The heart of the home is the kitchen. It’s where we prepare for the day ahead, and start to unwind in the evenings. Whether you love or hate cooking, we spend a lot of time in our kitchens and prospective buyers know this. If you’re looking to seriously boost the value of your home, this is one of the best places to start.
Depending on the neighbourhood and the state of the property, remodelling your kitchen can return over 100 per cent of the cost . Yes, kitchens can be the most expensive room to remodel, but it’s where you’re most likely to recoup your investment. Don’t go overboard though. People still want to know your roof doesn’t leak and the basement is dry. There’s no point in splurging on a kitchen if you have to neglect the basics people take for granted in a home.
Be wary about making your kitchen more up market than the rest of your property. For example, don’t spend $60,000 remodelling the kitchen of a quaint three-bedroom bungalow. A deluxe kitchen the size of the living room that doesn’t match the rest of the home is more likely to put people off purchasing. Rather than appreciating the modern, stylish kitchen, they’ll be tallying up how much the rest of the property will cost to renovate.
Read more: How adding a deck can add value to your home
You also won’t get your money back if your kitchen renovations price your home out of the property market. Don’t add $50,000 worth of renovations to a $400,000 home in a neighbourhood where the average house price is sitting at circa $425,000 . You’re unlikely to attract the type of buyer you’re aiming for, limiting the return on your investment.
Rethink colour
When it comes to kitchen renovation ideas that can add value to home, don't underestimate a new paint job. Fresh colours can go a long way to modernising a kitchen, especially if it’s dated by wallpaper or a patterned tile splash-back. White (or variations of white) will never go out of style, but that doesn’t mean you have to be boring. A subdued light grey or muted earth tones can add touches of elegance and class without being overly showy (examples of some popular neutral tones). A new coat of paint is relatively cheap when compared to the rest of a kitchen remodel, but modern, neutral tones can have the most impact. Don’t choose something you’ll love, at the risk of putting off potential buyers. A lime green kitchen may be your dream, but how likely is it to be someone else’s?
Functional
While kitchens should look fantastic, if they don’t work just as well your investment won’t be worth as much. Think of your kitchen’s ‘work triangle’ or sink, stove, and refrigerator. If you have ever tried washing pots and oven trays in a tiny sink, you know the struggle. The reality is, you can never have enough sink! A wide, deep kitchen sink with a high, flexible faucet will make cooking and cleaning up that much easier.
Some kitchens have little nooks or slots for their fridge, which is only good if you want to limit the size of future fridges. As refrigerators get smarter and come with more features, their dimensions change too. Do you want the classic fridge/freezer combo with the small ice box on top, or a larger wardrobe styled, side-by-side fridge freezer. Your current needs may be different to whoever buys your property, and unless you’re including the fridge in the chattels, you want to make sure theirs will fit too. Be generous with your fridge space and don’t box it in.
With ovens, size isn’t everything. For a family home, induction elements are energy efficient and can be turned off very quickly, so are safer around children. For those who love food and entertaining, gas ovens allow for precise cooking control and don’t add extra to the power bill. Rangehoods or ventilation units over the oven will prevent kitchens getting too steamy and will help keep your home dry. More than each separate element in the kitchen ‘work triangle,’ you must think of the relationship between each one and how they will work together within the space you have.
Broad appeal
Even if you’re planning on staying for a few years before you sell, keep the consumer in mind. Yes, you have to use the kitchen and it should have features you enjoy, but it shouldn’t have features only you will enjoy. Try to create a ‘timeless’ style exemplified by good lighting, subdued colours, checkered floors and marble bench tops so it won’t matter whether you sell in one year or five years’ time. Consider the colour, splashback, range hood, benchtops, tap and drawer fixtures and what they come together to create.
Most homebuyers want a house that’s a good investment and cheap to run. Make the choice easy for them when remodelling your kitchen by choosing a reputable and energy efficient oven and stove top. They’re more expensive to buy up front, but the energy savings over time can be considerable. As power prices keep rising, homebuyers will consider anything to help lower their electricity bills.
Want to give your home the best chance of success on the property market? Check out the tips in our free guide:
