The most used room in most houses – the kitchen – can be a key factor in selling a home. Spending some money to update your kitchen can be money well spent, as today’s home buyers are often looking for move-in-ready homes. However, if you take a walk through any home improvement store or kitchen design shop, you’ll see kitchen renovation can be very pricey. So what are some options other than a complete overhaul?
- Shiny new cabinet hardware
- New countertops
- New flooring
- Reface your cabinets instead of buying all new ones
- Stainless steel appliances
- Paint
Let your competition be your guide
Choosing any of the above can update the look of your kitchen for a small cost. Another factor you should keep in mind is your competition. What are the kitchens like in houses that a buyer looking at your house will also most likely see? Visit open houses or look online to see what could make another home’s kitchen more attractive than yours. Do they all have granite countertops and hardwood floors? Or do they all have stainless steel appliances? If they do, you should consider these upgrades to compete. If they don’t and you have some money to invest, consider any of these upgrades anyway. The important thing is to not over-improve. Adding a $50,000 kitchen to a $150,000 house is a bit much and the money will be difficult to recoup. If you are in a higher end price range, $50,000 kitchens are certainly possible. You need to know your competition and improve accordingly because kitchens have a big impact in a home’s emotional appeal on a buyer. If your kitchen does not compete or compare well, your price may need to reflect that.
For a look at some over-the-top kitchens in luxury homes just for a little fun, please see this post at HGTV Front Door. To check out homes for sale that are like yours, do a search at firstweber.com and look at all the online pictures. If you need help with home improvment related vendors, please check out First Weber’s Concierge Desk service for recommendatuions. And to see what homes are selling for in your area, conduct a Wisconsin sold property search at firstweber.com.
Thank you for reading the First Weber Wisconsin real estate & Wisconsin living blog about how kitchens sell homes. Clean up your kitchen today!
photo credit http://www.flickr.com/photos/granite-charlotte/4254402566/ via CC license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en