Kitchens sell homes. That is a tested and proven fact. A beautiful kitchen can be the deal maker for a hesitant buyer, and an ugly kitchen can be a deal breaker. If you’re remodeling a kitchen to sell a house, you need to spend your money wisely. Here are some tips from our professional kitchen designers at O’Hanlon Kitchens.
Should I Remodel or Give the Buyer a Remodeling Credit?
Before you remodel your kitchen to sell your house, you might be tempted to leave it as is. Accept a lower asking price or provide a kitchen remodeling credit within the sale. Easy, right? The problem with this option is that you’ll turn away a significant amount of buyers from the start. They see remodeling as a huge undertaking, and they simply don’t have the time for it. If you have the right design and invest your money in the right places, you’ll end up with a fast sale that covers your remodeling costs.
1 – Stick to a Neutral Color Pallet
This is a good idea for any kitchen remodel, but it is especially important when you’re remodeling to sell a house. You want to appeal to the widest possible pool of buyers. Neutral colors will accomplish that. Buyers can easily see their décor working in the home because the pallet goes with anything. Choose whites, greys, tans, cream colors, and other neutrals for your kitchen design.
2 – Maintain a “Less Is More” Design Approach
You can add nice details for the kitchen, but don’t go overboard. This will cost you more money and may limit your buyer pool. Stick with clean, simple cabinet doors and minimal crown molding on the top. Buyers can always add to the base design later on, but they may not be able to subtract from it.
3 – Improve Functional Issues with the Existing Kitchen
Function is always the most important aspect of remodeling. Buyers can look past some minor design flaws if the overall flow of the kitchen makes sense. What issues have you had with the existing layout? What features are buyers likely to notice? The most common functional issue is a lack of storage, so you may need to reconfigure the space. We can help you do that during your kitchen design consultation.
4 – Avoid Over-Improving the Kitchen
Because you’re remodeling to sell a house, you want to maximize your return on investment. If you spend too much in the wrong areas, you may not get that money back in the sale. Don’t buy the most expensive granite available if there is a less expensive option that is equally appealing. Focus on the most important upgrades first, and then add to that list as the budget allows.
5 – Look at Kitchens in Comparable Homes
It would be a good idea to look at the comps in your area to see what comparable homes have recently sold for. What did the kitchens look like in those homes? That gives you an idea for what buyers expect at this price point. You may see that you need to invest even more to keep up with the competition, or you may find that you’re doing more than what the other homeowners did. You can scale up or scale down based on what the comps tell you.
6 – Be Realistic with Your Timeline
Kitchen renovation can be a time-consuming process, but it doesn’t have to be. It all depends on what you choose to change. O’Hanlon Kitchens offers a 10-day direct replacement program, where we swap out your cabinets and countertops. You can change out the bulk of your kitchen within just 10 days. If you want to completely change the layout or replace every feature in the kitchen, that’s going to take more time. Plan for this well in advance so your kitchen is ready when your home hits the market.
7 – Work with a Kitchen Remodeling Company You Can Trust
No matter what type of kitchen remodeling you do to sell your house, you need contractors you can trust. Work with an experienced kitchen renovation company that has the tools and expertise to address your needs. O’Hanlon Kitchens has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, and we’ve won numerous awards for kitchen designs and customer satisfaction. We service many communities in Maryland and Pennsylvania, and we would love to work with you. Contact us at 443-285-0558 to schedule your kitchen remodeling consultation.
