28 Apr Hot Kitchen Trends That Sell Homes
Bathrooms and kitchens sell homes. That’s a real estate truism that’s actually right on the money! Whether you have just purchased your home and want to update the kitchen, you’re getting your home ready to list for sale, or whether you are looking to remodel your home in the future, you should consider the long-term resale value of any updates you undertake in the kitchen.
Nowadays, buyers want homes that are already updated, as their lives get busier and busier. Therefore, if one of the most important rooms isn’t updated, many potential buyers will start adding up the cost to update the kitchen, at minimum, and may not offer as much for your home down the line. Therefore, if you are considering updating your home to maximize the sales price, as well as to compete with similar homes in your neighborhood, here are some current design trends to consider:
- Stainless Steel Appliances. This is the first, and most important, item to update in any kitchens. Buyers still want stainless steel appliances, and this trend isn’t likely to change anytime soon. Swapping out any black, white or ivory appliances for stainless steel (silver, black or slate stainless) is a relatively inexpensive, yet simple way to quickly update your kitchen. If you do decide on an “alternative” stainless steel, black stainless is quickly gaining momentum as being on trend in kitchen appliances as well, so you may want to consider this color if it coordinates with your existing cabinets and countertops (ie, whites and grays rather than browns and beiges).
- Paint. Painting your kitchen in a soft, neutral color, especially if it hasn’t been painted in the past five years, is a simple, inexpensive and quick way to update this area of your home. Paint also covers a multitude of sins so any fading or dinginess that occurs from all of the heat and dampness in a kitchen will disappear with a fresh coat of paint. It is important to pick a color that will appeal to the widest range of buyers, and that will coordinate with your existing cabinets, countertops and appliances. I’d be happy to assist you with this decision.
- Flooring. After paint and appliances, consider the flooring in your kitchen. Buyers prefer tile, stone or other hard flooring in the kitchen. Eighteen-inch porcelain or ceramic tiles in neutral colors are relatively inexpensive, yet provide a lot of bang for your buck when it comes to updating the look of your kitchen. While hardwood flooring is always in style, it’s not a favorite in kitchens due to potential issues with water damage. Wide plank porcelain tiles are absolutely on trend, especially in larger dimensions (for example, 12 by 24 inches). Be careful not to choose patterns that are overly busy.
- Countertops. Anything but laminate and tile is what buyers are looking for in today’s market. Granite or quartz countertops in the kitchen are upgrades that will quickly update the look and style of your kitchen, and because they are very low-maintenance, they will stay popular. There are various levels (or pricing) of granite, and I would be happy to suggest which level of granite would be appropriate for the price range of your home as you don’t want to price yourself out of the future resale market.
- Cabinets. Your cabinets are the last piece of the puzzle when it comes to kitchen updating. Depending on the type of wood and the style of cabinet you currently have, simply painting or refinishing your cabinets may do the trick. White-washed, light maple or oak cabinets are considered dated in today’s kitchens. If the interiors of your cabinets are in good condition but the style of the doors is not current, re-facing may be a better option to update your cabinets. With re-facing, the doors and drawer fronts will be removed, and they can be replaced with any style or finish. A finished wood veneer will be affixed to the cabinet sides, and new knobs and handles can complete the updated look.
White and gray colored cabinetry are more updated and on trend than maple or blond cabinetry. A current trend with cabinetry is contrasting the colors of cabinetry with one color of cabinets in your kitchen island and another color (typically lighter) in your perimeter cabinetry. Again, I’d be happy to suggest what color and style would be appropriate in your price range.
Updating your kitchen with any of the above suggestions and trends will be sure to help you maximize the final sale price of your home. I look forward to working with you to prioritize the costs of any remodel or update you plan to undertake with an eye toward maximizing the sale price of your home.