Does Refacing Cabinets Add Value to My Home?

Yes, a cabinet refacing will increase the value of your home.

Cabinets are often the first thing buyers notice when walking into a kitchen or bathroom, so their appearance goes a long way when trying to sell your home. In fact, in a home shopper survey by Realtor.com, almost 80% of respondents listed the kitchen as the most important space.

Buyers are less likely to bid on a home that they’re immediately going to have to sink another several thousand dollars into to upgrade cabinets. Refacing your cabinets can completely transform the bathroom or kitchen, giving it the modern look home buyers want.

To help you better understand whether you should reface your cabinets, we’ll go over:

With a cabinet refacing, you’ll get:

1. Your cabinet boxes will be cleaned, sanded and coated in the finish of your choosing
2. Brand new cabinet doors and drawer fronts coated in the new finish

If you really want to boost your home’s value, think about upgrading to:

• A high-end finish. Cheap veneers and laminate can easily chip or start peeling within 6 months to a year of the refacing. A good-quality finish will ensure your cabinets look brand new for years, increasing your home’s value that much more. At Cabinet Coatings, we guarantee our ultra-durable finish won’t chip, crack or fade for at least 5 years after the job is done.
• Soft-close tracks and hinges. The years of slamming puts a lot of wear and tear on cabinets, making them more prone to damage. Soft-close hardware makes drawers and doors close slower—not to mention more quietly—helping extend the life of your cabinets. They also prevent little fingers from getting pinched.
• High-quality cabinet pulls. Cabinet handles and knobs impact the look and feel of your kitchen or bathroom. Plus, good quality pulls will last longer, keeping your space looking new for years to come.

Home buyers tend to notice (and appreciate) these little details, making the increased refacing cost worth the improved ROI.

When weighing whether to reface your cabinets, you’ll want to think about (and compare) the:

• Upfront refacing cost: The cost for a professional to reface your bathroom or kitchen cabinets
• Overall ROI on home value: The amount of return you can expect when selling your home

Let’s go over each factor in more detail.

The cost of a cabinet refacing can range anywhere from $5,000 to $15,000.

Your exact cabinet refacing cost will depend on:

• The size and number of cabinets. The more cabinets you have, the more the job will cost.
• Materials used. Natural hardwood will cost more than engineered wood (plywood or particle board).
• Upgrading hardware. Adding any of the hardware upgrades we mentioned above will increase the cost of your refacing.
• The company you choose. Better quality companies will charge more for their services.

Refacing cabinets is a serious investment, but is usually worth the high ROI.

According to Remodeling magazine’s 2020 Cost vs. Value Report, the ROI (i.e. cost recouped) of a minor kitchen remodel is 79% in Arizona.

That means, if your cabinet refacing costs $18,000, you can expect a resale value somewhere around $14,000.

That said, the exact ROI you’ll get will depend on a number of factors, including:

• • Your exact location. Cabinet facing ROIs may be higher for homes in downtown Phoenix than they are in the suburbs of Tucson.
  • The materials used in the refacing. Some companies, like Cabinet Coatings, use solid wood for refacing cabinet doors and drawer fronts, which has a higher upfront and ROI value and will help your cabinet refacing last longer than other materials like plywood or particle board.
  • Whether your project is tax deductible. Some kitchen remodels allow you to claim a tax deduction in the form of a tax basis, meaning you’ll see savings on your refacing, but not until you sell your home.

If you’re hesitant to sink a minimum of $5,000 into your kitchen cabinets, a cabinet refinishing (vs cabinet refacing) is a more affordable way to upgrade your cabinets and boost your home’s value.

With a refinishing, your cabinet boxes get the same treatment they do with a refacing. The difference is that, instead of getting completely new cabinet doors and drawer fronts, your existing ones are stripped of their existing finish and coated with the new finish.