I've written a lot about staging homes, but today I want to focus specifically on the kitchen area. The kitchen is the focal point of the home and it's important that you take the time to make sure it's market ready. Market ready doesn't necessarily mean remodeling. You want the kitchen to be clean, clutter free and organized. By doing that, you can make the kitchen look bigger, brighter and more appealing.
Here are some items to consider in the kitchen:
The kitchen must be q-tip clean…
- Scrub every area including the ceiling, baseboards, moldings etc.
- Polish all fixtures
- Replace any light bulbs that aren't working, including over the stove
- Clean it and then clean it again
- Pack up any personal items like collectibles and knickknacks
Clean the cabinets inside and out…
- Use a wood cleaner and then use orange oil, it makes the whole room smell fresh
- If you don't replace the cabinet hardware, polish it
- You want the cabinets to be very organized inside
- Remove items that you don't use to make it appear that there's a lot of space inside
- Organize what's left: Turn all coffee cup handle the same direction, alphabetize spices
Clean the refrigerator inside and out…
- Remove everything that's "stuck" on the refrigerator
- Dispose of as much as you can to leave it clutter free and looking bigger on the inside
Clean the stove top, oven and built in microwave…
- Replace burner pans if necessary
- Clean fans, filters and hoods
- Remove the knobs on the stove to clean under them
- Clean the inside of the stove as well.
Spend time on kitchen details…
- Remove everything from the countertop, except one or two accessories like an open cookbook, a bottle of wine etc…
- Don't use rugs in the kitchen as they will make the room look smaller
- Look for areas to repair, like grout or cracked countertops etc.
- Replace or repair what you can
- If your grout is stained, bleach may work to remove the stain
- If your laminated countertop has come unglued, glue it back down
- A fresh coat of paint works wonders in a kitchen
- Make sure all faucets/fans/appliances are in working order
- Move any pet dishes to an out of the way area
- Empty garbage regularly, so there are no odors present when showing the home
- If you can fit a small table in the kitchen, do so and set the table for two people
- While the house is on the market, don't cook any meals that leave a lingering odor
- Don't leave dirty dishes in the sink or the dishwasher
By spending some time preparing cleaning and organizing your kitchen, buyers will notice and think you are meticulous about the rest of your home, too. It's worth it.
