It would be great for you to enjoy your wonderful kitchen for a while, but most people renovate their homes when they’re getting ready to move. You can find a lot of information about how remodels don’t increase the value of your home, but that’s not always true.
When you make conscious decisions in how to remodel your kitchen you can significantly increase the resell value of your home. It’s important to work with your kitchen remodeling services as you prepare to increase the value of your home because the kitchen is usually a make or break room for potential buyers.
Set Your Priorities
It’s so easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of remodeling and accidentally place your wants over your needs. But when you’re looking to increase the resell value of your home, you need to focus on functionality, organization, and design that appeals to the masses. Your wants don’t matter because you’re trying to get your home to sell.
If you want to optimize your return on investment, you need to find a middle ground between the traditional kitchen and modern home. Otherwise, you’ll end up looking for a buyer instead of a buyer looking for your home.
You can focus on appliances as a focal point for contemporary appeal and leave the remaining design of the kitchen catered towards people who prefer a traditional look. When choosing appliances understand that these will cost you a pretty penny, but with the right surroundings, you’ll make more than what you paid for them. If you buy cheap appliances, you’re wasting money.
Save Where You Can
Most homeowners that plan on living in their homes for the next few decades have no problem spending tens of thousands on all new cabinets. But when you’re looking to increase the resell value of your home that isn’t the case.
Speak with your kitchen remodeler about resurfacing counters, cabinets and the pantry instead of replacing them. Although you may pay more in labor for the time spent sanding, staining and varnishing you’ll save money in costly materials. Resurfacing older materials is a much better option than replacing good cabinets with cheap cabinets.
Hardware is the cheap way to make your kitchen look more expensive than it is. Although potential home buyers can spot bad brushed stainless-steel hardware a mile away, traditional knobs and handles can throw them off and increase the value of your kitchen.
Go for Granite, or Near It
Granite countertops have ruled the kitchen remodeling trends in the last few years, and it doesn’t look like it’s dying down anytime soon. The trendy green and brown veined granite will eventually be out of style and dated. However, traditional white and grey granite is timeless.
Because granite is so competitive, it’s easy to shop around for a good price. If granite is still outside of your budget, you can always try pulverized quartz. Quartz is a cheaper alternative that looks almost exactly like granite. Most home buyers can’t tell the difference, and it doesn’t stain as easily as granite.
Neutral Color Scheme
A fresh coat of paint can do wonders, and if you’re already working with a realtor, they’ll tell you to paint your walls. But, there’s more to a kitchen remodel than fresh paint. Work with your kitchen remodeling services to help map out a color scheme that includes neutral colors. These colors include:
- White
- Ivory
- Taupe
- Beige
- Grey
- Black
- Cream
These colors might seem plain, but they allow the potential homeowner to see the possibility. There are no masks of overly bright colors making the illusion of more space. People shopping for homes enjoy simple color schemes because they know they won’t have to paint over an annoying green or loud red.
Stay Away from Personalization
That’s right; it’s tempting to paint an accent wall in your favorite shade or put up your beloved rooster window treatments. But, you’re not trying to appeal to you, you’re trying to appeal to potential buyers.
Focus on keeping things as plain as possible and adding bits of character wherever possible. You don’t need fancy hardware with studs or intricate leaf designs. But, you can opt for soft-close hinges, which many potential home buyers will enjoy for years.
When you’re looking for space to add character, be sure that it’s easy to change or replace. If you choose a decorative tile for the backsplash over a white or ivory option, you’re leaving the new homeowner with a design option that’s costly to change.
Flooring
When it comes to flooring, this is probably the most difficult part of remodeling to improve the resell value. Do you opt for ceramic tile which is difficult and costly to replace or linoleum which looks and feels cheap? Or do you put in wood flooring that requires regular maintenance?
There’s no right or wrong answer when it comes to flooring for your kitchen. If the flooring in your kitchen is currently in good condition, you might be better off leaving it how it is. Discuss flooring options with your kitchen remodeler and explain that you intend to sell the house soon.
Overall, wood floors and ceramic tile increase the resell value best. But, you could miss out on potential buyers because they prefer whichever option isn’t in your home.
Conclusion
What it all comes down to is improving the value of your home, and most of that rests in the kitchen. Kitchen remodeling services shouldn’t pressure you into costly improvements that don’t hold much return value.
Because you’re looking to sell your house soon keep your focus on less costly renovations that will have a bigger return on investment. You can improve your kitchen’s functionality, organization, and overall appearance without spending tens of thousands of dollars.
Discuss your design with a kitchen remodeler to identify where there is the biggest opportunity for timeless appeal. Potential homebuyers want update kitchens that they can see themselves cooking in for years without needing repairs or maintenance.
