I spend some time going to demo sales or estate sales in my area. I live in a "shore community" with a lot of homes being demo'd to make room for Condos etc. BUT... alot of the homes have been recently refurbished (a few years back this was the trend, update kitchens and baths to sell the home, but buyers are tearing down and building condos and McMansions instead.) I have a friend that picked up a beautifully made, older kitchen for $800(good quality real wood cabinets) and had it professionally refinished(painted actually) for a few hundred dollars more. She and her DH had to remove them and haul them away, but still...
When she priced the # of cabinets she would need at Lowes it came in @ over $3000.!!! She had to refigure where her sink and dishwasher went, and had to buy new hardware (the hardware was ugly) but it looks beautiful!!!