interior doesn't need to be goody it should be always simple.