Kitchen remodel on the cheap...

[Midpack]

Presumably there are some real estate experts, flippers and others here who would probably have good insights.

We expect to sell our home in the next few years. The roof, furnace, AC, hot water heater, and all appliances have been replaced. The whole house was just painted. The 2-1/2 baths have all been updated in the past few years too.

However, we have not tackled the kitchen at all. Everyone seems to want granite countertops, tile or wood floors, high end cabinets and stainless steel appliances. Our kitchen is in good condition, but we have Formica countertops, vinyl flooring, mid-grade cabinets at best and white appliances with black fronts. We're not even in the HGTV ballpark.

Redoing all that would cost a fortune, so I hate to do it. What would you replace for the most bang for the buck? For example, I've considered replacing just the floor and countertops. A new buyer can replace appliances easily, and I can always do so to make a sale. I hate to replace the cabinets because it appears to be the big cost item with labor added.

I realize you may tell me to replace everything, may have to if other houses in our price range all have updated kitchens. Just hoping I can make do with less of an investment.

Suggestions?

 

[W2R]

Granite is really a big deal to some buyers, so I'd do that for sure. If your cabinets look bad, but are sturdy, then you could just paint them and change the hardware.

 

[travelover]

I'd do the counter tops and floor. Maybe reface cabinets, or just clean up with new hardware.

 

[Dimsumkid]

The house we bought in 2008 had a similar issue, sellers upgraded to granite counters, nice ceramic tile flooring, newer sink, Grohe faucet, newer dishwasher, Dacor gas cooktop and Broan vent hood. Problem was they left the circa 1963 cabinets, refrigerator (no freezer) and 24" wide double electric oven unit. I believe it was a huge reason we were the only people that made an offer on this house. We really low balled the offer and were shocked they counter offered us. Now I'm stuck having to solve this dilemma, problem is there's 71 cabinets to reface/replace and a 24" oven that isn't very useful for the holidays, 20+ lb turkeys don't fit or big Costco pizzas either! Keep in mind this was when the housing market was on the decline, but nowhere near where it is now.

 

[Amethyst]

We re-did our 1990's kitchen in 2008. We did it to suit ourselves, not Future Buyers, who are fickle anyway. Anyway, we kept the original oak cabinets, which are generous, but do NOT stretch to the ceiling or enclose the fridge (we dislike that look). We also have a small "butler's pantry" off the main kitchen, and we included this in the renovation.

For $20K (remember we live in a high cost area), we:

• replaced the worn vinyl floor with glossy hardwood,
• the Formica counters (they were very good quality Formica on wood - in perfect shape - sorta hated to have them taken away) with the most exotic granite I could find (I'm a rockhound, so this was really fun );
• replaced the fluorescent ceiling fixtures with ceiling lights and a cool modern hanging fixture over the island;
• replaced all the appliances, including the double oven, with new almond appliances that complement the granite (we rejected the popular stainless steel look because it attracts fingerprints);
• replaced the old double sink with a larger, deeper single one,
• installed a $450 imported stainless steel faucet that looks like a sculpture,
• painted the kitchen walls (our labor);
• and had enough left over to buy an 11x14 wool rug (for the eat-in area) that brings all the colors together, and
• replace a couple of hallway ceiling fixtures with sparkly new ones (the electrician gave us a package deal w/the kitchen).

Every single day since then, I walk into that kitchen and feel that I am in a beautiful place. It is hard to believe that it doesn't increase the value of our home. As I said it is almost impossible to keep up with the latest fads that all the buyers want, so we didn't try.

Amethyst

 

[HFWR]

In order of importance:

1. Appliances
2. Countertops
3. Flooring

Cabinets can be refinished, and/or hardware changed. Brass is out, brushed nickel is in...

But save the old ones, 'cause brass will be back in eventually.

 

[FreeAtLast]

We had to sell my Mother's home when she move to an ALF a few years ago and the kitchen was right out of the 60's when the home was built. It had been maintained pretty well until her last few years there.

We decided just to have it cleaned up, painted and leave the new kitchen up to the buyer as we discounted the price of the house.

The home sold in about 2 months in October 2008 which was the bottom of the market. The first offer was low but reasonable for the market at the time so we took it.

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

In order of importance:

1. Appliances
2. Countertops
3. Flooring

Cabinets can be refinished, and/or hardware changed. Brass is out, brushed nickel is in...

But save the old ones, 'cause brass will be back in eventually.

We have done this in every house.

Kitchenaid dishwasher.

Gas stovetop (model varies).

In our present house, we tore out the linoleum (the hardest part) and I laid down engineered cork flooring. (DW had lust for it ever since we saw it in Denmark in a kitchen.) Strongly recommended. Cork looks really good and if you drop stuff, it doesn't readily break. And it is really nice to walk on.

Counter tops. Granite sounds good, but don't drop anything on it AND it stains. We use carefully selected Formica-type stuff. The last time, we loved the stuff at Ivar's at Mukulteo, asked the main office what it was, and bought it for our kitchen. In Houston, we put down tile countertop. Not really a good idea. One day, I might try a concrete top. We have seen a show on how to do it and it is well within our abilities.

We converted the house to gas. It was in the house but the house was electric. The gas company brought it into the house on the condition that we bought 4 gas appliances in one year. No problem. Stovetop, oven, gas water heater and two gas inserts for the fireplaces.

Of course, you use contractors to install certain things, but we put in flooring and counter tops on our own, without too much difficulty. I figure we saved about half of what someone who just called a contractor would have paid, and we got the best workmanship--ours!

 

[Sarah in SC]

I'd chime in for new countertops and a really nice sink with cool faucet. That is the kind of feature that really stands out. Plus the floors.
Leave the cabinets, but clean and paint and update the hardware if it is dated.
As long as the appliances look okay and are functional, not rusty or anything, they are probably fine.
We have wood floors and wood countertops. Had a friend put in really neat teak and holly plywood counters with nice solid teak edges. Polyurethane on top. Unique and easy to clean.

 

[chinaco]

If your home has other really desirable traits and the existing cabinets look decent... you may still get your (net) price. For example: if you have a really desirable location.

But if your home is just like everything else around it and others are selling, you might have to do something.

You can always do the minimum to get the house prepared, list it and see what happens. If it is not working, you can take it off the market, do the upgrade and put it on the market a 2nd time!

 

[Purron]

In order of importance:

1. Appliances
2. Countertops
3. Flooring

We've talked to some RE Agents about preparing our house for sale and most agree with this.

Cabinets can be refinished, and/or hardware changed. Brass is out, brushed nickel is in...


But save the old ones, 'cause brass will be back in eventually.

...and brass looks great with avacado or harvest gold

 

[HFWR]

...and brass looks great with avacado or harvest gold

Hey, watch your language...

 

[Nords]

Hey, watch your language...

That inside joke might be a little obscure for this crowd...

http://www.early-retirement.org/for...ird-and-sick-as-it-gets-20604.html#post381279

 

[Gatordoc50]

I wouldn't replace anything. You won't get back what you put in. Price sells in this market. Besides, if you can't sell, then you might want to rent it and you don't want tenants destroying your investment.

 

[eytonxav]

We did granite counter tops, appliances and knobs a couple of years ago. Nothing cheap about any of it, including just the knobs. Next up is a face lift for the master bathroom, ugh.

 

[Purron]

I wouldn't replace anything. You won't get back what you put in. Price sells in this market. Besides, if you can't sell, then you might want to rent it and you don't want tenants destroying your investment.

That makes sense to me in this market. However, realtors we've talked to do push for the granite and stainless steel upgrades saying these are popular and set your place apart.

I have wondered how useful it would be to give an "allowance" to prospective buyers to replace old countertops/applicances etc. so they can pick out what they like.

Any opinions on this?

 

[Bestwifeever]

How old are the appliances? How much more out-dated will the kitchen look when you sell "in a few years"? Why not redo all the kitchen stuff now and enjoy it til then.

 

[Purron]

How old are the appliances? How much more out-dated will the kitchen look when you sell "in a few years"? Why not redo all the kitchen stuff now and enjoy it til then.

OK, but how about if you're planning to sell in a few months??

 

[Bestwifeever]

OK, but how about if you're planning to sell in a few months??

OP said he is planning to sell in the next few years.

Good luck to anyone who has to sell a house in the next few months!

 

[Amethyst]

Re: granite tops. We looked at every granite place in two counties (and there are a lot of them). Remember I am a rockhound, so this was fun "prospecting" for me We also visited a lot of model homes, all of which boasted of granite. And, amazingly, people who were granite contractors' references, actually invited us into their homes to see their countertops.

We learned that builder-grade granite looks blah, and stains easily. Not all granite will stain easily - if it did, it couldn't be used for statues and buildings that are exposed to the elements for hundreds of years. Also, you will find 3/4-inch granite veneer bonded to plywood, which costs far less than the solid stone.

Based on research, we decided that in a used home, we'd rather get good Formica or Corian than builder-grade granite.

Amethyst

 

[Purron]

OP said he is planning to sell in the next few years.

Good luck to anyone who has to sell a house in the next few months!

Yeah, I know. Well, not the next few months, but we hope to sell our place by next spring. Sucks to be us

 

[Nords]

I wouldn't replace anything. You won't get back what you put in. Price sells in this market. Besides, if you can't sell, then you might want to rent it and you don't want tenants destroying your investment.

I have wondered how useful it would be to give an "allowance" to prospective buyers to replace old countertops/applicances etc. so they can pick out what they like.
Any opinions on this?

Spouse and I are the kind of open-house junkies who can walk into a place and see its potential... and of course the things that are screwed up. We can appreciate the layout, the walls & ceilings, and the things that are difficult to change. Decor is just decor, it's not as hard to change, and the crappier it looks then the better for us as potential buyers.

What we've learned, though, is that we are in the microscopic minority of open-house visitors. The vast majority of the HGTV generation cannot see the potential in a place. They can't visualize what it would look like with granite counters. They can look at a granite counter and decide whether or not they like it, but they don't want to have to look at Formica and think about how it would look in granite.

So not only is "do nothing" not an option, but a decorating allowance is not an option either. You can do what the realtor suggests and make it attractive to a high percentage of the viewers, while charging them a higher price for having done the upgrades, and with less time/hassle.

Or you can wait a long time for the one customer who can see the potential in the place, and who knows enough about what they're doing to lowball you. I think the time/hassle will outweigh the potential savings of not doing the upgrades.

We learned that builder-grade granite looks blah, and stains easily. Not all granite will stain easily - if it did, it couldn't be used for statues and buildings that are exposed to the elements for hundreds of years. Also, you will find 3/4-inch granite veneer bonded to plywood, which costs far less than the solid stone.
Based on research, we decided that in a used home, we'd rather get good Formica or Corian than builder-grade granite.

We're much happier with Corian too, and it doesn't need maintenance.

 

[Dimsumkid]

So not only is "do nothing" not an option, but a decorating allowance is not an option either. You can do what the realtor suggests and make it attractive to a high percentage of the viewers, while charging them a higher price for having done the upgrades, and with less time/hassle.

Having sold two houses in Chicago in the last 1.5 yrs (latest was May 2011), you can do the what the realtor suggests, and you DON'T get to charge a higher price (or may even have to reduce the price). Some of the comps I saw did upgrades and reduced their price for a short sale. Like it or not, that's the current housing market here. Hopefully by the time you sell, the market gets better.

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

Based on research, we decided that in a used home, we'd rather get good Formica or Corian than builder-grade granite.

Agreed, Amethyst.

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

Hey, Nords, we are the same.

We always do a lot of scouting and buy a needy house in a good neighborhood and fix it up.

It amazes us that many--maybe most--people cannot see potential. All they can see is what is there, not what could be.

The only allowance that makes sense to us is a carpet allowance. (In general, for other folks, not us. We either buy a house with a wood floor or tear out the carpet and put wood flooring in.)

We have also found that if a house needs upgrading, we do it for ourselves, long before we have to sell. That way we get to enjoy it. Doing it at the last minute in order to sell may trick you into doing something that doesn't make sense, that you wouldn't do for yourself.