Which kitchen upgrades should I do and how much do I invest? From a professional home stager, Colorado Springs, kitchens sell homes and if you think you won’t get the return on your investment, than ask your agent. According to the HomeGain 2011 Top 10 D-I-Y Home Improvements for Sellers - Kitchens saw a whopping 172% ROI.
What are your favorite upgrades? Can you spot the improvements made here?
Before
After
1. Stainless Steel Appliances.
This homeowner did an awesome job selecting the number one upgrade for kitchens – stainless steel appliances. Ballpark for a typical stainless package - refrigerator, oven, dishwasher and over-the-stove microwave $2,000. Look for deals at local mom-n-pop appliance stores. Surprisingly, the difference between white and stainless is now nominal. I know its harder to keep clean, but it is the "instant facelift" for updating a kitchen.
2. Update Light Fixtures.
Switching out the glaring fluorescent overhead light fixture was a nice improvement as well. Everyone, and I mean every buyer, will look at these and shudder. Budget $150.
A better, yet more costly, fix would be to replace that box with recessed lighting, budget $500-$1000 depending on number of lights and your handy drywall guy.
At this point, the agent asked me to do a walk-through consultation to make recommendations to prepare this home to be “market ready”.
Average sales price for homes in this neighborhood are listed in the low- to mid-$200,000’s. Keep this statistic for your area in mind when determining an overall budget for upgrades. Buyers, in this range, are also looking at newer construction with all the slick upgrades, but possibly not the square footage or established location.
Here is the “new” After.
3. Update Counters and Backsplash.
Santa Cecelia and Venetian Gold are kissing cousins and play nice as neutral granite options that appeal to a large crowd. They're often discounted due to the large warehouse volumes in-stock. Your price per square foot should stay in the $30-$40 range, installed. And while you're there, replace that sink and faucet.
No, you do not have to "do granite", but not everyone is clamouring for quartz, concrete or recycled glass and as much as I'd like to recommend one of those, its not nearly as effective in your MLS listing...at least not here.
Budget $2,000 for a kitchen this size.
Backsplashes can be as simple as a low-cost, complementary ceramic tile. My designer side is screaming, go glass mosaic, do subway! Ah, hem.
Really, just do something other than painted drywall. If you’re a diy type, big box retailers offer tile installation classes and you can find loads of HGTV or you tube videos detailing step-by-step instructions. If you’re not comfortable installing yourself, this is a simple day job for any tile tradesman/woman:) Budget $500.
4. Paint or Refresh Cabinets.
Personally, I love the look of painted cabinets, but understand the time commitment this takes, so if your existing cabinets are wood, in decent shape, and time is short, your most economical choice is an oil refinisher like, Restor-A. This homeowner used Golden Oak (probably the most common color sold in our area, Colorado Springs). 1 can $10.00
5. Update Hardware.
In this kitchen, we chose to leave the cabinets as is (they're rather short and not something we wanted to draw attention to), but if you have old hardware that's not really a cool vintage style, then keep it simple and clean with a contemporary, new pull. Budget $2/piece.
Each kitchen comes with its own set of challenges, budget parameters and a myriad of solutions. Clear up the confusion by asking your agent and professional home stager before you tackle a diy project. Together, you can determine an action plan that will return the biggest bang for your buck.
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