Removing kitchen cabinets?

CJBosquez

My husband and I are looking into buying a home, but our price range will most likely mean something that needs some TLC and modernization. Anyone know how difficult it is to remove kitchen cabinets that close off the kitchen from the rest of the house (see pic below of example - the upper cabinet on the right)? We want to save money and do as much as possible ourselves, but neither of us has a lot of experience with major renovations.

musictchr25

That's a really easy removal! You'll want at least two people, potentially three, just to be safe. What you'll want to do first, is to place a second support underneath the cabinets, probably in the middle, and then you'll want to use a hammer and a pry-bar to remove that shelf-like support from the end. 

Once you have that piece removed, and the cabinets are supported by your temporary supports, you have a few options. Your first option is to detach the cabinets from each other. Each section of cabinet will be screwed to the one next to it on the inside. Taking them apart like this will make them easier to manage and move out of your space.

The other option that you have is to detach the entire bank of upper cabinets from the wall. They will be attached there via screws as well, and if you open the cabinet, you should be able to see the screws on the inside. If this is the route you want to take, you might want to add another support on that side of the cabinets so that they don't fall onto yourself or the counter below. 

The only things that you should consider when removing this is that your wall may need some basic repairs. It looks as though your wall has either wallpaper or wood paneling - I can't really tell from this picture, but know that you may need to make some drywall repairs with just some joint compound, unless there is serious damage, in which you may need to replace that small section. It's not hard at all, and is a great learning experience, especially if you're going to be DIY-ing a lot of your home projects. I have a great tutorial on my blog, if you'd like to check it out.  

CJBosquez

Thank you! I'm looking forward to trying this!

RamaLamaDD

What everyone else said (my DH works residential construction / renovation) I just wanted to point out that even if the cupboards are totally yucky looking you should try to get a few bucks for them or offer them up for free - where I live people are always looking for old cupboards to install in their garages!

I hate seeing cupboards go in the garbage lol

CJBosquez

I will probably try to reuse them somewhere else. Just don't like the placement in the kitchen - it cuts it off from the rest of the house and makes it feel small.

Yellow218

removing the cabinets are easy once you get going- and incredibly satisfying!

Just make sure you are aware of where cables and pipes run- just in care. 

(Hammer, screwdriver and pry bar). (oh and a saw might come in handy tool)