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5 Reasons Why Kitchens & Bathrooms Sell Houses

I’m sure you’ve heard that ‘kitchens and bathrooms sell houses’, it seems to be a common theory and definitely something that vendors consider before putting their property on the market and most definitely a big factor towards buyers making an offer.

Buying a property to live in, is a big deal for everyone, it’s an expensive purchase, a massive decision that will have a big impact on your life so buyers, unless they’re keen renovators, will want key spaces like a kitchen and a bathroom to be up to date to avoid additional expenses.  Here are my thoughts on why kitchen and bathroom design sells houses;

Reason 1 – Interior Style Dates

By far the two factors that date a property are the architectural style and materials used to build the house, that is the external facade and the style of the kitchen and bathroom.  With so many surfaces, finishes, fittings and fixtures these 2 spaces show their age quickly, which is why a buyer might think twice about buying a property if the kitchen and bathroom are outdated, bearing in mind that a budget kitchen or bathroom renovation costs on average $15,000 buyers may not be so keen to spend more than necessary.

Reason 2 –  What Buyers Want

There’s no doubt that kitchen and bathroom design features heavily in the mainstream media from reality TV shows, to Instagram and glossy interior design magazines, it’s what buyers are familiar with, and possibly conditioned to notice or focus on, so a stand out kitchen and bathroom design impresses buyers, it’s what buyers want.

Reason 3 – Emotional Attachment

I spend so much time in the kitchen which more often than not, is part of an open plan living space and there’s just something special about spending time in a beautiful bathroom, that buyers are quick to establish either a positive or negative emotion to a property depending on the style of the kitchen or bathroom design.

Reason 4 – Cost of Kitchen and Bathroom Renovations

As mentioned briefly above and for people who want to renovate, remodel, refresh (whatever you want to call it) a budget bathroom or kitchen renovation will still set you back approximately $15,000.  I recently completed a bathroom refurbishment where labour was approximately $10,000 and materials were $5,000.  There are ways you can save money especially if you’re quite handy and can do some of the labour yourself which is why a good updated kitchen and bathroom sell houses, the expense, inconvenience and time needed to undertake such as project puts buyers off.

Reason 5 – Functionality

Over time new innovations and technology improve functionality and for a kitchen which is one of the heaviest used spaces in a home, these new innovations are important.  An example could something as simple as a bin drawer or engineered stone which is an attractive low-cost option compared to real stone counter tops.  New technology in appliances also add a desirable factor for buyers when looking at potential properties.

For all these reasons you can understand why nice new kitchens and bathrooms do help sell a home because these spaces tap into 2 of the most importance aspects of a buyer’s decision making process, ie emotions, where they can see themselves living there and important financially, if they don’t have spend an additional amount on a kitchen or bathroom refurb, this can help tip the scales in favour of a property with a refurbished or new kitchen and bathroom versus a property whose kitchen and bathroom are completed outdated.

 

 

By Trish Khoury, Interior Designer & Founder, Grace Interior Designs.

Photo credit Andrew Georgiou, Open2View

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