Have you heard the saying “kitchens and bathrooms sell homes”? It’s true! The kitchen can be considered the heart of the home, because a lot of time is spent their preparing meals for your family and you probably eat most of your meals in your eat-in the kitchen area rather than the formal dining room. Plus people are entertaining from their kitchens more and more these days.
Buyers look for spacious kitchens with functioning layouts. Now I’m not saying move the plumbing or gas lines, but there are simple things you can do to make your kitchen look more functional. Clear off your counters! Despite how fabulous you might think your hot pink Kitchen Aid mixer is, remove it from the counter (and that toaster too) for showings and pictures. A potential buyer will be more impressed by all the available counter space you have than your high-end counter appliance that won’t come with the house anyway.
Don’t feel like you have to go out and buy all new appliances if you are planning on leaving them. Every buyer doesn’t necessarily want stainless steel. They may look pretty but are a pain to keep clean, so there may be someone out there who loves your all white refrigerator and stove.
A renovation tip that you should consider that will help improve the look of your kitchen is:
Granite/Stone Counter Tops. New counter tops can definitely be expensive, but you will likely get a good return on that investment. Even the average apartment today has granite counter tops, so buyers expect them. You don’t have to change out the cabinets, but changing the tops can make a huge difference to the look and feel of a kitchen. A juice stained, laminate counter top will definitely be a turn off for perspective buyers. If you do decide to upgrade to a stone counter top, make sure it is sealed and try to get the installer to make it seamless.
This may be a bit extreme and outside of your budget, so stay tuned for tips that may fit your wallet.
This series of upgrades are just some helpful tips for you to make your house appeal to more buyers. But remember…the most important things to do with your kitchen are keeping it clutter-free and CLEAN! It may be an inconvenience to have to pull out the toaster ever morning and tuck it back in the cabinet, but just imagine what you would like to see when touring a house. Do you want to walk into a kitchen with a sink full of dirty dishes?
