ALL
PROPERTIES
AGENTS
OFFICES
RESOURCES
SEARCHES
RECENTLY RATED
Learn
Affordable kitchen update to improve your home
09-09-2011
Affordable kitchen update to improve your home
September 9, 2011
The kitchen is generally one of the most used rooms in a home, and as a result is examined closely by prospective home buyers. Those planning to sell a home may wish to improve a kitchen slightly before putting it on the market, but will probably want to keep costs low since they are planning to move out.
According to Remodeling Magazine's Cost vs. Value report, kitchen remodeling commonly recoups about 60 percent or more of the cost at resale, although the specifics vary.
HouseLogic notes that any kitchen remodeling should be planned over a period of at least six months to ensure the end result is what the homeowner wants and avoid costly changes partway through the project. Mid-project changes can greatly increase construction costs.
Kitchen cabinets
Even if the whole room is not remodeled, kitchen projects can be expensive. One way to lower costs is to undertake smaller projects. For example, rather than replacing cabinets, the Washington Post suggests refacing the existing ones.
If the cabinets themselves are still in good shape, replacing them may be a waste of the home seller's money. Replacing the doors or repainting them may be just as effective in many instances.
There may also be a compromise available for homeowners who choose to reface their cabinets. While existing cabinets will not add storage space, new ones may be added that match the refacing. A few new cabinets can increase storage space without requiring the homeowner to pay for replacements of perfectly functional ones.
Adding value through remodeling
Refacing cabinets rather than replacing them has the advantage of taking less time, resulting in less of a disruption to the current homeowner's life. On the other hand, cheaper options are cheaper for a reason. New cabinets can change the layout of the room, provide additional storage space, and have other advantages. However, all the expense may not be worth these benefits, in some situations.
HouseLogic notes that a product with a substantial warranty may be attractive to home buyers, so current homeowners planning to sell may want to consider warranties when upgrading or replacing fixtures and appliances.
One improvement that many homeowners have done at the same time as cabinet refacing is counter replacement, according to the Washington Post. This way the most visible surfaces match. Since kitchen countertops see so much use in everyday life, home buyers may feel new counters add significant value.
About Coldwell Banker®
Since 1906, the Coldwell Banker® organization has been a premier provider of full-service residential and commercial real estate. Coldwell Banker is the oldest national real estate brand in the United States and today has a network of approximately 83,000 sales agents working in approximately 3,100 offices in 50 countries and territories. The Coldwell Banker brand is known for creating innovative consumer services as recently seen by being the first national real estate brand to create an iPad application and the first to fully harness the power of video in real estate listings, news and information through its Coldwell Banker On LocationSM YouTube channel. The Coldwell Banker system is a leader in specialty markets such as resort, new homes and luxury properties through its Coldwell Banker Previews International® marketing program. Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each office is independently owned and operated.
Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC will never sell or provide information to a third party without your
prior consent.
Click here to see our full Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions of Use
Click here to see our full Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions of Use
Top Tools
close