Home Improvements: Kitchen edition

When it comes to home improvements, there are certain things that you can do to help resale value and other things that will only cost you money. If you are thinking about selling your home in Sarasota and want to do some upgrades to get the most money for your home or if you just bought your home and want to do some remodeling, keep in mind that not everything you do to the house will affect the value of it. In this weeks blog post we are just going over upgrades/improvements that you can do to your kitchen that make the value of the house go up. We will also cover what might be worth upgrading depending on your home. Of course, if you are planning to stay in that home feel free to go crazy and spend $150,000 on that new kitchen. 

Kitchen Upgrades That Are Worth The Cost

There are many different ways that you can add value to the heart of the home. Both cost effective things like adding a new coat of paint and updating the handles on the cabinets and more expensive things like adding an island or updating to energy efficient and stainless steel appliances. Here is a full list of things that you can do to your kitchen in order to improve the resale value. 

1. New floors- Replace that old tile or damaged hardwood floor. Make sure if you do get new floors for the kitchen that it flows throughout the whole house, it is an eye sore when there are many different types of flooring in a home. Buyers prefer to have flooring that is seamless throughout the whole house or have smooth transitions from room to room so keep that in mind. If you can't decide on a floor, hardwood seems to be the most requested I would say. 
2. A fresh coat of paint - Now don't go crazy with the color on this one, think grey, off-white, or cream colors. Something neutral because I am sure that the next buyer will come in and paint it a different color. Painting it helps the buyer envision themselves in the home better and by keeping it neutral it wont distract from the home itself.
3. New cabinets/painted cabinets - This is a big one. The cabinets determine both the kitchen functionality and the aesthetic appeal of the kitchen. If you are planning to upgrade more things in the kitchen like the appliances and the countertops and make it feel more modern, I would suggest replacing those old cabinets and not just painting over them or they might stick out more and negatively impact the kitchen look. On the other hand, painting cabinets with an accent color can give the kitchen a fresh new look and it is more cost effective. 
4. Appliances - This will cost a few thousand dollars, but it will definitely improve the value especially if your current appliances are older and need updating. Everyone looks for stainless steel appliances when looking to buy a new house, so if you have the money and want to improve the value, buy stainless steel. 

Kitchen Upgrades That Might Be Worth It

1. Modern Light Fixtures - Good lighting makes the kitchen feel more high-end and designer. I once heard that lighting is like jewelry on a basic outfit, it makes it pop more. Why it might not be worth it is if you already have decent lights in your kitchen, there is no need to add pricey custom lighting that the new homeowner may not like. If you are still rocking the fluorescent lights , maybe it is time to consider a more modern light fixture. 
2. A New Kitchen Island - Yes, a lot of buyers love a kitchen island for the extra space it gives for food prep. It serves as a great location for a gathering area, but if your kitchen doesn't have the room, or it doesn't make sense then it might not be worth it. Sometimes adding an island will ruin the flow of the kitchen and make it look more cluttered. A great alternative is adding a rolling island that will add the same effect. 
3. Backsplash - If your backsplash is worn or outdated, then it might be worth it to replace. If you don't have a backsplash it is definitely worth it to add this. Remember to keep it neutral and don't get anything too bold. The most popular backsplash materials are ceramic or procyclin tile

Kitchen Upgrades That are Not Worth It

1. Bold Paint Colors - While you might want lime green on your kitchen walls, the next buyer will not. Keep the wall colors neutral like whites and creams and greys. 
2. Specialized Appliances - A built in pizza maker or ice machine would be very cool in a kitchen, but most likely will not add to the value of the house. 
3. High-tech Faucets - Leave the touchless faucets for the houses on HGTV, while cool, it will not translate to resale value.