Kitchen Improvements - Enjoy Now And When You Sell
By Raynor James, Fri Dec 9th
Who would've ever though the kitchen could be the key tobuilding wealth in your home? Well, it is. If you are going toincrease the value of your home through improvements, thekitchen is a very good place to start.
Improvements
Obviously, making improvements to a kitchen is entirelydependent upon the current state of the kitchen. Still, thereare particular areas you should focus on.
Colors
The colors in a kitchen can enhance the overall feel and worth.Neutral colors are used frequently in up-to-date kitchens. Softshades of gray, cream, gold and earth tones turn up often. Woodin cabinets and floors tends to be in medium to light coloredfinishes. Sometimes
it's painted and then the paint is wiped offto show the wood grain. Brushed steel hoods over ranges orcooking units are popular and practical. "Islands" are alsostill popular. Sometimes the material for the island and it'scounter top is different from the rest of the kitchen. This canlook very handsome when the materials are carefully chosen.
Two On The Ark
When it comes to kitchen improvements, Noah had it right. Havingtwo of everything will certainly add value to your home. Tworanges and two dishwashers appear in kitchens for those whoentertain frequently or have large families. Built-in choppingblock areas and cool marble for pastry making are often seen.Under cabinet lighting makes for shadow free work areas. Mostmodern kitchens have built-in microwaves, and many have warmingdrawers. Many have drinks making areas with a small sink,refrigerator, and cabinets housing a variety of glassware.
Practical Matters
"Pot filler" spigots can be a nice upgrade. A pot filler spigotgoes straight up a good distance above the floor of the sinkbefore curving over. This makes it possible to position a largestockpot under it without tilting the pot. When the pot isfilled to the desired height, the spigot swings out of the wayand the pot is lifted out. Some ranges even have them positionedabove the cook top burners so that the pot doesn't have to becarried from the sink to the range once it's full.
Appliances
Upscale appliance makers such as Sub-Zero, Viking, Wolf, andThermador have come out with many innovations in recent years.Manufacturers of less expensive appliances are following suit.It's possible to buy a stove with two ovens and six burnersinstead of the more usual four. Wolf has come out with a gasstove that has the ultimate amount of heat control. Thesurface-top burners have two tiered gas rings. The upper ring isused for really hot cooking, the lower ring can keep food justbarely warm, and of course there's an enormous range between thetwo. Since it's gas, control is instant.
Cabinets
New cabinets can be expensive, but they are definitely a crowdpleaser when it comes time to sell a home. Custom cabinets aredefinitely the way to go. If you can't afford a custom job, HomeDepot and Lowe's have nice pieces at fairly reasonable prices.
Improvements to a kitchen are a great way to increase the valueof your home. You might even be inspired to sign up for cookingclasses.
About the author:Raynor James is with http://www.fsboamerica.org - providing FSBOhomes For Sale By Owner. Visit our "sell my home" page athttp://www.fsboamerica.org/seller.cfm to list and sell your homefor free for one month. Visithttp://www.fsboamerica.org/buyer.cfm to see homes for sale byowner.
Here are some more For Sale By Owner articles...
