Rip out an old kitchen or not in order to sell a property?

If you’re planning on selling your home but your kitchen is old and grotty should you replace it?

The answer is going to depend on a number of things. How much money you have to spend? Whether it will actually increase the value of your house? Will it make your house easier to sell?

The chances are that in a falling market you won’t get money back for improvements you do. If you try and skimp on costs then you end up putting an obviously cheap and nasty kitchen in which might be as off-putting as an old one.

So what to do?

Clean it really well. Get the oven professionally cleaned if you can – it costs about £50 to have it cleaned so it looks like new! Scrub the rest of the work tops and doors.

Declutter. Get rid of all the bits of junk you have out on your work surfaces. Re-grout the tiles if they’re grotty and won’t come clean – or try a grouting whitener pen.
Use nice accessories to make the most of the kitchen. A nice bowl of fruit or a flower arrangement can really make your kitchen look nice.

Some people believe that setting out a cafetiere on a tray with some nice cups can add a real finishing touch – others think it’s very pretentious and won’t help sell the property. See how it looks though – sometimes adding a touch of lifestyle to your property is what inspires people to think they want to live there!

Look up at walls too – a fresh coat of emulsion can brighten a kitchen up for a few pounds and will only take a little time to do. Dust round light fittings too – and clear junk from the tops of cupboards too.

If you have a breakfast bar then put some chairs at it, if there’s room! This can make your kitchen look very usable as an eating space. Dressing the table area for a meal can also complete the look.

Think about brightening a kitchen up by changing the blind and adding a colour matched rug to the floor. Don’t forget that any nice accessories you buy can go with you to your new house too – so buy things you like!

Cheap ways of changing the way a kitchen looks are to replace the cupboard doors. You should be able to do this simply by swapping them over. Take measurements to a few shops and get it priced up properly. New door fronts will completely change the kitchen look for very little effort but a small cost. Certainly it’ll be cheaper than ripping out a kitchen.

Sink cleaning products are available to make your sink really shine again. It’s worth putting some time into this as a shiny sink looks excellent. Don’t have a draining board covered with anything. Make sure you get rid of all washing up as soon as possible so that it doesn’t build up before a viewing.

Make sure your kitchen smells nice. You don’t have to brew coffee or bake bread, but ensure it’s clean and that the bin is empty and also cleaned out. Put your recycling out in the main bins too – don’t leave it cluttering up the kitchen.

If you have a small kitchen then use bright colours to make it look bigger – use gadgets with reflective surfaces to help enhance the space too.

Decluttering is vital – you have to clear out gadgets you don’t use and ensure there’s space on your worktops. If they don’t all fit in your cupboards then get rid of the stuff you don’t use.

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