Unless this is a rental property, get rid of the laminate counters and replace with granite...the all new white cabinets is a good idea..get a granite that contrasts well with the white, (a dark color, or a light color with streaks of black, etc.).
Get the tile floors...make sure it is a decent quality tile, and get it done professionally if you can. You may be able to do it yourself, but by the time you get the learning curve down, you will already have a "lumpy" situation betweeen tiles, and it will show.

Forget the butcher board idea...this will only harbor mold and mildew and look tacky in no time.

Think clean, clean, clean!! Clean lines, simple, but well done tiles. Avoid all the fancy expensive tiles, or marble floors, because at the end of the day, Clean is the only thing that counts.

If you can afford it, put a simple four layers of 3 or 4" tiles behind the countertop. You can use the cheapest white tile, (.25 cents a piece), and then, depending on how much counterspace you have, put one contrasting raised tile, or contrasting color tile that matches the countertop color every fourth tile, but only on one layer of the four...most likely the second layer of tiles.

Done right, a kitchen will sell the house and thus make you money.

i think that the responders assumed you were considering these improvements in contemplation of a sale. are you? or is this a quality of life improvement

white cabinets rarely qualify as an improvement anymore and i certainly wouldn't replace cabinets with white. same goes for butcher block. very dated.

i've seen some very passable painted cabinets and granite is cheap enough these days that as long as you don't have alot of it it can pay to put them over old cabinets as long as they were of decent quality. many homes do have solid wood face frame cabinets with pretty good doors and drawers...if the drawers are good quality the carcases are probably too. if you have MDF (fiberboard) then you can toss a coin. the choices with paint are endless so you can have some leeway as you choose colors...and if it looks bad you can stop and get another color. another advantage of using the old cabs is that you can have a whole "remodel" done in a week or two. demo is 1 day. paint two or three. tile...three days or so and the granite can be ordered the day after the tops are demoed...be on order while the rest of the stuff gets done and goes in in two days...sweet.

tile is always a nice touch...you can get some very nice (and very square, ask your installer about cheap,out of square tile) porcelan tile for less than $2 a sq. foot...laid on a diagonal it is a very good look and goes down fast and looks killer...even 99 cent tile looks good on a diagonal. go with 16 inch or bigger.

Go for the new cabinets and granite or hard surface. The best sellers are Maple and dark cherry in most areas. Granite now can be had for under $35 per foot installed for most colors. Ask around for most popular in your area.Also go to the nearest new home near you. Look at their spec homes(not the model so much) and ask what is most popular options. It we give you a leg up when your ready to sell. Also use http://www.trulia.com to look at houses selling in your area! Good Luck!

Good morning Daphne,
First off, do not replace with white cabinets. People are not looking for that. If you are working with a Realtor, have them show you what other homes in your area are offering. Especially ones that are under contract. Then have your agent bring a stager/interior designer to your home to give you helpful and cost effective tipson how to make your home show at the top 1/3 of homes on the market in your area.
Hope this helps.

Daphne,
It is said that there are three components to make a home sellable "price,condition and location" It really boils down to one thing....(PRICE)
Bad condition? price it right and it will sell, Bad location? price it right and it will sell.
My recomendation to you is this.
If youre doing the work yourself think of not how much it will cos but, think of your time and labor to get the job done ( how much is that worth)?.If you are going to contract the job out think about the inconvenience it will cause for you and your family(what type of price tag does that include)?
People that upgrade usually want the enjoyment of the finished product to be benificial for them not the new owners.Why spend 10-15k on your kitchen just to increase the price 10-15k? maybe it will sell quicker maybe it won't.
Remember the higher the price the smaller your buyer pool will be.In my market area a good house will sell period.All that is needed is a home that looks like its been well cared for ,CLEAN , UNCLUTTERED, freshly painted and "move in condition".The new owner can update it to their liking on their time, labor and inconvenience.Get it listed and make it an "As Is Sale"
Price it in the bottom 25% of your (direct ) competition.It will sell faster than if you update and try to get top dollar.Keep your buyer pool large.
Don't look at it as if you are taking a hit on your sale price especially if you are trading up because you will make up for it on your purchase.Remember, you want to be the buyer in this market not the seller.Trade places, take the money and run.

Good luck to you

Daphne
I agree with the "talk to a Realtor" group.
If it were me I would ask you how long you plan to stay in the home?
I would look at the relative condition of homes in your market, and recommend options:
1. If you are selling next week, it probably would not make sense.
2. If you are thinking of selling in a year or two, then I would add up the expenses and have your Realtor estimate the difference the improvements would make.
3. Studies show that most homeowners do not do as much maintenance as they should. Here is the isse: If we property maintained our homes, they would be more enjoyable for us, cost less to operate (because they would be more efficient", and when it became time to sell them, we would not have to do so much.

So why not properly maintain your home and enjoy it while you live there?

Every market and situation is different. Talk with a Realtor and then make your decision not only for maximizing your profit when you sell, but for maximzing your comfort while living in the home.

Lastly, there are probably additional issues that you might want to discuss if the sale of your home is definitely in the near future. The kitchen is probably the most important room, however let's not forget baths and "curb appeal"...and "square footage"/
Keith

It depends: How are the competing homes for sale in your neighborhood doing? Are they updated? If so, how are they updated? Is granite and stainless steel the norm in your area? Or is white cabinetry with butcher block countertops what seals the deal? Or, based on what is going on in the market around you, would your kitchen benefit from simply doing fresh paint, refacing cabinets and adding new hardware, only?

A good Realtor will be able to help you assess whether or not an overhaul is necessary, based on what is going on in your current market.

Now, should you decide to move forward with the remodel, on average, depending on your area, a kitchen update can get you about a 85-105% return on your investment, so, if you spend, say, $5000 on your kitchen, you can expect to maybe tack on that + another couple of hundred dollars if you're lucky.

But an increase in your profit may not be the only benefit to consider. Time is money, and if your competition is showing beautifully updated homes for just a few grand more in your area, those homes are more likely to sell faster. By doing the same for your home, you can benefit from the time factor as well.

But remember: Spend your money wisely by not over-improving. Keep your improvements comparable and appropriate to what sells in your area. And be sure that the improvements you make will appeal to the masses, and not your your personal taste.

Good luck!

Daphne:
Depending on the "market" in your area, and what styles and features comparable homes are "boasting" should give you an indication of where to best spend your money in order to gain the highest return on your investment, while at the same time, help to sell the property. i.e., the kitchen may not be the best place to put the money, perhaps updating a bath would create more of in interest from more buyers.

It sounds to me like "you" dislike your kitchen, and feel others might dislike it as well. However, by "your" selecting the colors of the cabinetry, and type of countertops & flooring you still run the risk that other might not like it any better, or worse yet, a "real" buyer would have preferred to choose their own colors and materials and rule-out your home because of the "new" kitchen.

For this reason, you might want to determine how much you're willing or expecting to spend on "your" kitchen remodeling and then offer that amount as a "allowance" to a potential buyer. Most people have a different perception of what a room, that's so personal to them, would look like, and your choices may not be theirs. This is my suggestion, and I've seen it work out for both the buyer and seller many times. Hope this helps. - Steve

Depending on your market it may help you sell much faster. I don't think it will get MUCH more money and it certainly won't get you 1 for 1 what you put in. It's a good idea to update it if your competition is all updated, but if not, then it'll net you a faster sale but not necessarily a higher price.

Daphne:
Your question really requires a complete budget analysis. How much $$$ will it take to do simple upgrade - in relation to the fair market value & true equity within your home.

If you are planning to sell soon - check with the comp's in your neighborhood. I would even suggest you look at those properties already on the market & see where you think you home stacks up.

Nicely done kitchen upgrades don't necessarily include granite and new cabinets... however, there are a few things the do-it-yourselfer can accomplish that won't bust the bank. Lowes & Home Depot can create a great looking countertop at a fraction of new granite.

Again - do a budget; look at what you will get out of it in terms of your quality of life. Then decide if you are selling - how much equity you can afford to expend. Never go over that budget.

I wouldn't put in new white cabinets, if you are doing new, pick a nice wood cabinet to go with the tops. You might consider re-painting the cabinets a darker color, coordinating w/ wall color, and do a solid surface top of some sort- corian, granite. You won't make a fortune but your house will sell faster and for closer to top dollar.