Upgrading your kitchen can involve a lot of upheaval, but it’s also one of the few home renovations that yields a good return on investment. Whether you’re planning to flip your home soon or want to make your space more livable, these are the five top value-add kitchen remodel ideas:
1. Refaced Or Replaced Cabinets
Old-school or dreary kitchen cabinets can really dampen a buyer’s enthusiasm, so fresh cabinets are at the top of the upgrade list.
Kitchens in mid- to upscale home markets with heavy competition for buyers may require full replacement. In an average market, though, it’s probably sufficient to stick with the existing cabinet boxes and give them a facelift with new Shaker-style wood panels.
If you’re having a tough time balancing your remodeling budget, it may be enough to update the cabinets with new hardware and drawer pulls.
2. Energy-Efficient Appliances
Your household cook and prospective buyers will both appreciate new, energy-efficient models to replace the existing oven and range and refrigerator.
This value-add upgrade should be high quality and probably stainless steel. It isn’t a good time to cheap out, but you don’t want the overly expensive pro models, either. They might appeal to you, but the buyer may not have the same expensive taste.
Also make sure the models fit with the style of your home’s exterior: traditional with traditional, for example.
3. Granite Countertops Or Solid Surface Lookalikes
Granite counters are luxurious, but they’re what potential buyers in any price range will expect to see. Plan to have them before the For Sale sign goes up.
You won’t need that one-of-a-kind, outrageously priced slab, though. You can usually find at least one local company offering a loss leader version at a good price. At the very least, replace your laminate counter with a solid surface version like pulverized quartz in a pattern that’s designed to look like granite.
4. Beautiful Pendant Lights
Potential buyers place a high value on good kitchen lighting. Even if you’re remodeling for the family, updated lights make a huge difference in a kitchen’s functionality and beauty.
Pendant lights are the best option because they offer ample illumination and can make a big, bold statement. Unlike their recessed lighting counterparts, they can also be beautiful enough to become a focal point for your kitchen design.
Just make sure you match your pendant choice to the scale of the kitchen.
5. Water-Resistant And Resilient Flooring
An updated kitchen floor is a great use of your remodeling budget because it wears well in a space where that’s really important. Worn linoleum and scuff-marked vinyl don’t impress buyers or householders.
The flooring you choose doesn’t have to be fully waterproof but it should be water-resistant and resilient. Good choices are ceramic tile or the kind of luxury vinyl flooring that comes in long plank strips and locks in place to form a reasonably tight seal.