As a full-time realtor in McHenry County, I am constantly in & out of homes. It's what I do. I'm either showing homes to potential buyers, or meeting with sellers to list & sell homes... So I see a lot!
Many of the homes in Algonquin, Lake in the Hills, Crystal Lake & Huntley were built in the 80's, 90's, or early 2000's. That means different color schemes, different style of kitchens, and so on... The popular trend today is white kitchen cabinets. But let's face it, replacing cabinets in a kitchen is not cheap! Just the cabinets along can cost at least $4,000 - $10,000 depending on what you go with! You'll also have to replace countertops.
That's why many homeowners have opted to paint their cabinets white. This is an excellent alternative to replacing cabinets; it'll save you money, time, and still look great! This is also a great ROI if you're thinking about selling your home... BUT - it has to be done the RIGHT way.
Here are my top 5 Tips on How to Paint Your Cabinets White. This is not a full-blown tutorial or a step by step, but, these tips will really help.
1. Do it when the weather is nice! Try not to do this project in the winter, instead do it in the summer. You'll be able to use whatever outdoor space you have so you can still grill, and eat outside. You won't be making meals while you're in the kitchen and the painting is going on, as this project can take a good week... or longer!
2. Don't Skimp on the 3 P's: Prep, Primer, and Paint. Don't go cheap or cut corners on either of these three P's: Prep, Primer and Paint. I'll share some more details on how to prep. But when it comes to primer and paint, buy the good stuff and not the cheap stuff. In the end, it'll show better and you might not have to do as many coats. The $ amount difference on a gallon of good paint vs cheap stuff might be $20. If you opt to go cheap and save the $20, you might regret it in the end!
You'll also want to make sure you have the correct tools for painting cabinets. I recommend a few 4" foam rollers, with extra rollers, foam brushes, trays, drop cloth, painters' tape, and also keep a few rags nearby. If you're unsure, walk into any store and they'll tell you what you need. In a perfect world, maybe even consider renting a sprayer.
3. Prepping: Clean the Cabinets - before you jump into sanding, priming and painting, give the cabinets a good cleaning. Use a degreasing product (IE - SprayNine) that is safe for whatever surface is on your cabinet now. **Use a utility knife to clean out the edges and ridges in the cabinet. That's where a ton of grease & gunk collects over the years!
4. Remove all cabinet doors & drawers, take off hinges, and keep everything organized. Tape off cabinets and walls. Whenever I take on a project around the house, my biggest mistake is not prepping & keeping it all organized! I've been known to jump in head first and figure it out later... bad idea! Make sure you store everything in a safe place, remember where you put everything. Have a system & process. The more you plan and organize, the more time you'll save and less mistakes you'll make! There is a ton of info available on Youtube to learn how to do it.
5. Replace the inner cabinet shelves or lining. The main reason people paint cabinets is because they're older and they want something fresh and new. But have you ever seen what the inside of some cabinets look like!? It can be gross! You might want to consider installing new cabinet shelves, and maybe putting in a 1/4" plywood or some kind of finished wood on the interior base of the cabinet boxes. This will give it a fresh new look, inside & out.
**PRO TIP** If you're feeling overwhelmed doing this on your own, contact a professional! Don't know a painter? Contact me and I can recommend someone in my network that can help.
Hope you found this helpful... Now go transform that old kitchen!
Pat Kalamatas
Top Realtor Serving Algonquin, Huntley, Lake in the Hills and Crystal Lake. www.103realtysells.com
312.217.4398 direct
patrick@103realty.com