When it’s time to sell your home, a kitchen can be one of a home's greatest assets. Home buyers are often drawn to a well-put-together and organized kitchen.
Match Your Visible Dishes
While most of the dishes will be hidden behind cabinet and closet doors, dishes that appear on open shelving will be visible to all buyers. Mismatched dishes can make your kitchen look cluttered and disorganized, while matched dishes will form a pattern that helps lead the eye around the room. If necessary, buy a small set of matched dishes to put out on your shelves. To keep the dishes clean and free of grime, wash them every weekend.
Clean Out the Crumbs
Crumbs have a way of gathering under the toaster, inside the toaster tray and in the corners between the counter and the wall. You may not notice these crumbs, but buyers will. Clean all surfaces and remove crumbs from beneath countertop appliances, inside the microwave and inside drawers.
Clear Off the Counters
Clutter on the counters can make the kitchen seem small and claustrophobic. Reduce the amount of clutter on your counters to a few carefully selected appliances. For the time being, store your other countertop appliances and kitchen tools inside the garage or in another nearby space where you can easily grab what you must have.
Throw Away Old Sponges
Old sponges for cleaning dishes and countertops are normal in kitchens, but they can look unsanitary to some home buyers. Throw away your old cleaning sponges and replace them with some nicely crocheted dish towels, and make sure to wash the dish towels on a daily basis.
Match the Towels
Buy a couple sets of matching dish towels that coordinate with the colors in the kitchen. Replace the towels on a daily basis and keep them neatly displayed on a towel rack in the kitchen.
Set Out Fruit
Buy a decorative bowl that will coordinate well with the colors in your kitchen, then fill the bowl with real fruit. Set the bowl in a prominent place in your kitchen. Change the fruit regularly to keep the contents of the bowl fresh. If possible, match the fruit to the colors in your kitchen.
Let In the Light
Natural light is important in modern kitchens. To allow as much light as possible into your kitchen, take down dark curtains and darkening blinds and replace them with sheers or light, cottony curtains. Wash the windows and the screens to allow as much light as possible into the room.
Be Sensitive to Smells
Smells from a drain, dish washer or a garbage can be disturbing to buyers. Empty your garbage every day and if possible, store your garbage in a location where it’s not visible (like under the kitchen cabinet). To clean out a smelly drain, flush the drain with vinegar and lemon juice followed by hot water. To clean out a smelly dishwasher, run the dishwasher empty with vinegar in place of dish soap.
Make Room for a Table
Buyers love the idea of owning a home with an eat-in kitchen. In a kitchen that is too small for a full-sized table, find a table that will fit in the space, even if only one or two chairs will fit around it. If there’s no room even for a small table, try to fit a few tall stools against a tall counter where guests can eat and talk.
Clear Clutter from the Cabinets
Some home buyers will look inside the cabinets to get a sense of the storage space available in the kitchen.Clearing the clutter from the cabinets and pantry is a wise way to show buyers how much storage space your kitchen has to offer. When trying to decide what to get rid of or donate, start with any appliances and kitchen tools that haven’t been used in more than a year. Consider throwing away or giving away any extra food items that have been the pantry for more than six months.
Keep Your Kitchen Easy to Clean
In a hot home market, buyers can show up on a moment’s notice to see your property. While your home is up for sale, make a point of preparing foods that are easy to prepare and easy to clean up. This way, you can clean your kitchen quickly and leave the house fast when prospective home buyers show up at unexpected times.
Work With Your Real Estate Professional
Your real estate professional can help you stage your home before it goes on the market. Talk to your agent before listing your house. He or she can make recommendations that will help you make your home more attractive to buyers.
