Kitchen, Bedrooms and Baths
Getting Your Home Ready to Sell

The kitchen - a key to selling your home

Quick Kitchen Showing Fixes

  • Remove personal pictures and kids works of art from the refrigerator.
  • Fix or replace any leaky faucet.
  • Put out a bowl of apples on the table or countertop.
  • Hang your best kitchen towels.
  • Swifter floors and wash all baseboards.
  • Before a showing, plug in a time release air fresher with a kitchen scent.
  • Wash windows and clean window coverings.
  • Put away all food, wash dishes in the dishwasher and wipe out the sink before a showing.
  • Clean your stove and oven. Replace stove drip pans.
  • Tighten loose hardware on cabinets and drawers.
  • Clear away all clutter from countertops, shelves and tables.
  • Eliminate garbage disposal odors by grinding a piece of lemon and baking soda.
  • Take out the kitchen trash.

    • Your kitchen is one of the most influential rooms in the sale of your home. When prospective buyers look at your kitchen, they will pay particular attention to its cleanliness, layout and storage capacity. Without making a major remodeling investment, there are some easy, inexpensive things you can do to make your kitchen more appealing.

    It's got to be clean and clutter-free

    A bright kitchen with gleaming countertops, appliances and floors will be attractive to buyers. So now's the perfect time to clean cupboards and drawers and put in new shelf paper. And while you're at it, pare down the contents, tossing or donating unused and worn items. Doing so will make your kitchen storage areas seem more spacious - as well as make your move easier.

    Look at your built in appliances with a critical eye. Be sure they are clean, odor-free and in good working condition. If the appliances have seen better days or the color is significantly dated, consider replacement with stainless or white. Clear countertops of extras, like dying plants or personal knick knacks. Store small appliances out of sight for a less-cluttered look. Rid countertops of stains, and polish them until they sparkle. Hoppes countertop polish works great plus it makes keeping it clean much easier. Also be sure your sink is well-scrubbed and all dishes are clean and put away at all times. Wood cabinet fronts may appear dingy. Wash thoroughly with a mild cleaner to remove dirt and grease residue. Then, coat them with a wood polish like Scotts Liquid Gold.

    Lower your kitchen cleaning stress with these tips:

  • After cleaning counter tops and back splashes use a counter top polish like hoppes to keep stains away and grease from sticking.
  • After cleaning wood cabinets use a polish like Scotts Liquid Gold to make them shine and make future clean up easy.
  • After cleaning out shelves and cabinets, line them with neutral color shelf liners that are removable.
  • Adopt a clean as you go policy for your family. Take a look at Fly Lady on the internet for help.
  • Use splatter screens when cooking.
  • Buy a dozen small lemons to have on hand for the garbage disposal.
  • Baking Soda is a great safe cleaner.

    • Buyers look for adequate storage

    When clearing countertops, don't just stash things inside cupboards and drawers. After all, prospective buyers who are interested in your home will check out storage in those areas. Buyers will want to envision their belongings fitting into the kitchen.

    The goal is to make all of your kitchen storage areas look half full. It's time to pack with your new home in mind. I bet if you looked at your kitchen pantry, cabinets and drawers, that half of the items taking up space are seldom used. Why not pack them away now into an off site storage unit?

    When was the last time you used that bread machine or big turkey roaster?

    Are those 2005 six flags 64 oz souvenir cups really being used?

    It's time to clean out your food pantry. Envision half empty organized pantry shelves. Is this a good time to donate to a local food drive or drop it off at a food pantry and get a tax deduction receipt?

    Maximize storage possibilities by customizing your storage areas. Use these suggestions or come up with your own ideas.

  • Use cutlery trays in drawers to hold utensils or to organize your "junk" drawers.
  • Add wire baskets or pull-out racks to deeper cupboards to organize cans or pots and pans.
  • Install lid holders on the inside of cabinet doors to neatly store plastic lids and lightweight items.
  • Store spices in wire racks attached to the interior of cabinet doors or in drawers equipped with stair-step spice racks.

    • Buyers like bright kitchens

    Light and bright kitchens make a favorable impression on prospective home buyers. If your kitchen has lots of windows and natural light - great! If not, lighten up!

    Paint the walls a light color. Neutrals such as off-white, beige or light taupe appeal to the majority of buyers. Cabinets need a light look, too. If currently painted, consider repainting with a complementary semi-gloss enamel gives cabinets a fresh look. You'd be surprised how much brighter your cabinets will look just by washing them with an all-purpose cleaner to get rid of dirt build-up.

    Open up windows. If you have only a small window, don't hide it behind dark window treatments. Make sure bushes or trees outside the window aren't blocking the sun from entering. Simple, airy curtains will also allow natural light to enter the room.

    Brighten up your lighting by using the highest wattage energy efficient light bulbs your fixtures can safely handle. As a final bright touch, add a bowl of fresh fruit.

    Little extras count big with buyers

    When potential buyers are comparing your home to similarly built homes in the neighborhood, you want them to remember your home as the better one. And sometimes it's the little extra special, inexpensive touches that sink into a buyers subconscious. To add pizzazz to your kitchen, you might:

  • Make cabinets look newer with new knobs and pulls.
  • Install new light-switch covers.
  • Clean light fixtures and fan blades.
  • Freshen a sink in good condition by installing a new faucet.

    • Since the kitchen is one of the major selling features of your home, you need to look at this area from a buyer's perspective - and determine the potential payback of any more major remodeling projects. Rather than a major remodeling, consider these options:

  • If cabinets fronts are in bad shape, replacing just cabinet fronts (refacing) adds life without the expense of installing all new cabinets.
  • If your laminate countertops have seen better days, consider replacing with a neutral laminate. It will make a huge difference in your facelift efforts without expending a huge amount of money.
  • Give your kitchen sink a new lease on life by having it resurfaced or opt for an inexpensive replacement.
  • Remember to keep all kitchen fixes neutral to appeal to the broadest range of potential buyers.


    • Contact Mark Hitz, Realtor, Keller Williams Realty Today for your Real Estate Needs or to take a walk through of your kitchen! If you are thinking of selling a home, or want to talk with an expert Real Estate Agent with detailed knowledge of local Real Estate, please feel free to contact us. Simply call Mark Hitz at 214-514-1800, or e-mail us. We'll be glad to talk with you, and help you in all of your Real Estate needs.