Kitchen remodeling is not for the faint of heart. There are many things to consider before you start ripping out your old cabinets. One of the most significant issues is whether or not a change will bring add to your home’s value when it comes time to sell. This is something you need to keep in mind. Yet, how you use your kitchen and changes you want to make that will lead to your happiness is equal on the list of importance.
Kitchen remodeling can add value to your home.
Look at the layout
Many homeowners want a new kitchen and are thinking of cabinet and appliance layouts that may be entirely wrong for the shape of their kitchen. To minimize cost and maximize returns, work with what you have already. There are beautiful cabinets, appliances, and flooring options that will give your home an updated look and feel without incurring costs to move walls, plumbing, or electrical fixtures. All of which does nothing to increase your home value.
Energy-Saving Appliances
Installing energy-efficient appliances is a must. Most buyers will not even consider a home if they need to make this purchase on their own, giving them a higher value in both aesthetics and ROI. Overall, they cost less to operate. A new Energy Star qualified refrigerator uses less energy than a 60-watt light bulb. According to EnergyStar.gov, that’s at least 20% less than federal standards require.
New or updated kitchen cabinets
Remodeling your kitchen is an investment. It is not something you do year after year or even every five years. You want to choose kitchen cabinets that are in style but will continue to be in style for years to come. If your home is modern and contemporary, you’ll want to choose cabinets that fit that style. Most of the frameless cabinets have a contemporary look with smooth handleless doors. If your house has more of a traditional interior style, more ornate cabinets with framed doors will fit your home for years.
Beyond the style and color of cabinets, adding the right accessories to make it more efficient and functional will be a bonus to buyers. Using up the extra space with a pullout spice rack or pullout pantry will instantly upgrade the kitchen from “Nice” to “Wow.”
Updated range hood
Range hoods do more than clear the air in your kitchen and dining room. They add a focal point to the kitchen cabinets. With wood hoods in the same style as your chosen cabinetry, you can find something beautiful to accent the room. An efficient range hood will eliminate smoke and odors from the meals you cook, but they also reduce the residue that settles on the cabinets as the smoke lingers.
Updated flooring
Tile flooring was so 2010. With all of the flooring options on the market, you can easily find quality flooring in a variety of looks and price ranges. Do you want wood but do not like the maintenance of wood floors? Consider the new vinyl plank that looks like wood but all of the durability, stain and water-resistant features of sheet vinyl. Exploring all the flooring from tile to stained and epoxy coated concrete can give your floor a unique look.
Install better lighting in the kitchen
Basic, task, and accent lighting is essential in the kitchen. Basic lighting is the overhead lighting meant for the whole room. Recessed lighting, large pendant, or a chandelier can help update the style. Kitchens are used for many things other than cooking. Homework, science experiments, arts, and crafts all take place besides cooking and prep work. It would be best if you had a variety of lighting for all of those tasks. Task lighting is essential around the stove and over the countertop prep areas. These can often be mounted under the upper cabinets for a more modern look. Accent lighting can be added to highlight an area of the kitchen, for example, above the island or countertop.
When buyers walk through a kitchen, you want them to see the updates and think, “Yes, I can see myself cooking in here.” And to not think that there is so much work to do, we can’t offer what they are asking for the house. And as a bonus to you as the owner, with timeless kitchen updates, you’ll love your new kitchen even more.
Visit our cabinet gallery for inspiration.
