101 Ways to Increase the Real Estate Market Value of Your Home Continued…Kitchen
and Bathroom Improvements Bathroom and Kitchen Remodeling
 As two of the most popular home remodels, kitchen and bathroom
improvements can represent a substantial return on investment (ROI)
ratio; helping to bring top market value for your home.
Bathroom renovations especially prove high performers. On average
102% return on investment for minor bathroom remodeling, according
to a report publicized at the Home and Garden Show at the New York
State Fair Grounds, Spring of 2007. Kitchen remodeling follows closely
behind with a 98.5% recoup. Both types of renovations increase a
home’s chance of making a quick sale.
As the heart and soul of the home, the kitchen is one of the most
used rooms of the house; of keen interest to potential buyers. In
fact, real estate agents say a clean, well-designed kitchen with
modern appliances and quality elements can sell a house quicker
than nearly any other aspect of the home.
Simple touches that will grab the attention of potential buyers
include recessed lighting and lit cabinets. Kitchens can be made
to appear roomier by selecting a light paint color for walls, and
freeing counter space of clutter.
Modern, well designed bathrooms are another big selling point;
where quantity and quality both count. Homes that have two or three
bathrooms with quality fixtures sell faster than homes with only
one bathroom. Needless to say, a luxurious master bathroom adjoining
the master bedroom is even more impressive.
While bathrooms and kitchens can represent some of the most costly
types of home renovations, they are also more likely to pay for
themselves. In neighborhoods where most of the homes have updated
kitchens, remodeling an outdated kitchen will help ensure the house
doesn’t sit on the market for longer than normal. Remodeling
will also increase the sale value; oftentimes over and above the
cost of construction.
When you can’t afford a complete remodel, give the room a
facelift by updating key room elements. Even something as simple
as bleaching grout, re-caulking around tubs and sinks, and repainting
walls can make a huge difference.
Bathroom and kitchen renovation projects that help boost real estate
house worth and increase your chances for a quick sale include –
Kitchen Remodeling Tips:
- Best kitchen bathroom remodeling idea of
all – consider basic room functions. Make sure
remodeling or renovation project will accommodate one or more
of the room’s functions. For instance, the kitchen’s
primary functions are food preparation, storage, and clean up.
- Include a breakfast nook area – one type
home renovation making a big comeback! Select a cozy corner breakfast
nook – comfortable and inviting. Or a secluded breakfast
nook design built off the kitchen; a quiet retreat for thoughtful
contemplation. Both types provide an informal dining area and
a great family gathering place, sure to impress potential buyers.
Design options – whether traditional or modern – are
countless!
- Make sure the classic work triangle is incorporated
into the kitchen floor plan – with the kitchen
sink, refrigerator, and stove arranged in a triangular pattern.
This layout saves unnecessary steps, while ensuring ease of movement
and convenience.
- Add fresh paint– a time-wise project
that makes a huge improvement in room appearance and more than
pays for itself when it comes time sell your home. Consider washable
wall paint in tan, or “time tested” butter colors
and mossy greens. Stay away from trendy colors that may shortly
become outdated.
- Replace old kitchen cabinetry doors with new, quality
ones – cheaper than full cabinet replacement, while
still yielding impressive results that will boost home market
value. If your budget allows for custom cabinetry, however, go
for it.
- Add a second kitchen work station – a
hot trend that allows more than one person to work efficiently
in the same kitchen at any one time. For instance, a free-standing
butcher block as a kitchen work island; to increase work space
and ease-of-movement while preparing foods.
- Install a granite counter top – or one
made from other natural stone. Stone counter tops installed using
quality workmanship improves kitchen appearance and usability.
They can also be a huge selling point. If you can’t afford
a real stone kitchen counter top, faux stone counter tops can
be equally attractive and nearly as compelling to potential buyers.
- Incorporate space saving elements into kitchen design
– for instance, a built in refrigerator, coffee maker, or
other type built in kitchen appliance
- Kitchen counter top idea – if kitchen
space allows, add a peninsula counter to increase workspace. Select
a two-level top design; providing workspace for the cook, as well
as an area where family members can enjoy a quick snack.
- For outdated metal kitchen cabinets –
install a new solid wood kitchen cabinet design; a sure fire way
to improve kitchen appearance and increase the fair market value
of your home. Consider oak or maple options – or less expensive
pine. Get the best quality your budget will allow; opt for dovetail
joints (which generally last longer than butt joints), and metal
draw glides instead of plastic.
- Replace old flooring with a hardwood floor
– or if your budget doesn’t allow for conventional
hardwood, consider laminate, or a bamboo hardwood floor. If new
kitchen and bathroom flooring is completely out of your price
range, restoring a hardwood floor is your next best option.
- Old appliance replacement with new energy saving kitchen
appliance options – a great way to enhance household
cost-efficiency and increase a potential buyer’s interest
in your home.
- Add a kitchen pantry – a design that
includes pantry organizer shelving and innovative food pantry
storage is a great way to effectively utilize available space.
- Give old kitchen cabinet style a face lift with new
kitchen cabinet hardware – updating cabinetry while
improving kitchen appearance.
- If kitchen counter tops are old and you can’t
afford new – don’t despair. Give your kitchen
a cost-effective face lift; resurface your kitchen counter tops
instead of replacing them.
- Build a mini herb pantry – the perfect
addition for a gourmet kitchen design. This can be something as
simple as a cubby hole built into the wall between studs. Or a
closet area converted into an herb pantry with a glass pantry
door; making visible the old world charm of bunches of herbs hanging
from hooks.
- Install a heated ceramic floor – the
perfect solution and a great selling point; for tile or stone
floors that tend to be cold.
Bathroom Remodeling Tips:
- Add a bathroom skylight –
an impressive element that increases natural lighting, modernizes
room design, and is aesthetically pleasing. A vented skylight
will increase air circulation.
- Replace flooring with bathroom flooring tile
- peel and stick tile, for instance, is a quick, cost-effective
solution.
- Update existing fixtures – including
shower tub, toilet, vanity, medicine cabinet, and lighting.
- Add a Jacuzzi whirlpool bath or hot tub –
attractive bathroom features more apt to appeal to potential buyers.
And bring a better return on investment than a “lifestyle
project,” such as a separate Jacuzzi or sauna room.
- Install a heated bathroom floor – high
on the list of bathroom extras that impress potential buyers.
- Get rid of any mold, mildew – replace
damaged or broken tiles. If needed, replace old tile grouting,
and replace caulking around tubs and showers.
- DIY master bathroom remodel – incorporating
a master bathroom decorating theme with updated features; either
luxurious or romantic –both proven show stoppers.
- If you have the space, add another bathroom
– homes with more than one bathroom are always more appealing
to potential buyers. Recoup for an averaged sized full bath located
near bedrooms, in a house with 1 or 1 ½ baths, can be as
high as 169%. Depending upon the area in which you live.
- Utilize unused space in corners – install
corner shelving and cabinetry.
- Add a vaulted ceiling – increasing the
bathroom’s aesthetic appeal; making the bathroom appear
more spacious than it really is.
- Build a new master bathroom – a nice
selling point with a high expected investment return, if you live
in the right area. The more elaborate the better. For instance,
consider a master bathroom floor plan that includes a private
dressing area, makeup vanity, and a double shower with dual shower
head.
Beyond kitchen and bathroom renovations, consider these
other tips on how to increase the real estate market value of your
home:
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