Planning A Kitchen Reno? Read This Firs
If you're planning a kitchen renovation, you're not alone. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 68% of Aussie homeowners are spending more on kitchen upgrades than ever before. But if you're renovating for sale, you'll need to have the buyer in mind when you're making design decisions, explains Sophie McLean, founder and director of Your Property Profits, otherwise you'll might actually be costing yourself money in the long run.
"The biggest mistake sellers make is using bold colours and designs in their DIY kitchen renovations," she explains. "Sometimes the colours and patterns you love someone else may hate."
Add pops of colour
When you're updating your kitchen to sell, she adds, you need to try and keep it quite neutral so people can add their own splashes of colour.
"For example, you can add that touch of colour by keeping your cabinets neutral and adding colour with a bold splashback," she says.
Why? Splashbacks behind the stove are relatively cheap to replace, meaning that if someone is contemplating buying your house and they hate the splashback, it's only going to cost them about $1000- $1500 to replace. They don't have to redesign the whole kitchen.
"In our latest kitchen, we did a blush pink splashback and in the one before we did a beautiful turquoise duck egg blue," explains Sophie. "That's where my team and I have our fun - with splashbacks!"
Choose a neutral palette
But that's not to say you renovate your kitchen to look like a serviced apartment. Sophie says to look beyond the common light grey colour that is so common in kitchen renovations at the moment.
"Don't create plain old, boring blank canvas for your sellers - I mean, the light grey everyone is using right now is going to become the mission brown of the 2000s!", she laughs.
Instead look at the whole range of neutrals from warm beiges and off-whites to creams and, yes, some greys to create a warm, inviting modern kitchen.
"Generally, you don't want your buyer waking in and saying, 'Oh I hate that and I'm going to have to live with it or it's going to cost me $30,000 to $40 000 to change," she says.
That's why, she adds, we recommend enlisting the help from a professional who can not only help with these kinds of decisions but also advise on what the market is doing and what buyers are looking for.
Did you know that Your Property Profits specialises in kitchen and bathroom renovations in Canberra? If you're' ready to elevate your home's market appeal, contact Your Property Profits today to discover how we can help you achieve your property goals through expert advice, home renovation financial assistance and tailored solutions.
