Whether you’re selling your home now, years from now, or are just looking for your next renovation project, every homeowner should consider upgrading or remodelling their kitchen and symphony retailers are specialists in designing a kitchen.
When you think about it, it makes sense. The kitchen is the heart of the home, the hub of everyday life from cooking, dining and socialising, to doing homework with your children and so much more. The kitchen is also the room that we pay extra attention to when we view a property, to the extent where, when the kitchen is too small, or dark, or outdated, it could put us off a house altogether.
As this one room holds so much value in our everyday lives and when selling a property, the kitchen should be the first room that you should invest in to increase the value of your home.
If you’re looking for an upgrade, one that will increase your market price as well as improve your living space, then here is a how-to guide to help you in designing a kitchen that will increase the value of your home.
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Budget Your Project
Before you start any renovation, you need to decide on your budget, and one of the most important things to do is to be as realistic as possible. Don’t underestimate or overestimate costs, do your research and take into account the price bracket of your home.
Your budget needs to be one that you can afford, as well as being in proportion with your home’s price bracket. So, for example, if your home’s asking price is approximately £300,000, then investing £35,000 into the kitchen won’t get you the return on investment that you would want. However, equally, if you spend less than £5,000 on upgrades that don’t equate to the value of the house, then this could potentially put off potential buyers.
Put simply, research the whole project, including all the potential hidden costs, calculate a budget and stick to it.
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Plan for Your Space
Many people have an idea of what their dream kitchen would look like. However, if you don’t have the right space for that particular design, it won’t look like what you envisioned at all. By using the space that you have and designing a kitchen around that, you can be sure that the whole room will look more appealing.
The most important thing here is to have an open mind rather than getting stuck on one set idea. Professional kitchen designers always view the space first and make the best design out of what you’ve already got, so let them work their magic and reap the rewards!
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Design for Function
An ultra modern and sleek kitchen may look fantastic, but once you start cooking and living in the space, you may find that the layout isn’t as convenient as it could be. Our solution? Imagine yourself cooking in your space. Where would you like your sink and cooker to be? Which sides would you prepare the food? And what storage would work best for all your kitchen accessories? By thinking about the work flow of your ideal kitchen, you can ensure that your money is well spent and you don’t spend the remaining days regretting the design.
A helpful tip to make effective use of your space is high-quality storage solutions. These create clutter-free surfaces whilst providing you with quality storage that ensures ease of use and a smooth workflow. If there’s room for extending, don’t be afraid to knock down a wall and open up the space for socialising!
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Ensure the New Style Flows with Your Home
Again, if you love a certain kitchen design, make sure it continues your home’s existing theme. You want to be able to flow from one room to the next and have the design match your colour scheme and vibe, rather than shocking people with the different appearance.
Take a look at your home and note the style. Is it a period style or is it more modern and minimalist? Is it rustic and traditional country or open plan? Whatever the style of your home, your new kitchen design or renovations need to be consistent with the rest of the rooms. Remember to be open-minded and adapt your idea to your setting!
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Consider Neutral Colours
Neutral colours are the modern choice, so if you’re planning on changing colour scheme or updating your counters and worktops, light greys and creams are timeless. Most appealing kitchens tend to have a neutral colour scheme, as this gives potential buyers a beautiful blank canvas that they can build on and reflect their own personalities in the addition of accessories.
When designing a new kitchen, bare this in mind, and try to think of colours that you are happy with, but ones that will appeal to a wider range of people as well if you ever were to sell.
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Upgrades Increase Value
If you’re not planning on moving but want to give your kitchen a revamp, particular enhancements will make all the difference whilst also increasing the value of your home! When planning what to upgrade, consider these enhancements first:
- Additional Lighting – Making sure your kitchen has sufficient lighting is the easiest (and cheapest) way to add some value to your home whilst also making the space look more appealing. Make sure that your kitchen has a balance between natural, artificial and ambient lightening to really open up the space to a potential buyer.
- High-end Appliances – The more modern your appliances are, the more your kitchen will have an expensive and finished look. Energy-efficient appliances are also becoming quite sought after, so either improvement will increase the value of your home.
- Refinishing or Replacing Cabinets or Countertops – An expensive update to a kitchen when you take into account the difference that a change in lighting can make, but this is a change that can really transform a space. Many people refinish their existing cabinets to give their kitchen a look of remodel, so refinish or replace them with neutral colours and you’ll soon see a return on investment.
- Expanding Your Space – Lastly, what could be more appealing to you and any potential buyers than an open plan kitchen that combines the best aspects of living: cooking and socialising. However you can open up your space, it is worth every penny!
So there you go. While there are many different ways that we can renovate our homes to increase their market price, it is widely recognised that the kitchen holds the most value. Just remember to stay within budget when decorating and choosing finishing touches, and seek a professional designers help if in doubt about what will work best.
This post was produced by the fantastic people at Kitchens by Emma Reed. Head over to their dealer page for more information.
Address: Castell Close, Enterprise Park, Swansea SA7 9FH
Phone: 01792 516000
