Written by Alex Capozzolo
For many homebuyers, the kitchen of a listed home can be a dealer breaker. If a kitchen appears to be dated or out of style, it could deter potential buyers. That’s why having a kitchen that appears maintained and modernized can go a long way. However, an upgraded kitchen doesn’t just affect your home’s aesthetic. It can also increase its value.
Here are four kitchen home improvement projects you can take on that could add value to your home.
#1: Adding a Backsplash
A backsplash is decorative wall tiling that is installed in between your cabinets and your countertops. Backsplash tiles are most commonly ceramic, however they can also be other materials like stone, marble, or porcelain. Whichever material and color you choose, make sure that it complements the color palette and style of your kitchen. For example, a ceramic backsplash might be perfect for a contemporary kitchen, while a less traditional wood backsplash might offer a more rustic look.
Adding a backsplash is a great solution for adding value to your home because it isn’t terribly invasive, meaning you won’t need to tear out your cabinets or counters to install it. It’s a great opportunity to add color and texture to your kitchen without spending a lot of money.
#2: Upgrade to Real Hardwood Floors
It’s no secret that having hardwood flooring increases the value of your home. Having it in your kitchen is no exception. Previously, ceramic tiling was the most popular choice for kitchen floors, forcing homeowners to install different flooring in different rooms. Now, it’s much more desirable to have hardwood flooring throughout, including in your kitchen.
Solid hardwood comes in various widths, lengths, and colors. It also comes in various wood types, for example, hickory, sucupira, and acacia. Solid hardwood flooring panels come with grooved edges ensuring that pieces fit together seamlessly, offering a clean and refined look. Over time, you can even re-sand and refinish your hardwood to maintain its polish. Installing hardwood flooring can drastically alter your kitchen’s look and increase your home’s value.
#3: Install Granite Countertops
In an older home with an original kitchen, countertops might be made of cheaper materials like laminate. However, you might notice that these countertops show signs of wear and tear, including scratches and scuff marks on the edges. Tearing out these older countertops and installing granite stone won’t just elevate the look of your kitchen; it can actually improve the value of your home as well. Granite countertops are engineered out of real stone and come in a variety of different colors. With so many color options for granite, it’s important that you choose an option that not only matches your cabinets, but your flooring and backsplash as well. Granite can be as light as Crystal White or as dark as New Black Galaxy.
Granite countertops don’t just add elegance to your kitchen; they offer practicality as well. While laminate may naturally deteriorate over time, granite is extremely resilient and won’t easily stain or scratch. Installing laminate is a solid investment whether you’re selling your home or just renovating.
#4: Add Recessed Lighting
Installing recessed lighting is a subtle touch that introduces elegance and warmth into your kitchen. Recessed lighting fixtures are installed directly into surfaces like under cabinetry and your ceiling. This style of lighting is not only minimal and modern, but it also allows you to light specific areas of your kitchen differently depending on your preference. While recessed lighting consists of a trim, housing, and bulb, the trim is what will ultimately affect the aesthetic of your kitchen. This is the decorative portion of the fixture that will be visible on your ceiling, so it’s important to choose a trim that matches the look of your kitchen.
Conclusion
The kitchen is often considered the heartbeat of a home. Updating it’s backsplash, flooring, countertops and lighting can go a long way in improving its aesthetic appeal, as well as the overall value of your home.
Alex Capozzolo is the owner of the Brotherly Love Real Estate blog and a content writer for the real estate industry. Our focus is on helping people through one of the most important investment decisions of their lifetime by seamlessly providing fast, honest and professional real estate services.