Katie Georgeson is the Brand Manager at British kitchen appliance manufacturer, Stoves. Here, she shows how to increase the value of your kitchen in five simple steps.
We all love making our homes ours through our interior design choices, whether it’s finally getting that perfect colour match or updating your appliances to the more sleek, compact and stylish models.
The kitchen is an important space for many of us, with reports from Lloyds Bank showing that one third of people said they spent most of their time at home in the kitchen, with over half of them using the space to entertain friends there. This not only seems to suggest that your kitchen should be stylishly designed, but also that you should look for high-quality fixtures and fittings that will stand up to the frequent wear and tear they see.
Increasing the value of your kitchen can be a great way of bringing up the value of your whole property. But before you go ahead with big changes, consider what the return on these investments will be like: there’s little to no profit to be made from spending a fortune on a completely new kitchen, as you aren’t likely to make this back. Instead, go for simple and inexpensive updates that will make your kitchen more appealing to prospective buyers.
So, if you’re looking for some inspiration on how to add value to your kitchen, read on to find my 5 top tips for doing so.
Give it a fresh coat of paint
No matter how careful you are, those white walls are never guaranteed to stay white forever. Giving your kitchen a quick colour refresh — particularly one that is currently on trend — will add a sense of class and cleanliness to your kitchen, making it more appealing to everybody.
However, keep statement walls and bold hues to a minimum as these might not be to everybody’s taste. Introducing a universal favourite, like cream, light grey, or pale blue will appeal more to prospective buyers, so keep it simple yet stylish.
Replace old appliances
Items as small as kettles and toasters can really make a difference as to how your kitchen is perceived by visitors and prospective buyers. Even if they’re the trustiest of appliances, if they’ve seen better days you should be thinking about switching them for some sleek new ones which co-ordinate to your current or upcoming kitchen colour scheme.
Larger appliances like the fridge and cooker will be standout pieces in your kitchen, so choose ones that are finished to a high-quality. But, be sure that investing in these will make you a substantial profit, rather than a loss when you decide to sell.
Create a functional layout
Take significant time to experiment with your kitchen furniture. A functional layout should be the focus of any good kitchen, so try re-arranging your cabinets, shelves and dining table to make sure you’re using the space to the best of its ability. By spreading everything out a bit more, you can create the illusion of a larger room, making it seem more expensive without having to spend a penny. With that said, be sure to keep the kitchen triangle intact: the fridge, cooker and sink should all be within easy reach of each other.
Make small detailed changes
Small changes can have a large impact, so take a look around your kitchen for little things you can easily switch out. Cabinet doorknobs and handles are a great way of incorporating unique additions to your kitchen, and they’re straightforward and inexpensive to fit, so take a look online to find some stylish bargains.
Tiles which have unique patterns or mosaics on them can help to add colour and interest to your home, however be careful not to go overboard with these. Alternatively, inserting some polished splashback tiles behind your hob can not only look good, but also help to preserve your paint job for longer.
Keep it clean and organised
There’s nothing worse than walking into a house where there’s mess and dirt everywhere. Keeping on top of the housework can help to keep your newly refurbished kitchen looking spick and span for longer. This can instantly add value to your kitchen as it’ll look less used or lived in.
It’ll also be worth familiarising yourself with the types of surfaces you have and the best ways of cleaning these. For example, solid oak worktops require more care and attention, whereas laminate surfaces are much easier to maintain due to their wipe-clean nature. If you have fabric seats, make sure you’re washing these with care to keep them looking new for as long as possible.
Adding value to your kitchen doesn’t have to be expensive, but if you do decide to spend a substantial bit of money, make sure you’ll be getting a return on your investment to make the change worthwhile. To ensure you’re doing your house justice, follow my top 5 tips to transform your kitchen in no time!
Katie Georgeson
