If your kitchen is outdated, it can turn potential buyers off. Here are some telltale signs that your kitchen needs updating and what to do about them.
1. Pine cabinets
Some people like pine, because it evokes a cozy country look and feel. Many more people liked pine finishes in the 1970s and ’80s than they do today, however, and kitchens featuring them now look like they’re stuck in those decades. Thankfully, as long as you’re willing to put some elbow grease and/or money into a rehab, you’ll be able to transform your kitchen to the present day in a weekend.
You can transform your kitchen in three simple steps of just sanding, priming, and adding a coat of white or otherwise neutral paint over your kitchen cupboards. You can buy everything you need at your local home store, or online at Lowe's. The price of all of the tools and paint will cost about $150.
2. Retro hardware and faucets
Like pine cabinets, retro hardware and faucets can date your kitchen. Installing upgrades will not only modernize the space, they may also end up saving you money over the long haul. New faucets are often more aesthetically pleasing and come with various water-saving features like pause and resume functions, so they can save you money. And they're even easier to fix than old cabinets, because they can be installed in a matter of minutes by yourself with some basic tools.
Fashionable hardware can be found at your local home improvement store, or online at Amazon.com, where prices start at around $10. Faucets can also be purchased in home improvement stores or online at Lowe's, where prices start at around $50, depending on how many you need to replace.
3. Inspirational word art
If you have words like “Love” or “Breathe” on your kitchen wall—or anywhere else in your home - t’s time to retire them. Inspirational quotes need to go, too. Replace them with paintings or photographs that are timeless instead of trendy. Enough said.
4. Drab colors
When was your kitchen last painted? If you have no idea or the date stretches back past a few decades, it’s probably time for to repaint. Paint colors can be very trendy and can go out of style very quickly, which makes paint colors evoke the decade they were last trendy.
The fix is similar to fixing the pine cabinet problem. Just brighten up the kitchen with a few fresh coats of light, natural white or gray paint. Prices for paint and supplies at home improvement stores like Lowe’s will cost about $150.
5. Funky lighting
If your kitchen’s lighting was installed a long time ago or is mismatched, it’s time to upgrade to modern, sleek recessed lighting. Getting rid of competing lights of various shapes and sizes and putting in simple recessed lighting is a nice understated touch that can make a big difference in your kitchen. Lowe's offers an entire guide to recessed lighting, including information on how to install it. Prices for recessed lighting start at around $25, plus, of course, any installation costs.
6. Mounted pots and pans
Organizing your pots and pans by hanging them from racks mounted on the ceiling was trendy 30 years ago. Today, that looks dated and, chances are, your cookware is dusty. Take down the hanging pot rack and arrange your kitchen to make it appear neater, cleaner, and more welcoming. Taking down the rack is free in theory, but may require minor patches or a repaint job.
These jobs are all small enough to take on solo and in a weekend. But the impact will be enormous. Go forth and modernize!
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