THE KITCHEN IS THE HEART OF THE HOME

by Coldwell Banker Burnet on Tuesday, March 29, 2011 at 11:02am

Easy Kitchen Upgrades To Entice Buyers 

 

Long gone are the days of entertaining guests in your formal dining and living room spaces. One of the biggest trends in real estate over the past several years has been the growing number of homebuyers looking for large, updated kitchens, according to a 2010 AVID Home Design Drivers Study. Ideally, they are looking for kitchens that connect to an open living room and are designed for entertaining. 

“We have certainly seen a trend toward families spending more quality time in the kitchen, and they are really making it the heart of the home,” said Robin Peterson, president of Coldwell Banker Burnet. “Therefore, when selling your home, it is very important to showcase your kitchen’s most prominent features and update it to entice buyers, so that they can picture themselves spending a lot of time in it.”

      Here are a few tips on how to update your kitchen to appeal to a buyer’s preferences today and sell your home faster:

• Islands are a highly desired kitchen accessory. They look sleek and provide convenience with more countertop space and more seating options, all crucial elements sought out by homebuyers. An island serves many purposes such as; cooking, food preparation, eating, and socializing. Your kitchen island can even be utilized as a workspace to tend to projects, pay bills, for the kids to do their homework or take care of miscellaneous needs. You can also add bar stools for seating space.
• Lighting sets the tone of your kitchen’s appeal. It needs to be functional as well as aesthetically pleasing. The key is to strike the right balance between creating the mood and seeing well to prepare meals. A simple trick is to add dimmers to existing lights. Or add task lighting to work areas, such as above the sink or stove.
• Ample seating gives the kitchen a welcoming and cozy feel to make guests more comfortable. Having a variety of different types of seating (bar stools, couch, lounge chair, etc.) allows the room to serve multiple functions.
• Modernize as much as possible. Mismatched appliances can be an eyesore and make the design look messy and unfinished. But, if you don’t have the budget for new appliances, an easy, inexpensive update can be as simple as painting the cabinets and adding new knobs and handles.