I live in a house that was built in the 1950's and it exists in
Baytown, Texas which is just outside of Houston. It is a ranch style
home. My wife and I have been thinking of either replacing or
refurbishing our kitchen cabinets. I had an estimate from Sears for
a refacing job. The refacing along with a new corian counter came up
to 10k. The estimator indicated that because our kitchen cabinets
are "built in", they are made of excellent wood. I have also had
estimates from Lowe's for replacement of the cabinets. There costs,
while cheaper, are not substantially less than Sears.

My question is.... Can I do something to refurbish my cabinets so that
there is an effective upgrade? I am very handy (In the last year, I
sheetrocked all of the ceiling on the first floor of my house, and I
refinished all of my hardwood floors with polyurethane), but I have
not done any cabinet work. Additionally, as I am semi-retired, I have
a lot more time than most do. Please send along your opinions.

Al Kondo