The kitchen is frequently referred to as the heart of the home, and it’s often one of the areas of a house that prospective buyers scrutinize the closest when they are in the market for somewhere new to live. Trends come and go, but it is always the case that buyers like a luxe, clean kitchen. If you're selling your home and kitchen is dated or has cheap fixtures, or if it feels claustrophobic, this can either be a deal breaker or cause you to lose profits on the house because you get continuous bad feedback on the kitchen. Luckily, attaining an attractive, clean kitchen that appears high-end does not necessarily require a total reno. With these easy tips, you can make your kitchen look inviting and opulent without costing a fortune.
Bad Lighting
Harsh overhead fluorescent lighting can throw an ugly sallow cast over everything in your kitchen and, worse, remind buyers of cubicle illumination at work. This is compounded when the lights are covered by yellowing, ancient plastic. The solution, of course, is to replace the lights. This need not break the budget, either. Hanging simple pendant lights or a striking-but-thrifty chandelier can brighten up your room in more ways than one, and make everything look cozier.
Dated, Faded Linoleum
Many, many homeowners are in the predicament of having cheap linoleum in the kitchen instead of the much-desired hardwood floors that buyers love. The obvious fix would be to replace the floors, but this is out of many owners’ budgets. Consider covering a large section of your uninspiring floor with an eye-catching area rug for an updated look, or, if you have the coin, refloor the kitchen with an inexpensive but attractive tile.
Clutter of Any Kind
We all have that one counter in the kitchen that accumulates unopened bills and other miscellany, and it looks equally sloppy for all of us. One of the things homebuyers most hate in a kitchen is clutter, so now would be a great time to stick all those bills in the filing cabinet and clear the room of unnecessary tchotchkes - your shot glass collection, any bottles of preserved olive oil, frou-frou baskets or ceramics - you know what we’re talking about.
Fake Plants
You aren’t fooling anyone with that fake ivy plant hanging down from the space between your cabinets and ceiling, I’m sorry to say. There was a time when silk greenery was considered a classy way to dress up your kitchen, but faux plants read as fake no matter how expensive they are, and they make most kitchens look cheap. Ditch all the pretend plants and stick with a vase of fresh-cut blooms or a small windowsill herb garden that checks the boxes of both form and function.
