The kitchen is one of the biggest selling points of a home. If you’ve lived in your house for a while, you may have just “dealt with” some of its outdated flaws. With some quick remodeling steps, you can make the space look fresh and new for potential buyers – ultimately helping you sell your home faster. Here are some fast, money-saving kitchen remodeling ideas for home sellers.
Table of Contents
Paint, Stain, or Seal the Cabinets
If your cabinets look a little dingy, you can brighten them up with a fresh coat of paint. This is a great idea for white cabinets in particular because the white will show dirt and grime easily. You might get away with thoroughly scrubbing the cabinets down, but if not, some fresh paint will do the trick. If you have natural wood cabinets, you may choose to stain them instead. You could also add a fresh coat of polyurethane if the finish is dulled as long as the color is still strong.
Make sure to remove the doors when you paint and take off any hardware (drawer pulls, door handles, etc.). If you want to upgrade the hardware to go with the new paint, go for it. You could also spray paint the existing hardware to make it a different color. Whatever you do, select colors that will be neutral and will appeal to a wide pool of buyers.
If this sounds like too much work, look for a kitchen remodeling contractor that will work with you to keep the costs down. You want to replace only what is absolutely necessary and pay the contractor to do the painting and upgrades.
Add Under-Cabinet Lighting
Under-cabinet lighting is a high-end finish that does not take much work to install. You can buy a lighting kit that mounts under the cabinet, and you can hide the wires with wire supports. This is a subtle change that will make a big impact when people are touring your home. It will also help you bring in more light, which will make the space seem lighter and more inviting.
Update the Light Fixture
Speaking of lighting, you may consider changing the light fixture in the ceiling or above your bar/island. Old brass fixtures and fluorescent lights can make an updated kitchen feel older than it should. You may be able to spray paint the metal on the old lighting to look like brushed nickel or oiled bronze, depending on the style of the light. If not, you can get a new light fixture pretty affordably and install it yourself by following the instructions.
Refinish the Cabinets, Tile, or Countertops
You don’t have to replace your expensive cabinets, countertops, or tile, even if they look dated. New tile is expensive, and it requires a lot of demolition and prep work. As an alternative, you could get the tile and countertops refinished. If you’ve never done this before, it’s best to hire a professional refinisher. The new coating will go directly over your existing materials, and the project can be completed in a matter of hours. There is no time-consuming demolition work and no costly materials to buy. Refinished surfaces are easy to keep clean, and long-lasting. Potential buyers touring your home won’t even know the surfaces are not new.
Paint the Walls
A fresh coat of paint on the walls is just as effective as new paint on the cabinets. Pick a light neutral color that highlights your kitchen’s best features. Cool grey tones are very popular nowadays, but you could choose light tan, soft sage green, or simple off-white. The paint that you use should have a semi-gloss finish because that will be easy to clean, and it will help your kitchen look brighter. Spend a day painting it to perfection, and your home will sell in no time!
Stage the Kitchen
The first step is to remove the clutter – buyers want to see a fresh, clean space. If your countertops are crowded, it sends a subliminal message that your kitchen doesn’t have enough storage space. If you have six chairs, consider removing some. Remove everything except a few eye-catching pieces or consider a few plants.
If you followed along up to this point, your kitchen is probably very neutral in color. When adding a few elements for staging use an accent color or texture. You could add a runner or rug for this effect or simply a bowl of fresh fruit.