Staging A Kitchen On Your Own

It's not just about staging furniture. Even though there isn't much furniture involved, staging your kitchen is equally important.

Real estate agents often say that kitchens sell houses. However, sources indicate that 58 percent of buyers recently purchased homes with the style they prefer.

Tips For Staging Kitchen Cabinets

The best way to transform your kitchen's look is to replace the cabinets. They take up so much space in the room. Unfortunately, a kitchen renovation can be costly and take several months.

• You don't have to demolish your kitchen to sell your kitchen. These kitchen staging tips are for cabinets:

• Paint

  Although painting cabinets is very affordable, it is a labor-intensive DIY project that requires a lot of time and effort. Materials, paint, and at least two weekends are required to complete the task (or more depending on how big your kitchen is). In addition, you can expect to do a lot of detail work and sanding, which is crucial for a professional-grade product. Also, plan to work in your garage.

  Check out recent sales and other listings before you decide on a paint color. A Paint Color Analysis shows that tuxedo-style kitchens, where the upper and bottom cabinets are two distinct colors, command a premium of $1,547. White cabinets with a black or navy kitchen island were the most sought-after combination in top-performing listings.

• New Hardware

  No matter if you paint your cabinets, new hardware can make your kitchen look great. It's also a quick and inexpensive way to update the look of your kitchen. You should choose hardware that matches the style of your cabinets. Don't use minimalist pulls with traditional cherry-raised panel cabinetry.

  You can remove the hardware you don't like and spray it with Rust-Oleum spray to make it look new again. For example, you can contrast white cabinets with matte black.

• Soft-Close Drawers And Cabinets

  The soft-close cabinetry trend is relatively new in residential housing. Buyers love it. Buyers may believe that the kitchen is newer or has been renovated recently if your hinges and drawers are soft-close.

  Soft-close dampers are an easy and affordable solution for your kitchen. Each damper takes less than 15 minutes to put in.

• Open Shelving

  Open shelving can be a great option if you have no walls near your kitchen. It gives the space a light feel and allows you to display fine dishware. This style is extremely popular and maybe a good option for buyers looking to update their homes.

Rethink The Appliance

Kitchen appliances can be expensive, but it is worth considering upgrading to stainless steel appliances if your appliances are old.

The most important thing to remember is that your appliances must match. Avoid the temptation to upgrade one appliance to stainless steel and forget the rest. It's better to have matching appliances with black or white kitchens than mismatched ones.

You might be able to afford to change a few appliances if they are mismatched. You can also use a liquid stainless-steel kit to make them look identical.

Staging Kitchen Counters

Countertops are the most important focal point for buyers after appliances and cabinets. However, it is important to remember that different buyers have different tastes in material and color preferences. It can also be costly to replace all your countertops. Instead, you should be content with what you have.

Kitchen-Counter Staging: Updates

You will need to prepare the surface before you can stage the kitchen counters.

• Repair Counter damage

  You can repair your granite countertops with epoxy, even if they are chipped.

• Block Of Sand Butcher

  Before you list your home for sale, make sure to sand and oil the butcher-block counters.

• Regrout Tile

  Grout can become dull and dingy over time. Rerouting is an easy way to bring new life to your tile countertops.

• Reface Laminate

  Although laminate countertops are not something buyers, love, if they can't be replaced, a countertop resurfacing kit or painting kit may be an option to give them a natural stone or marble look.

Kitchen-Counter Staging Ideas

You're now ready to stage once you have improved your countertops.

• Get Rid Of Clutter

  Get rid of any papers, keys, or pens. To make your countertops appear larger, store bulky or infrequently used appliances in cabinets.

• Add Decorative Touches

  Clear glass canisters are a great way to display dry goods in groups of three.

• Cookies

  Before an open house or showing, make sure to have freshly baked cookies on hand. They make your home smell delicious.

How To Stage A Kitchen Island

Although you might think of your kitchen island simply as another countertop, there are several ways that it can be made stand out to potential buyers.

Decorate your island with a few pieces if it has an open shelf below or a hanging rack. It is important to display clean, matching cookware and not mismatched sets. A few colorful cookbooks can add a pop of color to lower cabinet shelves.

Use a vase of fresh flowers to create a centerpiece on the island countertop. Next, add a bowl of fruits -- you can use oranges, green apples, or lemons in odd numbers.

How To Set Up A Kitchen Table

The kitchen is an essential part of your daily life. However, when you are selling your home, it should be welcoming and functional. This is where you can put it into practice.

You can create a welcoming arrangement for your table with your decor, or you can buy new accessories online at a discount store or thrift store.

Begin with a tablecloth, placemats, or a table runner. Next, add matching dishware. Place settings should be as numerous as possible. Fresh flowers are always welcome, but a light seasonal decor is also a nice option.

It doesn't matter if the house is listed; you don't need to stage the table. Instead, you can simply stage your kitchen table to take photos and then put it back up before each show.

• Concentrate On The Seating

  Buyers will pay attention to the dimensions of your kitchen and dining room, as well as how many people it can accommodate. In addition, place settings and chairs should be adjusted to suit the space and size of your table.

  Bar stools can be placed around a peninsula or island kitchen to show buyers that there is enough room for extra seating. Don't overcrowd the space.

Add Or Replace Lighting

Buyers with diverse tastes will love a bright and light kitchen. So, evaluate your lighting and determine what needs to be updated.

These are just a few of the options available:

• Install LED strips under upper cabinets or above the toe kick in lower cabinets for a more professional touch.

• Replace dated pendants from islands or peninsulas with something newer.

• Flush-mount fixtures can replace fluorescent box lighting, a sign of an old kitchen, with it.

• Add dimmers.

• Upgrade to smart lightbulbs that you can control from your smartphone.

Get Organized

Decluttering is an important tip for staging any room in your home. Although it can be tedious, The Rewards Are Great.

• Keep Most Of Your Stuff In Storage

  The key to decluttering your home has less stuff. It also means less personal stuff when staging your home.

  Keep family photos, keepsakes, and fridge magnets safe. Next, consider which items you can live without for at least a month—for example, your air fryer or turkey roasting pan, souvenir cups, or mismatched dishes.

  The organization is the key to decluttering. Unfortunately, it is easy to clutter your kitchen with small appliances and pantry staples.

• Organize Your Pantry In A Stylish Manner

  Although pantries are a major selling point for buyers, they can quickly become overstuffed with dry goods and kitchen appliances.

  To keep your things organized, invest in nice bins and baskets. Clear glass canisters, which are affordable, give your pantry a professional look while you store your pasta, nuts, or flour.

• Hidden Bulky Items

  Baskets and bins can be used in the pantry to store chips, food bags, and cans. To store cleaning supplies, place wire racks under the kitchen sink. You can also save space by installing a spice rack.

Bottom line: Make your storage space feel spacious and organized.

You Can Learn How To Live In A Kitchen Set Up

You will need to adjust your daily life if you live in your home during the listing process. Kitchen staging is about giving your home a new and cleaner look. This can be difficult when you have to cook meals, pack lunches, and live your daily life while your house is being sold.

• Clean Daily

  If you decide to live in a home that is being sold, make sure the kitchen is clean and uncluttered.

These tasks should be done every day to ensure you are always prepared for an unexpected showing. Don't forget to pack your cleaning supplies while you are packing and decluttering. You'll need them!

• Vacuum your floors or use a robot vacuum to save time.

• You can mop laminate or hardwood floors.

• Cleanse countertops.

• Get rid of old food containers.

• Polish windows and appliances to remove fingerprints.