Kitchens can make or break the deal when selling your home, so kitchen staging is essential for a quick and successful sale. Homeowners may be tempted to renovate their out-of-date kitchen prior to selling. However, a kitchen renovation is costly, and takes months to complete. On the other hand, kitchen staging is very inexpensive compared to the overall sale price of your home and can produce great results. Our kitchen staging ideas will help to sell your home. Even the drabbest of kitchens can be transformed with these basic tips.
We like to think of the kitchen as the heart of the home. It is where family gather to prepare food and engage socially, a hub of vitality and passion. Very often, a kitchen is also the informal and intimate family dining area. When preparing to sell your home, it is vital to ensure the kitchen is an inviting space which will tempt buyers. Buyers must envisage their family inhabiting that space. Create a space that any family could call home.
Kitchen Staging Starts With a Clean, Duh!
First of all, clean, clean, clean. Kitchens are well-used spaces in the home, and they get dirt and grease build up. Everyone wants a brand-new kitchen, but the next best thing is a sparkling clean and fresh-smelling kitchen. A great cleaning job will provide those brand-new feels. On the other hand, a kitchen with greasy remains and an odour of last week’s meals will not. Even an older style kitchen can be rejuvenated by a good thorough clean.
Remember to clean grout between tiles, and to clean all surfaces including windows and floors. Polish up tap-ware and cookware knobs. Oven and cook-top cleaning are also essential.
Here’s our checklist to make your kitchen shines prior to staging:
- Polish tap ware, cookware knobs and aluminium/steel kitchen appliances
- Vacuum crumbs and cobwebs from the tight hard to reach nooks
- Wipe down the cabinets and drawers, including polishing the handles
- Polish aluminium fixtures, dust ceiling fans and clean the range hood
- Replace any blown bulbs
- Avoid powerful smells, don’t cook a lamb roast or curry the night before an open inspection
- Neutralise any slight odours with a subtly fragranced candle
- Clear the dishwasher
- Order your cutlery and crockery in a neat fashion
If you do not have the time or trust in your attention to detail, call in a professional. A professional clean of a 2-bedroom home costs around $500. This is a great investment, particularly if you won’t be living in the home. A professional clean will last throughout your sales campaign.
Declutter the Kitchen
Declutter. Yes, it’s a horrible word and a very inconvenient way to live. Kitchen bench-tops are used several times a day. Whilst it’s great to have your appliances handy, the clutter they create can be visually unappealing. Kitchen benches also have a habit of becoming the home to keys, sunglasses, spare change, stationary, and endless bits and pieces. And the fridge, a make-shift memo and photo wall.
Unfortunately, cluttered bench-tops, fridge magnets and notes make a kitchen feel cluttered and busy. To maximise the sense of space in your kitchen, it is important to put all these items away, out of sight. This includes ensuring there are no dirty dishes or cleaning products left on display. It’s also nice to tidy and clean pantries and cupboards. Buyers want a tidy and organised kitchen. Give them their tidy kitchen. Whether they can maintain it or not, is up to them.
- Remove all cleaning products and sponges from the sink counter
- Get rid of magnets, photos or notes attached to the refrigerator
- Pack it all away; the microwave, blender, mixer, toaster, kettle and coffee machine
- Clear the counter tops. Clear them completely. A clean slate is required before accessorising.
Here are more of our tips on how to declutter your home for sale.
Make the Most of An Informal Dining
If you have the space, emphasise it by adding an informal dining area. It can be difficult for potential buyers to envisage how they will use spaces in your home. If there is room, adding a dining table and chairs to the kitchen space shows that there is space for the family to gather and eat together.
If your kitchen is too small for a dining table, a breakfast bar with seating will show that it is possible for the family to gather in this area together to eat snacks, breakfast, or have a cup of tea or coffee. Even a small dining table and setting, like the one used to style this display apartment demonstrates the possibilities to potential buyers.
Accessories to Stage the Kitchen
A few carefully chosen and placed accessories will give your kitchen the feeling that it is a space to be lived in. A pot of culinary herbs close to a well-lit window shows the potential for at-home cultivation. Cookbooks with beautiful photos open on the bench-top or in a holder help to create a culinary atmosphere. Matching utensils and crockery can be carefully placed on open shelves, leaving plenty of room to help create a feeling of space.
Ensure that any open shelves are populated with at least some accessories; cookbooks, mortar and pestle or a pot plant. If left empty, buyers can overlook utility of the storage space.
Fresh flowers or a bowl of fresh fruit on a bench-top will add fragrance and help create a homely atmosphere. For more kitchen staging ideas on accessories, take a peek at how to style the perfect kitchen.
Emma Tobin, Director and Lead Stylist at The Urbane Property Stylist, holds a B.D. (Interior Design). With over ten years of experience in Interior Design, Landscape Architecture and Property Styling, Emma has earned a reputation for her attention to detail and ability to deliver.