Remove the doors and drawers from the cabinets, after unscrewing hinges and drawer glides.

For granite or other stone countertops, you'll need to loosen the silicon adhesive underneath. To do this, heat a large putty knife with a propane torch and slide the heated knife beneath the countertop. If your countertop is laminated or built of other materials, you may need to remove screws underneath and cut through any caulking along the backsplash to prevent tearing of the wallboard or wallpaper during removal.

Remove the countertop from the base cabinet. Put the granite aside for future use, after protecting the polished surface from damage.

Locate the nails (or screws) that hold the cabinets to the wall by gently running a small magnet over the nailing strip. The magnet will adhere to each fastener through the layers of paint and indicate their positions. Use a hammer and a small pry bar to expose each nail and pull it out (or remove the screws).

The cabinet units also attach to each other, so carefully plan the order in which each unit should have its supporting nails removed and be detached from its neighbor. Use a reciprocating saw to cut the nails that hold each unit to the adjacent cabinet, sliding the blade between the cabinet units. Remove the units one at a time, possibly supporting them temporarily so that they do not fall. Repeat these steps as needed to remove all of the cabinets.