How To Present Kitchens When Selling Your Home

Kitchens have risen to the top of any homebuyer's wish list when house hunting.
Gone are the days when kitchens were seen as spaces of domestic drudge, 'Women only' rooms.

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Todays’ homebuyer will judge the value of the property by its' 'principle rooms' and the kitchen is one of them.

Make no mistake a poorly presented kitchen could loose you a house sale... so pay attention.

The reason kitchens hold so much sway is partly due to the increased importance we now give food, witness the rise of the super chef.

It's also partly to do with fashion. All those sleek new kitchens with exciting high tech gadgets offer the homebuyer an opportunity to make a statement.

Kitchens have become 'Statement Rooms'.

But aside from fashion, kitchens are also places that suit our more relaxed informal way of living. Where the dining room has lost favour as the place to eat, the kitchen is where we most often entertain, be it an informal evening with friends, a relaxed lunch with the family or just a place to sit and chill, read a book or watch TV.

One last reason that kitchens need to be presented at their best.

Buyers perceive kitchens to be the most expensive room to replace and so if you present a kitchen in poor condition you're inviting buyers to drop their asking price or worse loose interest altogether.

Here are my top tips to present your kitchen at its' best when selling.

Clean, Clean, Clean

This is perhaps the most important issue to consider when presenting your kitchen.

Scrub every surface - walls, floors, cupboards (inside & out), tiles and back splashes.

Kitchens not only need to look clean they need to smell & feel clean too.

Bleach drains, clean cooker hoods, hobs and ovens, wash out bins, clean extractor fans. Do what ever you can to make your kitchens sparkle - Think clinical!

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Space

Buyers are buying space and in kitchens this really counts.

If your kitchen surfaces are clutters and full then buyers wont see the potential. They will think that there isn't enough work surface and may dismiss your kitchen as 'too small'.

Clear everything off the kitchen surfaces - toasters, kettles, coffee makers, bread makers, liquidiser, juicers, baby bottle sterilisers, toasted sandwich makers, jars, bottles, utensil holders, books, magazines, etc etc

Then only add back the absolute essentials ... Toaster, Kettle and maybe one other attractive gadget.The rest should be put away – we’ll get to those cupboards in a moment!

You may think that your work surfaces are now looking a little bare ... don't worry you have made space for those buyers to see the potential and we will add some attractive accessories in a moment.

Cupboards & Drawers

Don't think you can get away with cramming all those items that you have just removed from the surfaces into your cupboards.

Time to de-clutter in there too.

Just because the doors are closed doesn't mean that buyers wont want to take a peek to see how much storage space there is.

lf those buyers see cupboards rammed full they will think that there is not enough storage in the kitchen. Worse if they open the cupboards and an avalanche of packets and pans fall out they may get a shock.

When selling, start to pack up all but your everyday items in the kitchen - this will give those cupboards a feeling of space.

See my de-clutter methods in The Property Coach 'Home Staging Handbook' to easily get to grips with the clutter in your kitchen.

Remember to de-clutter on top of those cupboards too!

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Surfaces

Kitchens are hard working spaces and take quite a pounding over the years - Steam, grease, dirt, water, heat & foot traffic all takes its' toll on the decor of the room

Floor - These are most often the most worn in the whole home so pay attention to them. Often an OK kitchen is let down by a tatty floor. Is your lino looking less that great? Think about giving the floor a makeover. If necessary replace the lino. You may find floor boards below, could they be polished up or perhaps painted? If you have carpet in your kitchen …. Time to get rid of it. Carpets in kitchens hold smells and are not popular with house hunters.

Walls & Ceiling - These can quickly be smartened up with a coat of kitchen paint - don't forget to give the walls and ceilings a good scrub to get rid of dust and grease or your paint job will be poor. Choose a more modern shade to give tired decor a lift.

Tiles and splash backs - These are often in need of a good scrub to rid them of grease and watermarks. Consider cleaning the grout with bleach or even re-grouting to give the tiles a new lease of life. If the tiles or splash back are dated consider replacing it with a more neutral finish.

Cupboard doors - There are lots of ways of updating kitchens and one is to update or replace the door and drawer fronts.

If they’re in good condition could they be painted? Use special melamine paint and follow the manufacturers instructions to give those kitchen doors a whole new look.

If they are beyond the pail then why not resurface them or even replace them with new doors. Most good DIY stores have a range or very reasonably priced doors and they usually come in standard sizes. There are also plenty of companies on line who can help.

Work surfaces - These are large surface areas and can have a huge effect on the look and feel of the kitchen. Changing the work surfaces can quickly and cheaply update the whole feel of the kitchen for a very small sum. See the Cardiff Kitchen Case Study for an example of how much of a difference new work surfaces can have on a kitchen.

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Curtains, Blinds & Windows

As with all the rooms in your home, the more natural light the better so pull back the curtains, fully raise the blinds and banish the nets.

Give all the windows a really good clean to let in as much daylight as possible.

If privacy is an issue or the view beyond the window is a little disappointing why not consider using frosting film to give the window an instant frosted look. This will give some privacy or obscure the view beyond but allow maximum light into the kitchen.

As with all the surfaces in the kitchen, curtains and blinds get quite a hammering from steam, grease, heat and general dirt so if they look tatty think about replacing them for a fresh new look.

Lighting

Kitchens are very practical areas that need good lighting. Ensure that all fittings are thoroughly clean and in good working order so that they emit maximum light.

Work surfaces benefit, even during a bright day, from good lighting so consider installing some counter level lighting to increase the appeal of the kitchen.

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Handles, Taps & Knobs

Often you can give the whole feel of the kitchen a lift by replacing the cabinet & sink hardware.

One note to consider, always coordinate the metals in the room.

If you have brass handles on your cabinets then use brass fittings on doors, sink taps etc.

Don’t mix brass and chrome etc

DIY & Maintenance

Again I point out just how hard working an area the kitchen is. For this reason it is often one of the rooms to end up looking quite worn when it comes to selling your home.

Before you get the agent in to value your property take a note book and pen and make a list of the little things that need attention.

The wobbly cupboard doors.
The loose or wonky handles.
The cracked or missing tiles.
The dripping tap.
The old damp patch on the ceiling.
The cracked plug socket.

All these little jobs need attention before you put your home on the market.

Time to get a little (or big) man (or woman) in to put things right.

Last Point

Considering the many different functions we ask our kitchens to perform these days:

Food storage & prep.
Eating space.
Laundry space.
Kids homework space.
Meeting place.
TV room.
Home office space.

It is no wonder that when I'm working with clients I usually spend as much time on the kitchen as I do on the living room, I consider them of equal importance in selling a home.

So if you are looking to find ways to increase your homes valuation and speed of sale then pay attention to your kitchens and present them in the best light possible.

Other rooms covered in this series of articles:

For more advice on how to tackle and stage every room in your home take a look at The Property Coach™ Home Staging Handbook