Kitchen tweaks to add value and appeal

If you’re selling your home, you will be competing with hundreds of other properties on the market. The name of the game is to catch the eye, encourage an enquiry and, ultimately, prompt an offer.

Each one of those points hangs on how appealing your home is and with survey results published by Property Reporter finding that images are the most influential aspect of a property listing – more than a floorplan, the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, and the property description – it pays to present your home in the best possible shape.

Often described as the heart of the home, the style, quality and size of a kitchen can be a pivotal deal-breaker among purchasers. In fact, another recent survey completed by more than 1,000 homebuyers found the kitchen was the number one downstairs space buyers wanted to see.

As well as making your kitchen look more visually appealing for photographs and viewings, making a few adjustments before you go on the market can also add overall value to your home. In our experience, the following three changes really impress buyers and can encourage people to make higher offers, when compared to properties with more dated or less practical kitchens:-

1. Kitchen island

If you have the room, installing a kitchen island will hit the right note with busy families and those that like to entertain. Not only will an island add extra worksurface and storage, it will serve as a central meeting point and may allow you to incorporate a bonus appliance, such as a drinks fridge. Short on space? An L-shaped peninsula is a good alternative – just make sure you include a worktop overhang deep enough to tuck a couple of bar stools underneath.

2. Integrated appliances

Bulky appliances on show can draw the eye – especially if you have a dark-coloured machine slotted in amidst white cabinets. Integrated appliances – those that are hidden behind cabinet doors – instantly make a kitchen feel sleeker and more tidy. Consider integrating your fridge-freezer, dishwasher and washing machine.

3. A larder or pantry

While most of us don’t have a walk-in cupboard to stash cooking supplies and small appliances, it is possible to add a larder or pantry-style cupboard to the main kitchen. Busy households love having a big eye-level storage option with an integral worktop to store breakfast goods, snacks, the toaster and a food mixer – especially as they can shut the doors and hide the clutter!

3 tips for staging your kitchen

If you’re reading this thinking ‘none of the above is practical or possible in my kitchen’, fear not. There are a number of easy-to-action and affordable tips to help add appeal before you sell your home. Why not try the following?

• Ensure your worktops are free of clutter, removing cereal boxes, pots of utensils, recycling and piles of paperwork. It also looks neater if you only leave out the most essential items and don’t use the hob as a place to rest pans or baking trays.
• Some overlooked areas can really stand out in photographs and spoil the look. For the best result, ensure the drum of your washing machine is empty, remove tea towels, store away oven gloves that might be draped over the oven and ensure your dish drainer is empty.
• Depersonalise the space so a buyer can imagine themselves living there. This may involve clearing your fridge-freezer of magnets, taking down children’s artwork and reducing the amount of holiday mementos out on display. You can still add interest with fresh flowers, houseplants or, as cliche as it sounds, a bowl of fruit.

When you book a free, no-obligation valuation with us, we can appraise your kitchen and offer advice when it comes to adding value and appeal. Contact us today to make an appointment.