Kitchen Upgrades That Will Boost Your Home's Resale Value

It's no secret that great kitchens can sell houses, and that updated kitchens with beautiful lighting and thoughtful paint choices can sometimes mean the difference between a low-ball offer and one that's full-price. After all, many home buyers don't want to have to do so much as dip a brush into a paint can before they move in. Real estate and home decorating experts say there are some specific projects you can tackle — and some you should absolutely avoid — to boost your home's resale value.

When comparing the average costs of some remodeling projects in U.S. homes with their resale value, the Journal of Light Construction found that a midrange kitchen remodel was worth the expense and then some. For a kitchen update that costed the homeowner about $28,458, the resale value of the renovations was approximately $32,141, for a hefty 113% return on investment.

Today, many families see their kitchens as the heart of the home. They are the gathering place where loved ones come together for breakfasts before work and school, and where they see each other at the end of the day to reconnect. So whether you are looking to sell in the near future or simply want to make smart choices for if you decide to put your home on the market further down the road, consider these 10 kitchen upgrades.

Believe it or not, there are some specific paint colors out there that, when used in your kitchen, can make your house more valuable, at least according to a recent Zillow analysis. If you think that color is blue, you may be surprised to learn that new data from the real estate company shows that sellers with olive green kitchen cabinets sell their homes for $1,600 more than average. Something about this natural tone evokes a cozy vibe that many current homebuyers seem to be craving.

Previously, during the pandemic, there was research out to suggest that some hues of deep blue could help boost your home's value when used in the kitchen. It's safe to say there are more than a few colors that get homebuyers excited about spending time with their families in the room where meals are prepared. Interestingly, there's at least one other color that can help fetch a higher price tag for a home when used on kitchen cabinets these days. According to the Zillow data, that color is deep gray.

Home buyers like to see consistent flooring throughout homes these days, according to real estate agents and brokers. If you are thinking of replacing the flooring in your kitchen with an eye to your return on investment, make sure it matches or complements the nearby rooms. The design team at Lamb and Company, who are featured on the HGTV series Unsellable Houses, recommend replacing worn out flooring with luxury vinyl planks or wood floors, if your budget allows for it. LVP is a more affordable option and comes in a wide range of prices, as low as $1 per square foot when on sale in some home centers.

While not as durable as hard wood, many LVP brands offer warranties for the lifetime of the product. For those with wood floors that have seen better days, refinishing them before putting your home on the market is worth the money. New flooring has at least two big factors in its favor: It can help you sell your home faster, and it increases its value. Because most kitchens see a lot of foot traffic, it's smart to make sure you use a flooring material that can stand up to daily wear and tear, such as ceramic tile or hard wood.

Ripping out old laminate kitchen counter tops in favor of something more classic and timeless such as granite, quartz, or even real wood butcher block can help to increase your home's resale value, according to real estate agents and interior designers. Investopedia claims that kitchen renovations that include updating your countertops can bring at least a 60% return on investment when you sell your home. That makes this one of the types of remodeling that can add the most value to your home for a relatively small investment.

One of the most valuable countertops to add to your kitchen is a granite countertop. Since there are so many varieties and thicknesses, you can opt for a lower end version and still have granite countertops, which you should absolutely include in your listings. Another option for cost-effective — yet showstopping — countertops comes from the designers on the HGTV show Hometown. Husband and wife duo Erin and Ben Napier will sometimes opt for butcher block countertops when working in cottage-style or farmhouse influenced kitchens. The natural and warm tones of the wood can make paint colors pop, drawing in potential buyers.

Dark kitchens can feel downright gloomy, and when you are looking to increase your home's sale price, you don't want potential buyers to take one look and get a bad impression. If it has been a decade or more since your kitchen lighting got an update, you may consider adding a new light source to the space where family and friends gather for meals. According to real estate company Zillow, replacing older lighting for something more energy efficient – such as LED lighting – can save energy and could potentially help homeowners put more money in their pocket after a sale. An analysis from Zillow found that homes where LED lights were mentioned in the listing sold for 1.3% more than the seller expected.

If you don't have the time or budget to install new light fixtures in the kitchen before you put your home on the market, there are some other options for making the space brighter. If your kitchen has a window at the sink or anywhere in the room, you can remove heavy shades and blinds to get sunlight streaming into the space. Some real estate agents also advise sellers to open all the blinds in a house, so potential buyers can see how much light the interior rooms get during the day. If your kitchen doesn't receive a ton of natural sunshine, you could also consider adding a skylight in the center of the room to help lighten things up.

Thanks to all of those remodeling and decorating shows on television networks such as HGTV, Magnolia and DIY, current and potential homebuyers know exactly what they want — and what they don't want — when it comes to the backsplashes in their kitchen. Unfortunately, updating the backsplash, the space between the counter and the cabinets, could end up costing more than it's worth if you don't pick a budget option or if you go with an extravagant look.

That said, Block Renovation suggests that installing a tile backsplash can be an affordable way to update your kitchen while staying within budget. They recommend keeping things simple to appeal to as wide of an audience as possible. That means opting for a classic subway tile or similar shape in neutral tones that can withstand the test of time. The backsplash is also where you want to stay away from wild colors and patterns unless they work with the rest of the kitchen and the home. Another classic option to consider for the backsplash is to match it to your countertops for a seamless look. Think solid slab materials such as quartz to give your kitchen the extra kick that will help it sell faster and for more money.

Americans love their kitchen islands, that stand-alone extra workspace floating in the middle of the kitchen. In fact, it feels like the island has been replacing the need for dedicated kitchen or dining room tables in households across the U.S. Research from the National Association of Home Builders shows that 74% of first time homebuyers want a kitchen with a central island. Islands are in the top five list of "must haves" that buyers ask for in their first home, with 72% of them listing it as essential or desirable.

If you don't already have an island in your kitchen but want to add one, and have the space to do so, it's likely to increase the value of your kitchen, as long as you abide by a few rules. Those rules? The island needs to be well-designed, it should come with storage, and it should enhance the functionality of the kitchen. Another important aspect is to leave enough space between the island and appliances such as a refrigerator, dishwasher or low-set oven. A good rule of thumb here is to have a minimum of 42 inches between the island and other cabinets for kitchens with more than one cook. Trying to squeeze a bigger island into the kitchen could potentially turn off sellers and lower the value of your home.

Many home designers will tell you it's important to pay attention to the smallest of details in your kitchen, such as making sure you have a gleaming new faucet and complimentary hardware for drawer and cabinet pulls that go well together. According to HomeLight, one affordable way to increase the resale value of your kitchen, as well as the rest of the house, is to replace old drawer knobs, pulls, and faucets with updated pieces that are sleek and sophisticated. A new knob can make an old cabinet feel new again.

While tastes vary from region to region, it's important to make sure to achieve a consistent look with faucets and hardware by using similar tones such as brushed nickel or muted brass looks, notes Homelight. Beware of looks that are too trendy, though; The trend will eventually end, leaving you with something that seems outdated and in need of replacing.

Not having enough room for food and appliance storage in a kitchen means you have to get creative with storage solutions in other areas of your home, such as the basement or the laundry room. Unfortunately, homebuyers don't want to be that creative. They want their extra jars of pasta sauce to live in the same space with the appliances that will transform them into gourmet meals. If you don't already have a pantry in your kitchen, you could potentially add one if you have some extra floor or wall space. Buyers will pay more when your kitchen comes with a pantry, a survey from the National Association of Home Builders shows.

In fact, a huge majority of first time homebuyers who were asked — some 80% — rated a walk-in pantry as either "an essential/must-have or desirable." So, how can you highlight this space for potential home buyers? If it's not already well-lit, real estate agents suggest strategies such as adding LED lighting to the pantry to breathe some new life into the space. This could be as simple as buying a pack of lights from a local DIY center that peel and stick in place. You should also make sure that the area has been freshly painted in a neutral shade. Staging the pantry with just a few carefully curated items, such as pastas or beans in clear acrylic or glass containers, can elevate the look and potentially pull in more money.

If you happen to have some unused space in the vicinity of your kitchen, maybe an extra large mud room or laundry area, and the inclination to create a separate back kitchen, it could potentially up the resale value of your home by thousands, according to House Beautiful. The reason is that buyers not wanting to see too much mess in their main kitchens. For the uninitiated, the scullery, or dirty kitchen, is the place where you pile up the dirty dishes and cookware when you entertain guests, so that the main kitchen can remain a pristine and peaceful spot, uncluttered by all the things it took to prepare the meal.

In fact, Joanna Gaines, whose Fixer Upper television show catapulted her to domestic goddess status in some circles, recently filmed the current season of her cooking show Magnolia Table: At the Farm in what she describes as her new butler's pantry, which serves as a back kitchen in her home just outside Waco, Texas. She decked out the space that was previously used as her youngest son's bedroom into a spot to store hundreds of jars of honey, plus plants and everything you would need to bake a dozen or 10 dozen cookies. The inviting space that's painted dark green also includes a prep sink surrounded by marble countertops, a custom island, open shelving and extra ovens for all of her baking needs.

One of the first things buyers tend to notice when they step into a kitchen are the cabinets. After all, they are often the largest part of the room and help hide away all the everyday things we need. To that end, updating or upgrading outdated kitchen cabinets can go a long way to increasing the resale value of your home. If you don't have the budget to install new cabinets, don't sweat it.

Refacing your kitchen cabinets can be an affordable way to get the look of all new cabinets at a fraction of the cost, according to Better Homes & Gardens. How much this type of project will cost depends on the size of the kitchen and the type of cabinet fronts used, among other details, such as hardware and installation. Most importantly, don't use open shelves instead of cabinets, as they come with significant drawbacks.

Some national home improvement stores, including Home Depot, offer refacing services to customers. The average cost for a cabinet refacing project for a 200 square foot kitchen is about $15,000, according to Home Depot. That price includes materials, installation, and project management. You can visit the retailer's website and plug in your kitchen cabinet specifications to estimate how much the project could cost for your kitchen.