Simple Kitchen Upgrades Can Increase Your Home's Resale Value

Simple Kitchen Upgrades Can Increase Your Home’s Resale Value

This Thanksgiving, many of us will spend a lot of time in our kitchens. Preparing an elaborate meal often reveals your kitchen’s problem areas. If you are thinking of selling your home, resolving these problems before bringing buyers in the door may increase the price of your home and help it sell faster.

Getting the Most out of a Kitchen Remodel

On many home shows, designers and homeowners go all out in kitchens. They completely gut the space and install custom cabinets, professional-grade appliances, and beautiful natural countertops—all for a hefty price tag.

Such an elaborate remodel is wonderful if you are going to spend years in your home enjoying it. But kitchen remodels in the high five figures rarely make up their cost when it’s time to sell. If you’re selling your home and your kitchen could use some spiffing up, you don’t need to spend more than $20,000. In fact, real estate experts say spending around $15,000 will give you the best return-on-investment on a kitchen remodel.

In a minor kitchen remodel, you do not change the footprint of your kitchen or move plumbing and electricity. But you may make modest upgrades to the cabinetry, countertops, and flooring that make the space more functional and nice to be in. These minor changes make a big impact in the mind of the buyer and can make your home sell faster and for a better price.

Ideas for Easy Kitchen Upgrades

The best minor kitchen remodels make judicial use of the budget and liberal use of elbow grease. New paint and a thorough scrub of cabinets, backsplashes, and other surfaces can go a long way. To make the most of your budget, choose one or two higher cost items to invest in and spruce up the rest.

For example, you may invest in a beautiful natural stone countertop—granite is a top must-have for buyers. Replace an old sink with a deep, undermounted one when you replace the countertops. Or, you may think about replacing an older range or refrigerator with a new, stainless steel model.

After you’ve picked out your big ticket items, give outdated cabinets a new look with a couple coats of fresh, white paint and some new hardware. This can make a drastic change in the appearance of your kitchen for around $100. Consider adding a new backsplash. Take a weekend to install a new tile or bead board one yourself.

Another low-cost, high-value change is improving the organization in your kitchen. Buyers will look into your cabinets, and having organized shelving that give the feeling of space impresses them.

Staging Your Kitchen for Showings

Once you’ve made your improvements, stage your kitchen so it’s a place buyers want to be. The most important step in staging your kitchen is to clean it. Scrub cabinets, appliances, walls, and ceilings so they’re free of grime and grease. Don’t forget to wipe down your windows, too.

When everything is gleaming, clear off your countertops. Store as many small appliances as you can and box up any non-perishable food you may not use while your home is for sale.

Lastly, throw some fresh flowers in a vase as a table centerpiece. Before a showing, be careful not to cook anything that will have a lingering smell, like bacon. Keep everything smelling fresh with citrus or clean laundry-smelling candles or air fresheners.

This Thanksgiving, take a look around your kitchen. What would you need to improve before you put your home on the market? To learn more about how a minor kitchen remodel could help you sell your home, contact Brooks Johnson, your friend in real estate, today.