A full renovation also delays your listing by weeks or months while contractors finish, and a kitchen mid-renovation cannot be shown at all. That delay carries its own cost in carrying costs and lost momentum, on top of the renovation bill itself.
The exception is a kitchen with a genuine functional problem: no working range, failing cabinets or outdated wiring that a buyer's home inspection, typically $400 to $600, will flag as a real defect rather than a style preference.
Joel Dyck can walk your kitchen and tell you honestly whether it needs a renovation or just a refresh before you list. Get your hand-reviewed valuation from Joel Dyck.