If you want to add that bit of wow factor to your house you only have to look as far as the kitchen. Of course the style and decor of other rooms is important, bathrooms can be fitted to exacting standards and gardens can be just so, but the kitchen is really where it’s at and kitchens sell houses. This is the one space where you can truly impress and invariably see a better return than in any other home improvement.
Do kitchens really sell a country property?
Kitchens nowadays are the hub of the house, where families spend time together and around which socialising revolves. To have a kitchen large enough for a spectacular working end, open plan to sofas, tv, woodburner and bi-fold doors spilling onto a terrace is a dream for many and it is no surprise that the majority of house extensions incorporate such an ideal. This, with a large master suite on the first floor above it is the wow factor that turns an often modest home into a very desirable package. Conservatories or oak framed extensions are also often utilised, where a smallish kitchen can be opened up into a stunning space filled with light and linking the outside.
Preparing your kitchen for sale?
From underfloor heating to funky lighting, and everything in between, whether bespoke handcrafted units or flatpack installations, owners can have fun fulfilling their aspirations and a good designer will listen to priorities while not forgetting aesthetics. You have to be careful with the budget, of course; a top notch kitchen will set you back as much as a sleek German coupe, but it’s often best to list the wants and then pear back to affordable levels. There are many gismos that can be added to turn a standard design into a spectacular finish, you just have to know what to compromise on.
There is one bit of crucial advice, however: Do it for yourself. We are often asked whether a kitchen should be replaced before putting a property on the market and the answer is generally no. Kitchens are very personal designs and they are the first thing that buyers would normally rip out and replace. It is heart-breaking to see a relatively new kitchen sitting in the skip, but it does happen, purely because buyers want to be able to inject their own tastes into the most important room in the house and enjoy it for themselves.