The challenge many potential sellers face in updating a kitchen involves a key element in limited supply: money. Here are some tips sellers can use to turn that old, tired kitchen into a showplace buyers will clamor to call their own.
- Add space and light by removing a wall. Knock out walls separating the kitchen from the family or dining rooms to add openness and light. For more light, add a large skylight or enlarge windows with nice views.
- Don’t move the plumbing. Although it can be tempting to relocate your sink, moving the plumbing can be expensive. The same goes for gas stoves. Moving the refrigerator or other electrical appliances can be done relatively cheaply.
- Unclutter the countertops with special hardware. Limited counter space doesn’t have to mean limited workspace. Mounting a stand mixer or food processor on appliance lifts can hide them but make them instantly accessible. The brackets are strong enough to support an appliance in use, so you can lift it up to create an instant workstation.
- Buy ready-to-assemble cabinets. Buying and installing cabinets yourself requires careful planning and precise measurements, but the payoff is major savings (potentially about $15,000). This is a great way to ready your outdated kitchen for sale without busting the budget. And while it may seem like a lot of work, nothing sells a home like an attractive, updated kitchen.
- Consider a variety of countertop materials. Updating countertops to granite or quartz, even if you don’t update the cabinets, can give a kitchen a whole new fresh look. Buyers like granite and quartz for its look and durability. If you have an island, think about a maple butcher-block top, which would run around $450.