A kitchen is one of the most important rooms of a property, and one of the key things potential buyers will be looking at when choosing a new home.
It plays a big role in the overall value of a house, and the boost your home’s value gets from a well-considered renovation can definitely outweigh the costs involved.
Space
Space is absolutely crucial to maximising the value of a home, and kitchen space has an especially big impact. Buyers will almost invariably favour a house with a bigger kitchen over a smaller, pokier one so you should put plenty of effort into maximising space and avoiding a layout that will make the room feel cramped. In some cases, even extending the kitchen can pay for itself through the increase it gives to the value of the property.
Storage
Room to move around in is not the only kind of space you should be thinking about in your kitchen renovation. It is definitely worth investing in plenty of space for pots, pans, utensils, and crockery to be neatly tidied away. Think about the different kinds of storage, especially if trying to maximise the potential of a relatively compact kitchen. Cupboards, drawers, racks, and overhead storage all have their roles to play. Think also about practicalities, for example making some draws deep enough to hold larger pans.
Décor and Lighting
Freshly-painted walls or gleaming new tiles will make a kitchen look far more attractive to potential buyers of the property. Go for neutral colours for the widest possible appeal if your chief goal is to maximise value, but try to pick something a bit more interesting than off-white. A well-lit kitchen will also look much more attractive, and will also appeal to potential buyers on a practical level; it is easier to see what you are doing in a kitchen with plenty of light. Décor and lighting can also help create the illusion of more space, again heightening its appeal.
Appliances and Facilities
Another key thing that fitted kitchens will be judged by is the quality of the cooking facilities on offer. After all, though a kitchen may serve other purposes and can be a hub of the home; its primary use is still as a place to cook. The better it serves this purpose, the more attractive the kitchen will be to buyers, and the more value it will give to the home it forms a part of. Outfitting the kitchen with high-quality and up-to-date appliances that offer a full range of functionalities and facilities will really help to sell the kitchen and the property as a whole. It is usually best not to skimp too much on appliances that are considered optional – a dishwasher, especially, often carries a lot more value than it is given credit for. Appliances should be considered from an aesthetic point of view as well as a functional one, as the choice of colour and finish becomes a major feature of the décor.
