You need to have a good idea of what you want. If you do countertops first you will lock your options on colors/style of the cabinets. So try and have an idea of your end in sight I'm in a similar situation but I first replaced all the appliances and will next move on to counters and cabinets. I've seen some cabinets repainted or stained that look great and some not so great. I'd like to hear more from people that have done this
We just replaced our countertops over the Summer. Went to Katy Tile and Marble. Really nice people; family-owned business. The countertop installer was great...did an awesome job. Backsplash was a different installer and they kind of rushed-it. The end product turned out really good though and the price was decent as well. My feeling, granite beats quartz and of course laminate. We really were tempted by quartz but the natural look of granite won out in the end. And really the care for granite isn't that bad at all. Just wipe it down every few weeks with some Windex natural vinegar bottle and then every year I think put a sealer on it. Not that big a deal. And we've gotten nothing but compliments on the look. And if you go with granite, what you'll need to do is actually go pick out your slab from the dealer...do that first. DO NOT just pick a style from a sample.
Some things to consider, I would recomend always using 42" uppers and good crown with nice trim. Those two items can make cheap flat panel oak cabinets look expensive. Personally I like the stained concrete counter tops. Of course it's all based on personal taste.
I've always heard vinegar-based cleaners will etch/dull granite after repeated use and should be avoided. Not sure if it's true or not.
Do granite countertops need to be sealed yearly? Or if its done right the first time, you dont have to do this?
Depending on your use, if you cook a lot with raw meats/vegetables and put them directly on the countertops, then those germs will eat away at the seal that should already be on the granite when they installed it. I would recommend once a year maybe after a big holiday such as Thanksgiving or Christmas. If you cook more often I would say maybe twice a year or quarterly depending on your usage. If you dont use the countertop at all except for putting paperwork, you probably dont need to seal it except maybe once every 2-3 years.
We hired a recommended pro to paint our cabinets at the old house. It was pretty painless as they removed the doors filled the holes before applying the paint, glaze (we went for the antique look since they were in good but beat up shape) and poly them back at the shop. The did the same to the cabinet shells at the house. New hardware, under cabinet lighting, tile back splash and some nice granite and it sold the house for a pretty cheap upgrade that didn't shut the kitchen down. Whatever you do, do not get lacquered cabinets. Some will want to do that because it dries faster and they can apply many coats in 1 day but no matter how many coats they put on, they will show water damage where ever water might come in contact like the sink area.
