Today’s buyers prioritize the kitchen more than any other room in a home – it’s where the family gathers and memories are created.
And while other factors, such as location and the number of the bedrooms, will always be big influences, there’s no doubt a great kitchen wins hearts of prospective buyers.
As an experienced real estate agent in our neighborhood, I’ve learned over the years that kitchen fashions move quickly.
If you’re thinking of renovating your kitchen before selling – or you’ve just moved into a new home and want to build a modern kitchen – here’s the perfect quick-list for you.
- Kitchens open on to decks – Research suggests the walls are starting to go up around kitchens again. Open-plan renovations have fallen from 53% to 43% in the last two years. Another trend is a kitchen that opens on to a deck or patio.
- Bigger backsplashes – Backsplashes are going all the way up to the hanging wall cabinets. And forget big and bold colors. Instead, whites and neutrals are in.
- Fantasy island – Cutting-edge kitchen designers are now suggesting we don’t match our island bench with the rest of the kitchen. Instead, it should make a statement rather than blend in. So while the rest of your kitchen may be white or neutral, you can go to town on your island bench.
- Cabinet crazy – Storage is the big thing for kitchens. The online site Houzz claims there’s now four times the amount of storage being built into a kitchen.
- Walk-in pantry – Everyone wants to walk into their pantry this year. This fits with demand for increased storage and being prepared for times when you can’t get to the store.
- Vinyl va-va-voom – It was only a matter of time before expensive wooden floorings would make way to patterned vinyl. Also back are ceramic and porcelain tiles.