Kitchen Ideas

Potential buyers usually see the kitchen as the most important room in the house when viewing a property, and it can secure or lose you a sale on its own.

A kitchen should match the style of the house - wood for a traditional country home or modern with chrome and stainless steel for a loft-style apartment, although, there are also many neutral kitchen designs that look equally well in either.

However, it isn't usually worthwhile buying a brand new kitchen just to sell your house, unless it's in really bad condition and beyond saving. Much can be done to smarten up a tired kitchen, including:

• First and foremost - make sure it's absolutely clean from top to bottom
• Clear your countertops - pack away that sandwich toaster, breadmaker, and other non-essential items to create a spacious looking kitchen with tons of workspace
• Pack away as much as you can. Buyers want to know there will be enough room for their things, and if they see your cupboards are bursting at the seams, they will get the feeling that there's not enough storage space.

Then looking at the fittings and décor:

• Replace drapes with blinds
• Paint the walls white or a pale shade that compliments the units
• Replace chipped or cracked tiles
• Replace some cupboards with open racks and shelves, which will also give an impression of more space
• Stain or paint the kitchen units
• Replace doors, drawer fronts and handles
• Fit new marble-effect or granite work surfaces
• Replace the stove top or oven if it's beyond cleaning
• Make sure that the kitchen is brightly lit. If you have a kitchen/dining room, install dimmer lights to provide both bright light for cooking and softer lighting for dining
• Replace dark vinyl flooring or linoleum with light colored vinyl or wood laminate