Whether you’re selling your home, or feeling it needs some tender loving care, it’s likely your attention will focus on the kitchen because of its role as the household’s social centre.
Over the years, a kitchen will become dated. Drawers might lose their ability to soft close, doors might get chipped and the plastic edging that began life as pristine white may now be a nasty shade of off-colour-yellow.
For owners wanting to sell their home for the maximum possible price, a great-looking kitchen is essential.
Up to 20% of a home’s value is thought to be invested in a kitchen because of the appliance, cabinetry and complexity of the plumbing and electricity work.
When buyers think they need to rip and replace a kitchen, they either seek a discount or deliberately under-bid to ensure they have enough cash to fix the problem.
Worst of all, some buyers will walk away, thinking the task isn’t worth the hassle.
So, presenting a good quality kitchen is a cornerstone to maximising the value of your property.
Below, we’ve offered some suggestions for revitalising your benchtops.
We hope you find our tips helpful.
- Create Space: The first thing to recognise is the fashion for keeping your benchtops clear. Put gadgets, bread bins, knife blocks and bowls holding car keys in drawers and cupboards. Your benchtop should be clutter-free when presenting your home to buyers.
- Kit Solutions: With your benchtop free of clutter, you’ll have a better idea of what work is required. If you’re on budget, investigate kits that will help you revitalise the surface. Google “benchtop renovation kits”, and you’ll see a variety of possibilities.
- DIY Path: If you buy a kit, you may want to hire a contractor to help you get the job done. Sometimes, simple jobs have hidden complexities or benefit from the tradesperson having the experience of completing similar projects.
- Contact Paper: This is probably the cheapest solution. Consider contact paper only a temporary solution, or an attempt to paper over the cracks of an old kitchen. It really won’t do much for your asking price. But at least you won’t spend much.
- Stain Strategy: Staining or putting epoxy on the benchtops will bring them back to life. If you have a wood or marble countertop, you may want to ask a tradesman to do this work.
- Distraction Ploy: Regardless of how you approach the challenge, if you still feel the benchtops are not right consider replacing the handles and knobs for the drawers and cabinets as a helpful distraction. New tapware isn’t a bad idea, either.