A kitchen or bathroom refit can make the difference

It is certainly the case that kitchens and bathrooms often seen to have a much higher value than that of other rooms, and by ensuring that both of these important spaces are stylish and elegant, sellers can, indeed, clinch a sale more easily.

Clearly, developers have been quick to spot these magical spaces, and so high expectations have become the norm. This alone makes it especially important to invest in an upgrade where possible, since an old kitchen or a below-par bathroom will certainly stand out as a negative in today’s highly developed market. In fact, the very same illusion of value may well work against you as the expectation on the part of the buyer will be that a replacement or upgrade will be expensive.

So, which approaches work and which ones do not when it comes to planning a kitchen and/or bathroom refit with re-sale specifically in mind?

Following the trend in the market and adding a few extra touches is the best way to proceed. For kitchens, neutral colors have a wide appeal, and this is important when looking to secure a quick sale. “Clearly you could spend a great deal of money on a new kitchen and still find that it doesn’t interest prospective buyers due to extraordinary colors or a difficult to appreciate design.

Marble work tops are well worth the extra expense as they are hard-wearing and project an image of extra quality. Appliances with reputable brand names also make for a good selling point, yet with some careful shopping around they may not cost that much more than unbranded goods.

Completeness is another key thing to consider. Omissions can often be more obvious in a kitchen which is newly designed as there will be high expectations on the part of prospective buyers that nothing is left out. “It is important to ensure that all necessary equipment and fittings are planned at the outset, otherwise there is a risk that later additions may not fit with the color scheme or dimensions of items already in place.

Completeness also extends to accessories, which can provide another gateway to adding elegance. Dressing the kitchen with items such as wine racks filled with the best vintages can have a very strong impact. As for bathrooms, there are a whole set of different considerations to take into account. The key difficulty that many owners have when it comes to bathroom design is in deciding whether a bath is a selling point, or whether a shower is now a must-have.

The solution can, in part, be found by looking at trends in the hotel industry, with budget rooms not always featuring a bath and with higher class rooms almost always offering the fabled tub. Yet with some extra thought, it is possible to make even more of a splash. Whirlpools and Jacuzzis are still not yet the norm, and so the relatively small extra outlay required to offer the added sophistication that they provide, can certainly help a sale.

Jacuzzis are associated with luxury and are featured in high class resort suites, thus they are certainly one way to stay ahead of the pack and add something special. It is one of the surest selling points you can arm yourself with. Yet, much relies on space considerations. It is appealing to have around two to three times as much floor space as taken up by a bath, Jacuzzi or shower, but there are no hard and fast rules.

Some owners elect to remove an existing bath tub altogether and install in its place a modern shower cubicle. In small and medium sized condominium units in particular, this frees up space and may fit better with the overall theme of a city centre lifestyle, where time is precious and a shower unit might be more suitable to the needs of prospective buyers of the property. As an alternative to a Jacuzzi, there are some very innovative shower systems on the market which are becoming popular and which can be equally as  impressive.  In keeping with this approach, a square bathroom with a shower set into one corner is becoming more in vogue.

In terms of color and décor, the best bathroom designs give the appearance of immediate comfort even in spite of the fact that no soft furnishings are present. Achieving this delicate balance is quite difficult but soft lighting plays an important role as does employing the use of pastel colors for floors and walls. Rustic textures, decorative tiles and dark wood accessories can also provide a feel of quality and comfort.

Regardless of the amount of investment made in either a kitchen or bathroom renovation, it is important not to neglect other rooms in the property. The theme of the design of a kitchen or bathroom should fit with that of the furnishings and fittings already in place. Alternatively, it could be worth investing further by upgrading the furnishings and décor in other rooms to the new standards.

In conclusion, whilst a  kitchen and/or a bathroom refit is costly, it could ultimately be the magic ingredient in securing a quick sale and the cost could be more than covered by an increase in the selling price of the property. In fact, charging a premium will only further help to emphasize to buyers that that there is a higher quality property on offer and this can actually increase the prospect of a sale