Inexpensive Projects to Give the Kitchen Pop When Selling Your Home
And then you won't move. Kitchens are the centerpiece of a good home, which is why many feel it is necessary to spend a gazillion dollars, the alternative being to let them age not so gracefully. It doesn't have to be that way. Read on:
The kitchen sink and hood fan are two fixtures that tend to stay, well, fixed. A stainless steel sink gets dull and scratched over time. For the money a replacement will add instant shine. Same goes for the hood fan; grease finds a permanent home here. Again, install stainless, and you have the beginning of , dare I say it, a modern kitchen.
Splash new hardware around. Today's faucet assemblies look great in all budget ranges, and will coordinate with that new sink nicely. Cabinet handles and drawer pulls can add a rich touch to existing kitchens. They will complement the cabinet facings or draw attention away from tired ones.
The importance of lighting in the kitchen cannot be understated. A well lit kitchen is more inviting, warmer, gives a sense of space, and sells better. Its lighting scheme can be divided into three catagories: general, task, and accent. General lighting is typically ceiling mounted and can be freshened by simply installing a 2011 vintage. Multiple hanging variety, even better. For task lighting, install under the cabinet florescent or halogen lights. Add a valance if necessary and get your electrically savvy relative to hard wire them to a switch. Inexpensive, attractive, and functional. Accent lighting - expensive, right? Nope, almost free. Put in a dimmer switch on a kitchen's general lighting. Crank it up during cooking time, and dial it down when dining or entertaining.
Paint is the single most cost effective way to give your kitchen a facelift. Splatters, odours, and stains will be brushed away with a good quality semi-gloss paint and, well, a brush. While you're at it redo the baseboards and trim, gloss of course. Under a hundred bucks, et voila!, une nouveau cuisine.
Do you have an old rug in front of the sink? Is it disgusting? Is the cat sizing it up as a potential litter box? Replace it. Did the curtains stop letting in light? Could they be used to grease a pan? Replace them.
Floors are often the first thing a buyer sees when entering a room. Hardwood is always beautiful but pricey/difficult to install. Laminate on the other hand is fairly cheap and a piece of cake to put down. My Mom could do it. She won't though. DIY 200sq.ft. will run about $500 all in. Lots to choose from, easy to coordinate.
Clean, clean, clean! Typically when we clean a kitchen, we wipe. Wipe the floor, wipe the counter, wipe the appliances. New favourie word: crevices. So armed with an array of speciality cleaners, and a toothbrush if necessary, dig in.
Clutter will make even the priciest kitchen looked cramped and unattractive. Decluttering is free! Remove every last item from countertops, drawers, and cabinets. Throw half away. Return the rest to its rightful place. The kitchen now looks bigger, cleaner, and more saleable.
Walk into the kitchen of many new homes and what do you see? An island. If you have one, it needs granite. Shop around for thin remnants and have full sized edging applied. Beautiful. Added bonus, mixed surfaces are ok now. If you don't have one, consider an island on wheels, mobile and functional.
Your mission now, should you choose to accept it, will be to nail down a budget number, cost out the bullets above, and go.
Fast forward to completion of project. Let Better Homes and Gardens know you're available for a photo shoot!