Should You Renovate the Kitchen Before Selling?

The kitchen is often seen as the heart of the home. So, for buyers looking to purchase a new house, the condition of the kitchen will be a huge deciding factor. If you’re selling your home, you’ll need to weigh up the costs and rewards of improving and renovating your kitchen before you put it on the market.

In this blog, we explore the pros and cons of renovating your kitchen, analysing whether it will boost the value of your property, and improvements you can make that won’t break the bank. 

How do you know if your kitchen needs renovating?

You’ll first need to assess the condition of your current kitchen before you decide whether you should renovate. Think about how old the kitchen is, and when the last remodel was done. Look at the condition of the cabinets and paintwork, as well as the condition of the appliances.

In cases where the kitchen is simply showing some wear and tear, it might be sufficient to just refresh and repair these parts. However, if the overall look and style of your kitchen is quite outdated, it might be beneficial to renovate it, even if it seems in good condition.

It can be helpful to look at property listings in your local area, to see what the kitchens look like and how much they are being sold for. You can also speak to an estate agent to see what they advise, as they will have a good understanding of the local trends.

Pros of renovating your kitchen before selling

There are a number of potential benefits to renovating your kitchen before you put the property on the market.

More appealing to buyers

A modern kitchen will instantly be appealing to potential buyers. Undertaking a kitchen remodel can help to make your property stand out from others on the market and grab the interest of people who are looking through listings. Many buyers will want a home that they can move into straight away without worrying about doing any costly renovations themselves, so a brand-new kitchen can be a big draw.

Boost property value

A new kitchen can boost the value of the property, sometimes up to 10% of a home’s value. If you renovate your kitchen, you’ll need to balance cost with quality, to get the best ROI. You should aim to use decent, durable materials and a thoughtful, well-designed layout to get the best increase in value.

More offers could mean a quicker sale

By making your home more appealing to buyers, you can help to obtain a quicker sale. You’ll be more likely to avoid your home languishing on the property market with no interest, as a decent kitchen can help to draw in potential buyers. A popular property could also mean you get good offers for your home, as people may be willing to pay more to secure the home.

Cons of renovating your kitchen before selling

There can be some downsides to renovating your kitchen before you sell your home.

Can be costly

A full renovation of your kitchen can be quite expensive. A full kitchen renovation can cost anywhere between £6,200 and £50,000, depending on the size of the space and the work you have done. It can be easy to spend a lot of money, but then you might not see the ROI when it comes to selling the property. Whilst a new kitchen will usually boost the value of the home, you want to ensure you get back the money that you’ve put in. It’s important to create a budget for your kitchen renovation and stick to it, balancing the expense against ensuring a quality job is done.

Can be time-consuming

Renovating your kitchen can take anywhere between a few weeks up to 4-5 months. If you’re extending the space or moving pipes, this will add more time to the project, and you might need to factor in additional time for unforeseen delays. If you know your kitchen needs a full refit, you should be prepared to wait a while for the works to be completed before you can put your property on the market. If a fast sale is more important to you than getting the best price, you might prefer to skip the renovation and sell your home as it is.

Risk of going too bespoke

Kitchens can be highly personalised. It’s easy to design a kitchen to your own personal tastes, but it can be tricky to predict market trends and preferences. What works for one person might not work for someone else, even down to something as simple as the colours of the cabinets. So, it’s important to consider what would work for the broadest audience if you decide to renovate your kitchen, otherwise you could end up alienating a lot of potential buyers.

Budget-friendly renovation tips for your kitchen

There are a lot of smaller, low-cost renovations you can undertake that can help to improve the appeal of your kitchen without spending a lot of time and money.

Painting and tiling

If your kitchen is looking a little worn, sometimes adding a fresh lick of paint can work wonders. This is usually a job you can do yourself and for very little cost. Stick to neutral colours to ensure the broadest appeal. You could also consider redoing any tiling, especially if there are any cracked tiles. You might be able to undertake this yourself, or you could find a professional who should be able to do it fairly cheaply and quickly.

Refreshing cabinets and doors

If the kitchen appears outdated but is in good condition, you might be able to improve the visual appeal just by switching out the cabinet doors. In some cases, you might be able to repaint the current doors, or sometimes it might be better to find replacements. Either option will be a relatively low-cost way of making a significant difference to the overall look of the space.

Upgrading the internal doors can also be a great way of revitalising the room. Often internal doors can face the brunt of a lot of wear and tear and replacing an old door with a fresh new one can instantly enhance the aesthetics.

JB Kind has a huge range of interior doors for your kitchen renovation. Download our brochure or contact us to find out more.