The value of a home is a focus for just about every homeowner, and believe it or not, your kitchen cabinets can add worth to your home.
As any real estate agent will confirm, two of the most popular focal points for a prospective home buyer are the kitchen and bathrooms of a home they are considering. If the cabinets in either of these rooms are in poor condition, the potential of a sale on your home decreases.
Trends change over time and what was popular 10 to 15 years ago is probably out of date. Given the high probability that you have already installed a solid surface countertop, whether it be granite or some other stone, you really only have two choices when addressing the cabinets in your home. One option is re-facing, which involves new doors and laminating existing boxes along with a hefty price- tag. Or there is refinishing, which involves painting or staining the existing cabinetry with a professional level, custom and durable finish. This may involve a solid color painted finish like white, off- white or black or a layered finish with glazes and clear coats.
For a refinishing project, the cabinet color you choose will be mostly depend on what color the floor and countertops are in the room. A simple rule of thumb that works the best in my experience is contrasting colors between all the surfaces. For example, light floors, dark cabinets, light countertops or the opposite dark floors, light cabinets, dark countertops.
If a home owner knows they are specifically refinishing cabinets with the express purpose of selling the home, the current trend is more towards solid lighter colors. The increase in value by painting the cabinets comes from the fact that even if a prospective buyer realizes the cabinets have been painted, the professional nature of the finish tends to allow them to accept the finish as something they can live with until such time as they want to change the style. They then purchase the home understanding the upgrade in value the refinished kitchen cabinets represent.
A professional sprayed finish is critical in achieving this goal. If the finish is not professional or amateurish with big brush strokes or drips, the prospective buyer may realize they may need to redo the kitchen entirely and look to deduct that cost, perhaps as much as $10 or $20,000 off, from the asking price of the home.
When you look around your home, consider the value that your kitchen cabinets and those in your bathrooms can add. Now take a good look at the condition of those same cabinets. Is it time to refinish?
