5 Quick Kitchen Fixes to Help Sell Your House Faster

You’ll hear time and again that kitchens and baths sell houses. Buyers today want modern light-filled rooms with the latest in technology and appliances along with sleek marble countertops and gorgeous tiled backsplashes. But what do you do if you’re planning to sell your house in the very near future but just don’t have $30,000 to $50,000 to plunk down on a full kitchen renovation?

You’re in luck, because there are some easy ways to update and modernize your kitchen without breaking the bank. Small fixes can make a major impact, especially when it comes to the kitchen. Since this room is truly the heart of the home, you want potential buyers to see all the things they love about your kitchen—not all the renovations they need to make.

Here are five quick kitchen fixes that you can tackle on your own or with the help of a handyman to help sell your house faster:

1. Remove outdated wallpaper. Actually, remove any wallpaper that you have in your kitchen. Wallpaper is such a personal preference, so you’re better off removing it to eliminate any potential negative feelings your prospective buyer may have toward it. And don’t underestimate the impact of new paint job in a neutral color. The cost of a few gallons of paint will be more than worth it.

1. Change the backsplash. Backsplashes don’t just protect your walls from spills and stains—they also make a decorative statement. But if your kitchen backsplash is making the wrong statement, you can easily swap it out to create a modern and fresh look. In addition to the “can’t-go-wrong” white subway tile, other trending materials include marble, embossed concrete, glass, and reclaimed wood. Simple, neutral modern materials will be the most appealing to the most amount of people. This change could cost a few thousand dollars, but will overhaul the look of your room.

1. Replace the countertops. And while you’re at it with the backsplash, you should consider updating your countertops as well, especially if they’re laminate. Homeowners today want marble, concrete, granite, quartz, soapstone, and wood. Laminate screams “low budget kitchen” and when you want to get top dollar for your home, the last thing you want to have is a low-budget kitchen. While a countertop overhaul may cost between $2,000 and $6,000 depending on materials used and the size of your space, this investment will make a major impact on the look of your kitchen.

1. Get rid of vinyl flooring. The same buyers who thumb their nose up at laminate also cringe when they see vinyl flooring. Consider swapping it out for wood, natural stone, tile, cork or bamboo, which are all current popular styles. Depending on the material used and square footage of your room, this may cost a few thousand dollars. But again, the payoff for this change is more than worth it.

Add an island. An island only requires 30 inches between counters and the island to pass through comfortably, but will add extra prep space for today’s foodie home buyer. If you don’t have enough room to add an island, you can get a rolling cart with pull-out shelves underneath and a wood top to serve the same purpose. There are countless resources online that sell moveable islands in various sizes and colors to match your kitchen style.