Repair kitchen cabinet doors

Eileen B.
by Eileen B.
The guy who owned our house before us, was a nut job, he stabbed or punched the cabinet doors. We want to fix them as cheaply as possible in order to make the house presentable when we list it for sale. Any suggestions.
  12 answers
  • Adrianne C Adrianne C on Dec 28, 2014
    Patch with putty, then paint.
  • I would suggest cutting out the inserts (if that is what he punched out) and replacing with glass, plexiglass, or even thin 1/8" thick plywood and then paint the cabinets a neutral color like gray. Then spray paint the knobs and handles black to help spruce up the kitchen. I would even think about mixing up wood and glass to make a display cabinet above the frig or stove for added accenting. Good luck
  • Eileen B. Eileen B. on Dec 29, 2014
    Thank you for your suggestions. I just need to get my husband moving on it.
  • Linda J Linda J on Dec 29, 2014
    Depending upon the kitchen style, you could also remove the damaged center as suggested by Garden Frog and insert chicken wire. It really looks great.
  • Deborah Jackson Deborah Jackson on Dec 29, 2014
    I to would take out the center if that's what he damaged and replace it with another material. Even ceiling tiles if they would fit would look really nice. So many ideas.
  • Doris Belcher Wagner Doris Belcher Wagner on Dec 29, 2014
    wood filler sand n paint
  • Carole Carole on Dec 29, 2014
    Hardware stores sell patch up kits. I would ask there and before buying, perhaps take photos of the damage and show someone in the hardware store what you want the kit for and ask whether it is up to the task. Should be instructions on how to patch with the kit or else ask the assistant. Any good hardware store should be able to give this advice.
  • Carole Carole on Dec 29, 2014
    I would suggest as you are trying to fix the cabinets for sale of your house rather than to your own tastes, that you keep any repair job as close to the original cabinets as you can. A new buyer may not be into buying a house that has had wire mesh or something else inserted into the cabinet doors. Neutral and original is always best when trying to sell your home. The new buyer will want to put their own stamp on the place. If you repaint, stick to the original colours - not something fancy or really 'out there'. You can go for it décor wise when you move into your new home if you want, but anything too out there does not go down well with buyers.
  • Eileen B. Eileen B. on Dec 30, 2014
    Thank you everyone for your suggestions. We are just going to patch and stain them. Do some painting in the rest of the house and make it look nice and clean.
  • Dee Jones Dee Jones on Jan 01, 2015
    Depending on your kitchen's style, you could replace the inserts with beadboard paneling.
  • Eileen B. Eileen B. on Jan 07, 2015
    The only thing I need to do now is get my hubby working on it.