Home Staging Check List: Kitchen

The kitchen is often considered the heart of the home.  It's where families meet, food is prepared, and conversations happen.  A good kitchen is important to most buyers.  A kitchen should be clean, functional, and if you have the time / budget, stylish.  

We see so many cluttered, tidy kitchens,  Back to our previous post about entrances and clutter, it is important to clear off the counters.  Overflowing counters, crammed with tired appliances and overflowing compost is a sure sign that there isn't enough storage.  This may be the case, but you don't want to advertise this!

Here are some handy tips:

1) Update Colour. a quick way to update your kitchen is to have the cabinets painted.  We always recommend to go with a professional painter who has the facilities to spray.  Work with your designer to select a colour that works with your backsplash and counter top.

2) Back Splash.  Many condos don't even have tiled backsplashes installed.  Not only is this cheeky on the part of the developers, but it means that the paint and drywall behind the cooktop is likely damaged or oil / food stained.  Gross.  Install a backsplash.  Mosaic tile will cost about $11 per square foot.  Subway tile, much less.  If you have a 10' long backsplash, that is a standard 18"H.  Even with an expensive mosiac, the tile will cost less than $200 plus installation.  It's a small price to pay for a substantial upgrade. 

3) Counter Top:  Tired, laminate counter tops are a turn off.  If your kitchen has good layout, and you've already updated the cabinetry colour, don't leave laminate counters lying about!  Finish the job with neutral caesarstone or marble

4) Tidy and Clean.  No one wants to see what you had for dinner the night before, so remove those pasta noodles from the drain catcher, and empty the garbage, compost, recycling.  

5)  Distribute Lighting.  Many kitchens have track or recessed pot lights on a gimbal.  Make sure the room is illuminated evenly, with no dark spots/

6) Decorate.  Without going overboard, put out a few nice looking cookbooks, a vase or two.  Remove counter top accessories unless they are shiny, beautiful and expensive. 

Check out our before / after kitchen make-over!

Clean and Tidy, yes, but dated and not very impressive

Clean and Tidy, yes, but dated and not very impressive

Updated cabinet colour and new countertops show well and look fresh

Updated cabinet colour and new countertops show well and look fresh

Listing Realtor: Andrew Harrild

Photographer: James Burry