by Jeanette Joy Fisher
If you're preparing a house for sale during this fall and coming winter, redesign the kitchen so it heat's up home buyer's emotions. Since the kitchen forms the center for family activities, most buyers say "yes" or "no" to a house right in front of the stove.
Cooks want to be in the middle of family activities so they can enjoy companionship. Newer homes place kitchens open to the family room and often have wide views of the outside. Newer homes also boast larger kitchens with more than one preparation area because cooking has become a social activity, and new homes often include a bar or buffet for entertaining.
Buyers look for a kitchen with large open areas that allow guests enough room to mingle, along with workspace for kids doing homework or even a small kitchen workspace for paying bills or making phone calls. Present your kitchen as an organized, clutter-free, versatile space that will help your buyers feel they could be productive and happy working and interacting in the heart of their new home.
You don't need to completely remodel your kitchen to sell your home. Packing and storing extra kitchen pots, pans, and utensils generates a more spacious presentation. You may also wish to invest in an attractive portable kitchen island to use as a prop for a kitchen with an open center and insufficient counter space.
If you're fixing a house to flip, new stoves, dishwashers, and sinks really make an impact. Instead of expensive granite, consider eco-friendly lower cost engineered stone. Made with quartz particles, it comes in a larger range of colors than granite and also has a nonporous surface that resists scratches. It's easier to maintain, without the annual sealing required by natural stone. Brands on the market include Cambria Quartz, DuPont Zodiaq®, and Silestone.
CaesarStone in Honey Limestone
Consider easy, low-cost changes that instantly upgrade a kitchen without major remodeling expenses. These include:
- Replacing the faucet with a fancier model
- Changing the cabinet hardware
- Painting cabinet faces
Because kitchens have so many hard surfaces, the space tends to feel cold. Use warm colors like golden yellows, russet oranges, and apple reds to heat up the otherwise cold room. Add fabric warmth with colorful kitchen towels and pot holders.
Home staging tip: make your buyers feel the warmth of cooking. Cook a pumpkin pie.
Money spent updating your kitchen rewards you better than money spent on any other upgrade to your home. When it comes to kitchens, buyers continue to demand improvement in efficiency and style, and they usually want the kitchen fully remodeled and operational when they move into a new home.
Home Staging InformationCopyright © 2006 Jeanette J. Fisher
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