How much do I cosmetically fix up our kitchen to sell?
We’ve lived with an (inherited) 1988 kitchen with high-quality red laminate cabinets, pale gray Corian counters, and black appliances for 15 years. I didn’t like the red/gray but made the best of it (photo 1). Two years ago, in a small budget makeover, I put bar handles on the cabinets, redid the backsplash with stainless steel tiles, and painted the counters to have a black granite look (it was great for testing out dark counters, not so great for wear and tear). (photo 2)
We’re still a few years away from putting the house on the market, but in the past year I’ve had 3 different realtors look at the kitchen. They all loved the big windows and light in the kitchen (photo 3) and were united in telling me to replace the 3 appliances with stainless steel. But then they each had different advice for the cabinets and counters: 1) rip out and replace the red cabinets with custom wood cabinets + replace the counters with granite (no “best colors” were given to me); 2) reface the laminate cabinets in a neutral wood or white facing + redo the counters in a inexpensive laminate; 3) do nothing; the next people will just rip it out. (Note that we have a “starter” house and don’t expect people with big budgets to buy it.)
So I would like to hear others’ opinions about how much to fix up for a low-cost sale (there’s too many other issues with our house, like oil heat and septic, to get a good price). Friends have told me they would “walk out of” a house with these red cabinets, so it seems like something I have to address. What’s stymied me so far is having to redo a kitchen for mythical other people, not for my taste. In 2013, what is the best “neutral” choice of cabinet colors and counters I should do? (The medium gray ceramic floor is not changing.) Maybe if I get a preponderance of advice in one direction I can choose a course of action. (If your advice is that I should hire a designer, that’s fine, too.) Thanks.
We’re still a few years away from putting the house on the market, but in the past year I’ve had 3 different realtors look at the kitchen. They all loved the big windows and light in the kitchen (photo 3) and were united in telling me to replace the 3 appliances with stainless steel. But then they each had different advice for the cabinets and counters: 1) rip out and replace the red cabinets with custom wood cabinets + replace the counters with granite (no “best colors” were given to me); 2) reface the laminate cabinets in a neutral wood or white facing + redo the counters in a inexpensive laminate; 3) do nothing; the next people will just rip it out. (Note that we have a “starter” house and don’t expect people with big budgets to buy it.)
So I would like to hear others’ opinions about how much to fix up for a low-cost sale (there’s too many other issues with our house, like oil heat and septic, to get a good price). Friends have told me they would “walk out of” a house with these red cabinets, so it seems like something I have to address. What’s stymied me so far is having to redo a kitchen for mythical other people, not for my taste. In 2013, what is the best “neutral” choice of cabinet colors and counters I should do? (The medium gray ceramic floor is not changing.) Maybe if I get a preponderance of advice in one direction I can choose a course of action. (If your advice is that I should hire a designer, that’s fine, too.) Thanks.
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Good luck.
I would not remodel the kitchen as you do not know the future buyer's tastes. My parents remodelled a ktichen prior to sale and the new owners ripped it out straight away as it was not their taste!
1. If you look past the red, ultra contemporary look, you have a very functional kitchen with good quality frameless cabinets. You've done a great job of making the red, contemporary look work better for you. Whatever you do...don't tear them out!
2. Listen to the "potential buyers" for your house - your friends. They've said they'd turn around and walk back out and they're reaction is dead on. Buyers won't be able to see beyond "contemporary", "cold", and "red". You want to "rule in" 90% of the buyers not rule them out. So, the door and drawer fronts need to go.
3. Replace them with a professionally finished Shaker door style in a soft white so the contemporary white interiors (vs. light maple) won't be as noticeable. Replacement doors can be purchased at Home Depot and other places. The investment you make can make the difference between not selling at all vs. making more than you would have otherwise.
You're very smart to be anticipating the re-sale value of your house in advance. I'm doing the same thing. The realtor in me won't let the designer in me put in the kitchen I really want! A contemporary one! I know it's not really right for this house and bad for re-sale. Good luck!
[houzz=Vacation home, kitchen][houzz=The Manchester]
Remodel, period. And enjoy your efforts for the remaining time you're there.
I swear, stainless steel appliances and granite counter tops are the only words realtors know. They should print it on their business cards. But that's not the only way.
Maximize your return on investment. Keep it simple and inexpensive. White cabinets, white appliances, high quality laminate countertops. Your back splash is very nice, good job.
Real estate agents always want a quick and easy sale for themselves. They don;t care how much money you spend or whether you get your money back.
I don't think you would get the money back out from a kitchen upgrade, especially not if you count the value of the time you will spend selecting the new kitchen, cleaning out the old kitchen, moving everything into the new kitchen, the time and cost of eating out when you have no usable kitchen, etc. You might get the dollar cost of the materials back, but not the true cost of your life's energy. You bought that house despite the kitchen and someone else will also. Plus higher sales price equals more commission, higher fees, and fewer potential buyers. I would rather have a high quality out of style element than some quickie update someone did on the cheap.
what is starter house price where you are located?
I'm not a big fan of that style kitchen but it wouldn't turn me off if it was in tip top condition!
I agree with this:
I would rather have a high quality out of style element than some quickie update someone did on the cheap.
Personally I like the kitchen- it's so NOT boring!
Good luck with your sale!
Would I go searching tomorrow for a house with a red kitchen? Probably not. If I found this kitchen, would I embrace it? You betcha.
Yes, there are changes to be made. Most likely, when the house is eventually sold, the buyer will at the very least replace appliances. When the time comes to sell, if you haven't already had to replace them, make an allowance in your selling price.
I completely agree with Feeny - I'd love this kitchen any day in favor of builders grade anything or worse, builders grade anything painted white!
FWIW, the only change you've made where I preferred the original is the countertop. I preferred the lighter shade. It's hard to tell the condition of the original though so this may have been a 'no choice' modification.
What starter house buyers do not have (usually) is extra cash for buying new appliances. There is no way to predict now if you can recoup your money on expensive redos of the laminate finish. You certainly are very unlikely (statistically) to get your money back on new cabinets. I've seen a lot of low-budget-grade remodels made just before selling get thrown out completely by the new owners.
It is definitely worth getting a quote for new doors and drawer fronts in some anodyne wood finish or painted wood finish. And it is also worth getting a quote for a complete suite of starter house level appliances (GE or Kenmore or Frigidaire, not Thermador).
I know the feeling.
A tiny kitchen with a single 24x24 inch countertop (my son's prior apt)
A kitchen without a window
A ramshackle kitchen with different height counters and mismatched cabinets
A kitchen where the refrigerator is in a different room or on the back porch
A kitchen with an eighth inch gap between the pieces of a mitered countertop corner
A kitchen with a shallow, tinny sink and plastic "chrome" faucet
A kitchen with greasy, grimy cabinets
Yep, those are all kitchens I've seen recently in starter homes in my area...bring on red!
True, we aren't professional home sellers, but Houzz users are home buyers. I sold two houses in 2012, one with a very nice kitchen and one with a rather odd kitchen with uppers starting at 60", a 6 foot sliding glass door in a room 7 1/2 feet wide and a powder blue sink. And the buyers with the blue sink were thrilled...it was clean, had an excellent faucet and no way could they have afforded a new Kohler cast iron sink in white. In fact, they were thrilled with the opportunity to buy that starter house despite the less than perfect kitchen because it was their kitchen with a door to their back yard for their kids to enjoy. Starter house buyers buy houses they can afford, quirks and all
While your friends say they'd walk out if looking at that kitchen, they aren't in the market for a house.
When I was looking to buy in Britain 15 years ago, there was a mania for trading up by renovating and reselling. Kitchens were a standard room that was redone. While some of the renovations were nice, a lot weren't. I paid attention to kitchen cabinet quality, since I figured new, cheap cabinets would look lousy in 5-10 years.
First of all, I think your kitchen is awesome! It's so fun and unique! Unfortunately, I completely understand what the realtors you've spoken to are saying. Most people would not want to deal with this kitchen, as fabulous as it is. Just from what I've noticed about what is popular today, you would be best served painting your cabinets white. I wouldn't bother refacing or replacing them, white is very popular and clean, modern lines are better than overly traditional wooden cabinets. Keep the hardware and the backsplash, and if you can afford it, it may be a good idea to upgrade the appliances to stainless. A lot of people look at appliances that are not stainless and automatically see 'outdated' even if they're brand new. As for the counter tops, granite is very popular, and a dark color like what you've already got going on would be a good idea, dark counters contrasting with white cabinets is another popular look currently. I've also noticed that the trend is to shy away from a natural stone counter with too much movement. Quartz is becoming more and more popular as a counter top as well, and I'm not sure, but I believe that granite and quartz are pretty comparable as far as price is concerned. Below are images of Cambria's granite Durham, and Silestone quartz in Dinux. Just some ideas and input for you, good luck!
When you sell in a few years, small updates can make a difference. Lighting, a cool new faucet, and minor trendy decor additions will show your home's best assets. It is important to neutralize, clear clutter, repair & maintain when you are ready to sell.
The cupboards are livable for present use, and easy to customize for the future. You neutralized the floor and backsplash. Don't worry!
Been said before but leave it as is. One brilliant person suggested offering a credit to the buyer for upgrading. YES!!!
The only change I would make into the flooring. It doesn't seem to be the same as in the lively dining area. A nice darker gray tone set on the 45 degree angle would look nice.
If you take everything off the walls, off the countertop and be absolutely SPARE with eye-popping items in the corner cabinet, the kitchen will look great and "on purpose" which would appeal to buyers.
Wait for appliances--like was mentioned, black may come back in and stainless on the way out in a couple of years.
Two extra bits of info: "starter" homes in my area are selling for around $400,000 (we bought 15 years ago for $260K and have put another $100K into it over the years). And I had a cabinet refacer stop by today and he gave me a quote of $5400 for Shaker-style white or cherry facing. Along with a new counter and new stainless appliances, I figure it would cost around $15,000. And that doesn't include painting, lighting, wall treatments, and new floor for some future fussy buyer! So I'll have to do a cost/benefit analysis considering that some of the other flaws of the house are irremediable (did I mention the sloping driveway & backyard and that there's only 2 legal BRs—the 3rd one is on the lower level and no CofO o-: )
Well, I know at least one thing: declutter when the time comes. Maybe I'll also see if I can remove the black on the counters (doubtful). Thanks again to all past and future posters for your wonderful input!
I think of a starter house as something a young couple with two blue color jobs can afford without resorting to bringing in a relative to help with the bills. So, my idea of a starter house kitchen is one with an attractive paint job on the walls, clean and uncluttered counters, reasonable number of cabinets in a functional layout with safe appliances. Anything more than that is just icing on the cake.
Since we all come from vastly different marketplaces, I asked about the price of starter homes (and accidently missed the reply) to get a feel for the reasonable expectations of buyers in that particular marketplace. I can't expect to directly translate my experience with starter house kitchens to that poster's situation. I live in a locality where starter homes are all about functionality, size, price and condition teamed with a few undesirable features which might be truly tiny bedrooms (8 x 9), single bath, no garage, no basement, almost no lot, busy street etc. Those houses are ones I describe as starters, houses which meet the most basic needs of the buyer but don't set anyone's heart aflutter.
My marketplace is trying to provide the nicest affordable housing I can for people on modest incomes. And, yes, I believe that my buyers are defined by their aspirations, not their lifestyles as for many of them home ownership is a dream and a life goal, not an expectation. Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home.
I have to say that I liked the old, lighter countertops better - I think the white and red feels more modern than the red and black (kind of retro). You will have to see what new counters would cost. If your counters didn't have a rounded edge, I would say that you could use a granite tile. I would go with a white, whether man made or maybe even a marble. I wouldn't spend a lot of money, whatever you do. If you do put new countertops in, however, I would consider switching the sink and the dishwasher. It seems odd to me that the sink looks into a shelf and the DW has the view! If you want to spend some money, put in a good undermount sink and great faucet.
Again, I wouldn't do it now, but I do think that appliances in st. st. - or whatever the latest and greatest is in a few years - might really help. This is kind of a personal bias, though. I'm just not a big fan of black appliances. If brand new homebuyers on HGTV are to be believed, they ALL want st. st. appliances more than they want a particular cabinet style or color.
In the final analysis, I tend to go with those who say to wait until you are closer to the actual sale to decide what and how much to do. Unless the market does a miraculous turnaround, I definitely wouldn't put a whole new kitchen in, no matter what any realtor says. In order to make the best decision on how much to spend and where, you are going to need a much more immediate pulse on the market in your neighborhood, too.
IMO this is yet more proof that trying to appease "The Buyer" doesn't work simply because "The Buyer" isn't a collective group-think.
A kitchen reno is not a convenient thing to live through, and you cannot even be sure what style cabinets will appeal to potential buyers even if you do go ahead and replae the red.....a lot can change in kitchen trends by 3 years from now.
The current red kitchen, however, could be that deal-brreaker when buyers narrow things down between multiple houses.
One way to keep your house in the running while not having to do a thing to your kitchen is to simply price your home at a firm price with the addition of a $10-15,000 "allowance" (detailing the refacing, countertop, appliances, etc. you mentioned). The allowance, however, would be contingent on if they offer actual "asking price". The real estate agent can explain that the allowance is for refacing (as opposed to replacement) since the layout is functional, and that you like the kitchen the way it is but realize red is not for all buyers.
This way, you don't have to live through a remodel someone may not like---or worse---tear out anyhow.
The key in this being successful would be to make sure you priced your home fairly (don't automatically inflate asking price by $15k to make up for the allowance). Afterall, most buyers come in offering $10-$15k less than asking price in the first place. This could eliminate the whole back-and-forth negotiations, sell your house quickly, and save you the hassle / dust / inconvenience of renovating.
You could also add allowances for your other issues too (septic, etc), contingent on that asking price.
I think it's beautiful as is, but not everyone will like a "red" kitchen. If you plan on selling, neutral colors will expand the range of buyers and that doesn't mean you have to drain your pockets. Reface the cabinets, with woodgrain, white, or cream and replace countertops with a nice quality Corian that resembles a granite or marble look. When I think of neutral colors, I think of tans, grays, whites, creams, and pale primary colors.
Make it easy for the purchaser to imagine his or her belongings to match the kitchen, seamlessly. Most homebuyers don't mind minor changes, but the size of your market drops, understandably, with major renovations.
With a kitchen remodel, you will see that it is money well spent, and if done right, your home's value will increase.
Let me just say, once more, I LOVE it! It's got the soda -shop chic look!
Many people are commenting on how much they like the look, but ask one of them if they plan on buying your house when you sell. Too many people will see the red cabinets and say "NO" and move on to something neutral, with the ability to make it their own for a small amount of money spent on accents. While many of us personally like the way the kitchen looks on our computer screen, we all know eventually the novelty will wear off, and the red cabinets will have to go.
When selling a house, appeal to the MAJORITY, not the MINORITY, and everyone involved will be happy.
By the way--- there is no rule that states the higher the price, the better the look. Laminate countertops are substantially less expensive than granite, quartz, or marble and there are some very nice options available at all of the popular big- box home improvement stores.
What year was your house built? If it has any historical significance. there will be a buyer, and most likely a buyer who wants to "restore". If it is more generic, then your pool of buyers will probably increase, but will also increase the number of potential buyers with little vision. I'm not trying to sound snarky here, but that's who the realtors are suggesting you appeal to. So it's all a balancing act.
Again, I think it would really behoove you to wait until you get closer to your selling point to make big changes. How about this: as I outlined previously, change SOME of the cabinet finishes to dark wood, white, or st. st. with a longer term plan in mind to perhaps get rid of the red completely by refacing if the market demands that you do so. That way, you can work in small increments - both from a financial and design standpoint - to maximize your profit. In the meantime, you will have the benefit of living in a kitchen you like more. Do something about the countertops (this would be the time to add a new sink and faucet), add the finishes I've suggested, perhaps some new pendant lights. Appliances can be changed the day before you list it, if it comes to that!
Back to another topic: why is your basement bedroom not legal? Egress issues, or simply closet space? Whatever it is, having this 3rd bedroom will net you more than pouring money into a kitchen remodel that the next buyer may not like!
Corian can be sanded. I'd return the counters to the original, but that will be a mess for sure.
You have to trust your instincts here. Some people may well love the red kitchen. You need to think about the professional advice you have received, as well as your own assessment - we've only seen a couple of pictures, you have actually lived in the space.
From the photos, it seems that you have gorgeous windows and green views so I would be working overtime to emphasize this - a clean white kitchen will not scream for attention like the red does.
If your gut feeling is that the red is too overpowering then I would paint the cabinetry a clean white colour that would work with the grey floors, and if the budget extends, also replace the countertops (or could you restore the old corian?)
I repainted a 1950's kitchen with laminate paint, and painted the splashbacks with tile paint. Even though the kitchen was still old, it looked fresh and clean with a lick of paint. It was a cheap, fast solution that meant the kitchen would be workable for the majority of people. I blogged about it here if you want to see the change: http://www.thislittlehouse.com.au/hells-kitchen-my-kitchen-rules-the-progress/
Good luck!
:) Elise
it soon began to peel off. If you are going to DYI tile paint I would do it just before the house goes on the market and try not to use the kitchen till the house sells as I don;t think these tile paints can stand washing/dirt etc
You have good friends - frank advice is not easy to get. Unless, you had just told her a home truth and she spat back at you, "Oh yeah? Well, well... well if I was a buyer and I saw your kitchen I would take one look and walk OUT"