By Marlene Goldstein

The kitchen is not only the heart of the house, it is also the room that will help get you top dollar for your home. The reason is that most homebuyers will be willing to pay more for a home that doesn’t need any major work.  The kitchen Is probably the most expensive room for the potential homebuyer to update. So, when they see a lot of outdated appliances, cabinetry and flooring, in their minds' eye they begin to take the potential costs off what they would be willing to pay for the property.  On the other hand, it is also the room that if you update will give you the most return on investment.It is proven that an updated kitchen gets your house sold not only for more money but also more quickly.

As we all know, the way in which people live, and entertain has changed over the decades.The kitchen is no longer just for food preparation.  The kitchens role has been expanded and is now a place where families entertain. This casual entertaining trend has been enhanced by the current rage for large kitchen islands which have become the ideal spot for sharing a drink and hors d’oeuvres, and are now replacing the more formal buffet for larger gatherings. In addition the current trend for open floor plans has automatically made the kitchen a place where you can watch TV, as well as have a corner for bill paying, or even a home/office.  The kitchen’s expanded role has truly made it the hub of family activity.

In looking to appeal to the dreams of the home buyer take into consideration what they would love to see in a kitchen.In most general terms they are looking for a kitchen that is spacious, bright, updated, neutral and clean. With an unquestionable emphasis on clean. In order to fulfill some of the move-in ready desires of the home buyer, you may have to do some repairs and replacements of broken and rundown components that are showing their age. Because the kitchen is such an important feature of the house, I will be breaking this article down into components. The first being countertops, the area to pay special attention to.

Countertops
In a kitchen the countertop is probably the most important feature of the room. It has been said by many an expert that if you can only do one thing in your home it would be to consider replacing worn or outdated countertops.  It has been proven that this change creates the biggest impact in terms of both appearance and purchase price.

The best case scenario is that your countertops are of a neutral color and are in good condition. If they are not showing any excessive wear or stains, all you really need to do is clean them. If you have a laminate top and the edge is coming off just simply glue and clamp.

On the other hand, if the color of your countertop screams of past decades best to consider replacement. Do keep in mind the caliber of your home.For example if most of the comparable homes in your neighborhood are featuring granite, stone, and corian, and you want to be at the same quality level then these should be the materials you are considering. If your countertop is tile and your tiles are chipped or cracked replace with matching ones, if the grout is stained or uneven consider giving it a lift by taking up the tiles and replacing  them with new ones and choose a new grout color close to the shade of the tile.Although I don’t recommend the following, there are also a few less expensive fixes that are a bit tricky and have unreliable outcomes.Briefly, painting is one.There are some paints that can be used to change the color of your laminate. This is by far the least expensive way to go. Another option is to tile over your laminate. Again, my best advice as both a realtor and home stager is to consider what the standard is in your neighborhood and the quality of your house, and evaluate what will enhance and give your home a competitive edge.

As always, feel free to contact me with any questions or comments.

Kitchen cabinets, appliances and flooring will be covered in the next issue.

Marlene Goldstein is an accredited staging professional at Stage Appeal in Great Barrington.  She may be reached at marleana1@aol.com or 413 717-0773.