If you’re thinking about selling or even renting out your property then your kitchen could be the room that secures you that sale or new tenant, and a great price to boot! Research carried out by Magnet suggests that great kitchen can add as much as £20,000 to the sale price of your house, so it’s definitely worth making sure yours is looking tip-top before you invite the estate agents over.

We understand most people won’t want to install a brand new kitchen in a property they are looking to sell or let, but there are several key areas that are worth considering investing in to give your kitchen the sort of look and feel which will appeal to potential buyers. These don’t need to cost the earth but can transform your kitchen from average to extraordinary!

Here are our top suggestions for where to invest your money to add value to your kitchen.

Quartz worktops

When we’re designing new kitchens for our customers many of them opt for quartz worktops due to their good looks and hard-wearing properties. Quartz is non porous and requires less maintenance than many other worktop options. It is also heat, stain and scratch resistant which makes it a fantastic choice for rental properties as it can withstand more than its fair share of wear and tear. It is a very stylish choice for kitchens of any style, with a wide range of colours, styles and thicknesses available.

Quartz worktops can be installed without needing to change anything else in your kitchen – they can simply replace your existing worktops so they’re a quick, simple but very effective change to make.

Energy Efficient appliances

If you’ve ever looked at properties on sites such as Rightmove (it’s our favourite hobby), you’ll have noticed that each property listing features something called an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). An EPC gives potential buyers and renters an idea of how energy efficient a property is, as green credentials become more important to us all. EPCs are being considered even more than normal at present as a result of the cost of living crisis. If your kitchen appliances are many years old they are likely to be energy inefficient, contributing to a poor EPC rating. In swapping these for newer models you can improve the energy consumption in your kitchen.

Invest in technology

We all want our kitchen to look great, but even more important is that it works well on a functional level to help make our lives easier. One of the biggest things we can invest in to make cooking and entertaining as smooth a process as possible is kitchen technology. Quooker taps are one of our favourite examples of this as they produce cold, hot, boiling and even sparkling water at the press of a button, also removing the need foe a kettle. Smart appliances can also be really useful and very appealing to tech-savvy buyers looking to simplify their lives.

Install an Island or Peninsula

Open plan, multi-functional living has been a desirable feature in our properties for several years now, but the Covid-19 pandemic has seen this heightened further as we all now spend more time at home with home-working. Islands or peninsulas are incredibly useful tools in achieving this sort of living style as they provide additional space which can be used for socialising, eating, working etc. If you don’t have the space for an island you can still build this sort of feature into your kitchen with a small over-hang or breakfast bar which can be very useful, attractive spaces.

If you’re not sure whether you have the space for an island or peninsula then get in touch and we can help draw up some plans and assess your options.

Hidden Storage Solutions

Larders have become one of the most desirable kitchen features in recent years, but great and plentiful storage has long been a must-have in the kitchen. If your kitchen is lacking in the storage department this could be seriously off-putting for potential buyers and renters who often have ample storage space at the top of their wish-lists. Storage in the kitchen doesn’t need to take the shape of a larder (although great if it does!) but can be things like deep pan drawers, le mans systems to make the most of corner cupboards or even door-hung racks for things like tins and spices to help organise and free up cupboard space.

Update your hardware

If your cupboards are in overall in good condition but look a little dated then a simple change such as replacing the handles can give them a new lease of life and make your kitchen look much newer than it is. There are a wide selection of handles available now, from industrial copper cup handles to classically stylish brass or brushed stainless steel. You’ll be amazed how such a simple and inexpensive change can completely revamp the look of your kitchen, making it much more appealing to people wanting a fresh, modern interior.

Timeless and hardwearing flooring

Flooring is another area that can make your kitchen look dated if it is old-fashioned or in a bad state of repair and can be very off-putting to potential buyers who assume it will be costly and disruptive to replace. Wooden floors are a great choice for the kitchen as they are modern, neutral and hardwearing. They can also be installed fairly inexpensively in a variety of different materials. We would recommend avoiding laminate style flooring in the kitchen as spills and heat can damage it, so instead opt for Luxury Vinyl Tiles (LVT includes brands such as Amtico), tiles, or if budget allows, real wood flooring. This timeless and hardwearing look will appeal to everyone and withstand the demands of a busy kitchen.

Soft, neutral shades

Many of us love to express ourselves with bold colours in our homes, but when it comes to the time to move on, neutrals are what sell best. Buyers and renters are drawn to bright, light spaces which they can make their own. A blank canvas allows us to imagine our own belongings and lives in a property, so go for a colour palette of whites, creams or greys to appeal to as many potential buyers or renters as possible. If you want to add colour do it with some vibrant accessories which you can take with you when you move onto your next home.

Light it up

One of the biggest property turn-offs when viewing potential homes is dark, dingy rooms. No one wants to spend time in places which feel dark and a little dreary. That is why lighting can, believe it or not, be a make or break feature. Your kitchen needs to be well lit, but also thoughtfully lit, with a mixture of ceiling spotlights, under cupboard lights, and if appropriate, pendant lighting. Lighting at these different levels helps to create the same feeling as natural light, making us feel that we are in a naturally bright space, not a harsh artificial one. Also make sure your lightbulbs are LED as these are not only more energy efficient, but have a longer life span too.

If you’re looking to add value to your kitchen and your home, get in touch with us today to book a free home design visit. We cover the entire Oxfordshire area and beyond, including Didcot, Oxford, Abingdon, Wantage, Wallingford, Grove, Newbury, Henley on Thames.

With over 30 different kitchen styles available, we can help you find the perfect one to make your dream a reality. What’s more, with Kitchenroom you can always be assured of:

• First class personal service from start to finish
• 18 mm Rigid (assembled) wall and base units with doors already fitted
• 8 cabinet colour options (so not just white / ivory or oak) to match the colour of the kitchen
• 2 mm ABS edged cabinets
• Soft close Blum doors & drawers that come with a lifetime guarantee
• 25 year guarantee on our units / 10 years on Solid wood kitchens / 7 years on MDF kitchens
• A typical lead time of 3 – 4 weeks
• We can supply only or supply and arrange the fit of your new kitchen where we will take care of the whole project from start to finish

Want to know more?

Why not take a look at some of our recently completed kitchen installations?

Click here to see our range of fitted kitchens.