Grand Little Place

Everyone knows that kitchens and baths sell homes, right? Well if you’re selling and your kitchen is less than stellar then today’s post is especially for you. Today I’m sharing my 4 best tips to staging your kitchen so your home sells fast.

Let’s get a few things straight before we dive into staging your kitchen.  It is ok if your kitchen is outdated.  You don’t need to embark on a kitchen renovation. For the purpose of this post I am going to assume that we are working with what you have.

Buyers are also acutely aware of the ‘new countertop’ trick.  New countertops do not mean that your kitchen is updated.  It means that you have old cabinets, backspash, appliances, and floors that do not match the shiny new countertop.  Unless it makes sense for your kitchen just skip it.  If you have an outdated kitchen it’s ok to make improvements to it, just talk with your realtor about what makes the most sense for your homes location and selling price.

Take a good hard look at your kitchen.  Is everything in working order? How does it function?  Now think through things that you know could be an objection to a buyer.  Think through how the room functions and then think through how it looks.

Counters should be cleared.  It’s ok to leave your canisters out unless your kitchen is very small.  If your counter space is teeny keep the counters totally clear.  You want buyers to see that there is ample space for food prep.  When you wipe your counters down for the last time before the photos use window cleaner – it helps everything shine. 🙂

When staging your kitchen and dining tables you want to tell a story (just like every other space in your home).  It’s easy to over set your tables so think in terms of texture and layers.  Don’t busy the table with excess color, stick to neutrals.  I usually recommend a version of the above:  round woven place mats, white plates, simple bowl, and a bag of green apples from the grocery store.  Don’t worry about adding flatware.  It’s small and just reads as  excess clutter in photos.

4 Easy steps to stage your kitchen to sell fast:

1. Declutter
   1. Don’t forget to remove all the magnets from the refrigerator
2. Clean, clean, clean!
3. Organize cabinets and pantries.  Buyers love to see organization!  Try and leave extra space in your cabinets and pantry shelves so buyers feel like there is plenty of storage room.
4. Tell a story
   1. Set your table simply with neutral table settings
   2. Set up small vignettes in specialty areas (coffee bars, islands, etc)

Don’t forget to pin!