Dear Why 6 Percent Broker,

I would really value your opinion about the appearance of my kitchen.  Our home has been on the market for 6 months.  Our MLS listing has generated several  showings, but no one has made an offer.   I think the biggest turn off in our house is the kitchen and I would like to know what you think about it.  I emailed this photo, so you can see it for yourself.  I really need your opinion about updating the kitchen, without spending a lot of money.   Would you mind giving us a few suggestions that would help our home sell?

Thank you, C Dalton

Dear Ms Dalton,

You are right in your assumption that the kitchen is the heart of every home.    You are also correct about the fact that an outdated kitchen can stop a potential sale.  Even if your home is priced under the market, homes that are in “move in” condition, simply appeal to a much wider audience.

The good news is that your kitchen looks spacious and its “L” shape is functional and popular.   This means you can update your kitchen and increase the appeal, without spending a lot of money.   Here are a few suggestions that won’t bust your budget and will likely increase your saleablility.

1. Remove the Wallpaper and Repaint the Walls:  First of all, a coat of fresh paint always provides more bang for the buck than anything else a homeowner can do.  Your yellow kitchen walls are bright and sunny, but people tend to like yellow or hate it.  I think you should repaint the walls with a nice neutral color and use a satin finish paint.  You don’t want the kitchen to be shiny (gloss) or too flat and hard to wipe clean(flat paint).  You can possibly get away with painting over the wallpaper versus removing it.  If the paper is really stuck to the wall, you can buy a Primer at Sherwin Williams that was made for this purpose.
2. Replace the Countertops:  Your countertops age the room and make neutralizing your kitchen very difficult.   New Formica or laminate countertops offer a fresh new look, without spending much money.  You can also consider tile countertops without busting your budget.  Tiling costs about the same as a laminate and provides more function (cut or place hot pans on it) with a custom look.  Depending upon the price range of your house, you can even consider using granite tiles for a really expensive look.  Installing granite tiles gives you the look of granite slab at a fraction of the cost.
3. Remove the Scroll Moulding over the Cabinets:  It may be a small thing, but this type of moulding is busy on the eye and is outdated.  It also appeals to very few buyers.  I suggest that you remove the moulding entirely.  If you need a moulding to hide gaps between the cabinets and furdowns, use a simple quarter round or crown moulding instead.  Paint the new moulding white to match the cabinets.
4. Update the Cabinet and Drawer Hardware:  New door and cabinet pulls sold at DIY centers like Home Depot or Lowes go along way in updating a kitchen.  In addition to a wide selection, the prices are very reasonable for a kitchen your size.   If you can’t decide on a style, visit a few builder model homes and choose a type similar to the ones they select.  To make installation easy, choose handles or pulls that line up with the holes that are already drilled in your cabinets.  If the new holes don’t align with the old ones, you will have to fill the holes and touch up the paint.
5. Declutter:   Buyers like kitchens that appear spacious, without clutter, and offer plenty of countertop space.  You should remove the papertowel dispenser that is hanging below the cabinet and hide it inside the sink cabinet.   Remove all the small appliances, spices, bags of potatoes and cooking instruments that line your countertops and hide them out of view.   Kitchen’s should also be spotlessly clean.   The sink should sparkle and all the dishes should be stored in their proper place.   Clean out your cabinets, drawers and pantry.  Move any items that aren’t used daily into storage boxes.   The idea here is to create as much usable storage space as you can.   If a buyer see crammed drawers and cabinets, they will assume that your kitchen doesn’t have enough storage space for their needs, either.
6. Vent-a-Hood and Oven:   The vent-a-hood and oven should blend in with the cabinets.  Buy some spray paint for metal applications.   Tape off the area and ID plates, then spray the appliances white to match the cabinets.

Thank you for writing to Why6Percent.com.   Hopefully, the suggestions are in line with your thinking and your budget.   I am confident that you are on the right track about the kitchen freshen up.  Buyers will certainly appreciate the improvements and the bonus is that you will enjoy them, too.  Good luck on your sale and please keep us posted. 

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