Selling your home? Should you update the kitchen?
To Update or Not To Update, That Is The Question…
In our area (Cary, NC) and most areas, the kitchen is the heart of the home and what can make or break an offer. So if your kitchen is looking a little outdated, but it is time to move on to another home, the question stands: to update or not to update (and what to update).
Let’s look at a simple case in point. We currently have a home for sale in a desirable neighborhood in Cary, NC. This piece of property has a wonderful lot with mature trees, great deck and patio, manicured lawn, great curb appeal and a FABULOUS screened in porch (or 4 season room).
Isn’t it beautiful? Almost like a showroom…
The floor plan is great and versatile enough for a retiring couple, family with small children or a house full of teenagers. What’s the kicker? The kitchen. It is in need of some (not tons) updating. The cabinets are in very good shape and the layout is good, but the solid surface counter tops give it a dated, tired, older look.
Now, are these just my impressions? No. This home has had many, many showings (more than 30!), but the feedback is almost all the same. Great sun room/screened in porch, great lot, etc., but the kitchen looks dated/the kitchen needs updating/client doesn’t want to take on hassle of updating the kitchen/client is looking for granite counter tops. You get the gist.
It has been on the market a while and we have all this feedback, what to do?
My suggestion: replace the countertops. Cost? Approximately $4,800. I think it gives you the biggest bang for the buck. Once the granite is installed, the whole kitchen looks like new, even the cabinets and floors feel warmer. Will it make that much of a difference? Take a look at another home where we replaced the countertops with granite and see what you think:
BEFORE AFTER
Doesn’t it look warmer, more inviting, more updated? What do you think?
To Update or Not To Update?
January 23rd, 2008 at 5:27 pm
Another fine article. My problem when we come across this before selling is, where to start and where or when does it end? What colors, will the buyer be replacing the entire kitchen, etc. In your example it’s pretty clear you made the right choice given the feedback. Were you able to sell it and did the buyer appreciate the new countertops?
Robert Gosalvez
Sunnyvale Real Estate
January 23rd, 2008 at 11:36 pm
This is an easy and cheap way to update your house.I found the greatest LED light system on a website called http://www.wildideaslightco.com. I was able to install them myself in an afternoon. Now my deck meets the new ANSI standards and looks fabulous. The cost was about half of anything else I saw and the lights are “green”(made my wife happy). Click on “Specials” to find the great deal. It was $129.00 for 10 lights and the power source. With this system I able to add another 50 lights and still only needed the one power source. Best of all, the power source is small and the tiny lights give off double the light at a fraction of the power. I can’t wait to try the miniature lights in the den. Sweet Deal!!
January 30th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
That’s a very good question. Where does it end?
In another home we are about to list, it started with the light fixtures and continued to the countertops. There is always more, but at some point you have to stop.
In the home I described in my post, we haven’t made the change yet, but they have had an offer. The sellers have started to think, ‘If this offer doesn’t work out, maybe we should do the counters…’.
Jennifer