Do you want to give the kitchen a fresh, new look before selling your house? A full-blown kitchen remodel recoups only 54% of its cost when you sell. Consider instead making small upgrades that still boost your house value. Here are some easy, budget-friendly things you can do as part of a do-it-yourself kitchen renovation.
Pick Your Appliances First
If your appliances are outdated and you want to replace them, do so before doing anything else in the kitchen. You want to make sure your new appliances fit in the allotted spaces. Otherwise, you will need to widen those spaces.
Buyers appreciate a house with shiny, new appliances included. They may even pay a higher purchase price. New stainless steel appliances have an ROI of 141%.
Flooring Hacks
You will like a floor that lends your kitchen warmth and texture. Hardwood floors are popular, beautiful, long-lasting, and easy to clean. They also increase your house value, recovering 106% of the cost upon sale of your house. In fact, 50% of buyers are willing to pay extra for a house with hardwood floors.
Alternate flooring options for the kitchen include laminate, vinyl, and tile, ranging from $4 to $15 per square foot.
Save on Kitchen Countertops
Countertops are among the most expensive kitchen features. Granite and marble are very nice but very pricy. Lucky for you, there are faux options that imitate those materials and cost under $100.
Laminate and concrete are even cheaper. Per square foot, laminate costs $10 to $40, while concrete prices at $8 to $15. You can enhance your options with special design hacks, like laying epoxy over laminate to give it a shine or painting it with black chalkboard paint.
Friendly Backsplashes
There are easy-to-apply, DIY backsplashes that stay up with adhesive backing or construction glue. These include laminate, which is wipeable and waterproof, veneer stone, subway tiles, or tileboard. Prices for these materials range from as low as $6 to upwards of $13 per square foot.
Cabinet Makeovers
Instead of gutting your kitchen storage, you can give your cabinets a facelift with a fresh coat of paint. You can alternatively stain or lacquer wood cabinetry. Try also adding new hardware – sleek metals add a unique flair and look great if they match the finish of your kitchen sink.
If you paint your cabinets yourself, your base cost may be around $200, subject to the paint brand and supplies you need. Kitchen hardware ranges from $2 to $20, depending on the hardware material.
Let the Pros Do the Important Things
Plumbing and electrical work are best left to the professionals. This way, you save time and effort and do not risk getting hurt. Rewiring old outlets and hanging new lights can take weeks on your own if you do not know these things. Why risk incidents when you can pay to have it done right the first time?
Overhaul Expenses, Sell to an Investor
Is the kitchen DIY remodel to sell your house? Consider the drawbacks. Are there other areas of the house that need attention, maybe major repairs? Is it something you can really do by yourself, or is there a risk that if it goes poorly you will have to hire a professional? Plus, how much time and budget do you have to spend renovating? If you are on a deadline to sell, there may be no time to make improvements.
Don’t waste your time and money! Instead sell your house AS-IS to an investor. Most investors will make a cash offer on the house without upgrades or repairs. They actually prefer properties that need TLC and will do the work themselves. You can close in a month or less and spend your earnings on your dream house that comes with its own high-end cooking space.
