According to the National Association of Realtors, the kitchen is the single most important room for most prospective home buyers. If you don't have the funds to do a complete kitchen overhaul, don't despair. For just $1,000 you can make some significant changes that will have home buyers doing a double-take, such as:
- Re-facing or refinishing your cabinets. Re-facing involves replacing your cabinet doors but leaving the actual cabinets (boxes) intact. Depending on the size of your kitchen you can get it done for about $1,000 professionally or if you're willing to undertake a little work you can do it for less. It's a quick and much less expensive way of getting "new" cabinets without the big demolition work (and big price tag) of brand new cabinets.
If you have wood cabinets you could refinish them instead by simply stripping the old paint or varnish and applying new. For just a couple hundred dollars (plus some elbow grease to sand and paint or stain) you'll get a whole new look.
- Changing out the countertops. Depending on the size of your kitchen, you may be able to swing new granite countertops with a $1,000 budget (you can find them as low as $40 per square foot on sale or at an outlet). For larger kitchens consider other, less costly options like stainless steel or solid surfacing products like Corian®. Use Dupont's online Corian Kitchen Countertop Installed Price Estimator to get an idea of how much it would cost you to have the product professionally installed.
- Painting the room. With a gallon of paint covering approximately 350 square feet and running an average of $25, if you throw in the cost of brushes, tape, primer, etc. it could cost you as little as $75 to repaint a kitchen with 700 square feet of wall space.
- Upgrading appliances. Switching to energy-efficient Energy Star appliances will not only improve your kitchen's appearance, it will also save you (and future owners) money on your monthly utility bills.
- Updating accessories. Small changes like replacing outlet covers, cabinet knobs and drawer pulls can give your kitchen an entirely different look and feel. When you consider that the average kitchen can be upgraded with new accessories for as little as $150., it's a no-brainer for your small remodeling budget.
- Tiling the floor. If you have a small or moderate sized bathroom you may be able to find discounted tiles that you can install yourself (many tiling stores and home improvement centers offer free weeknight or weekend courses) for as little as $1 -$2 per square foot.
Brian Ripp, CRS, GRI, Broker - your Bay Area Realtor
www.BrianRipp.com serving Fremont, Newark, Union City & surrounding communities. Real Estate & Property Management.
Real Estate Market Weekly Update Webcast: http://realtytimes.com/REUv/BrianRipp
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