Kitchens sell homes

In the world of property, it is widely believed that the kitchen is the key room that will help you sell your home for the best possible price. When viewing a property, the size, style and feel of a kitchen can often be the deciding factor. And for people thinking of selling their home, this is an important point to consider.

“A superb kitchen will make the difference between selling a property and it languishing on the market,” said Carol Peett, Managing Director, West Wales Property Finders.

However, Peett believes that clever design and clean lines and features are more important than the actual cost of the kitchen look top end.”

She said: “Add clever touches like an instant hot water tap, pop up electrical points for charging Ipads and phones, an under-counter compost bin so you can peel vegetables on the surface and push the peelings straight into it and these immediately make a kitchen”

Peett insists that light and views also help sell a kitchen and so, where possible, bi-fold doors into the garden should be installed to bring the garden into the house.

“If well designed using these money saving methods you can add at least double the outlay of the kitchen on the price of the house but, more importantly, your house will sell quickly,” Peett added.

Matthew Kaye, Managing Director at Kaye & Carey estate agents, agrees that the kitchen is extremely important, especially if the seller wants to achieve the best possible price for their home, and so urges homeowners to be creative in adding value to a kitchen, especially high-end designs.

He commented: “Most kitchen carcasses are of a similar quality. With everyone being aware of brands, it is the quality of the appliances that counts for a lot. It is worth spending a bit more on items from Bosch, Miele and Gaggenau and have everything installed by a really good kitchen fitter.”

Kaye believes that a lot of people overlook the importance of good lighting and plonk non-directional recessed down lights in neat lines in the ceiling without any thought for task lighting. “You don’t, for example, want a light to shine on the back of your head when cooking – you want it to be directed onto the hob,” he explained.

“If you are eating in a kitchen as most people do, then set up your lighting in zones so that it can be adjusted on dimmers according to the usage – bright for the kids homework and soft for intimate dinners, Kaye added.