Upgrade Your Kitchen on a Budget

Your kitchen is one of the first impressions that buyers and agents use to assess the value of your home when comparing it with other houses in the Triad. A kitchen upgrade is a quick way to increase the value of your house, whether you live in Buena Vista, Sherwood, Arbor Run, or Ardmore. Here are some quick tips on giving your kitchen the value of a new feel without having to gut your kitchen and pay for a full remodel.

1. Cabinets

One of the largest impacts on a kitchen's feel is the cabinets. If the kitchen's layout is conducive but the old louvered doors are not the style you are going for a great option is to reface them. Refacing cabinets is achieved by removing the dated doors and drawers and installing new ones after painting or refacing the cabinets. New hardware goes a long way to help improve the feel and make your kitchen feel like today!

If you are thinking of refacing your cabinets you can expect the process to take three to four days instead of the months a full kitchen overhaul can require.

Also, instead of tens of thousands of dollars refacing your cabinets could cost as little as $6,000 with many gloss or matte wood finishes available. A coat of paint can be even more economical costing hundreds of dollars for DIY or $3k-$5k for a professional. If you do decide to paint don't cut any corners as buyers are on the lookout for anything that appears haphazard and this could devalue their impression of your house.

2. Backsplash

Alter your kitchen's soul with a fresh backsplash. Coordinating the backsplash with the cabinets and countertop is a must. Picking timeless materials can give savvy buyers room for growth into fresh styles for years to come.

Tile comes in many different shapes, sizes, and materials. If re-tiling is beyond your budget other options are available like $20 hi-gloss paint that can be wiped down after dinner has been sautéed. Many hi-gloss paints are even designed to cover old dated tile for a quick refresh!

3. Countertops

New granite or marble counter tops are more affordable than ever before and will be appreciated by interested buyers. Formica comes in many options and many current patterns provide contemporary perception of solid surface counters. In a more contemporary kitchen industrial materials can be very cost efficient like stainless steel or concrete (that's right concrete, cheap but able to hold hot pots like granite!).

Another great way to make some extra counter space is using a butcher block table, farm table, or industrial commercial kitchen table that matches the theme of your kitchen. In NC this table is personal property and you could take it with you when you move, or use it as a negotiation tool to get the buyers up another $1,000 if they love it!

4. Shelving

Another trend in kitchen is open shelving. Similar to the glass fronted doors, open shelving allows you to show off your beautiful cookware and serving dishes in an ultra modern display.

While I don't recommend all your cabinet space being open shelving (we all have those dishes that need to hide), empty wall space can easily be transformed into open shelving if your kitchen lacks storage space.

5. Lighting

Lighting is a quick way to change the mood in your kitchen. Replace the old flickering fluorescent tube lights with a energy efficient LED lighting that add pizzaz and future savings to entice buyers. Many great new styles of under cabinet lighting are available with the advancement of LED technology and other options like ambient light tape. Don't forget to make a statement over the kitchen sink with is functional and focal.

6. Pulls and knobs

I already spilled the beans on this one, but replacing old pulls and knobs is a must in creating an updated feel to your kitchen. It's well worth the chunk of change at your local hardware store and while your at it pickup matching harder for the rest of the doors in the house!

7. Appliances and the Kitchen Sink

Appliances can be much cheaper than expected and $500 on a new stainless range is well spend in replacing an old white one. Plus you could sell the old one to help finance the new one or donate it to a local charity for a tax write off and help someone in need.

Updating a faucet in todays world of plastic couplings is a relatively easy DIY project and a new farmhouse sink can cost less than $400.

If you are thinking of selling your home and would like some expert advice we'd love to help you get top dollar for your home! We can also connect you with great industry professionals to get your projects completed. Give us a call today, we'd love to meet you: 336-265-7253