Deciding whether or not we should have a new kitchen?

geek84

Good Morning Folks

My wife and I are thinking of selling our property in the next 24 months or so. However, our kitchen is quite old and we can't decide whether or not to have a new kitchen fitted and hopefully recoupe the costs when it comes to selling, or place the property on the market at a reduced cost, without having a new fitted kitchen.

What factors would we need to take into consideration when deciding?

Thanks in advance for your responses.

SailorSam

Would you be able to recover the cost of a new kitchen ? I doubt it.
Buyers may come along and not even like it and plan to rip it out again. I think if it were me i'd just freshen it up and paint all the units, decorate the room.

geek84

Thanks Sailorsam

missbiggles1

I think it depends how much you spend really. New doors/worktops/tiles etc and spending a couple of grand you may recoup and certainly make your house more saleable, a full refurb and luxury kitchen not so much.

It also depends how old your "old " kitchen is, its condition and its original quality.

DigForVictory

+1 for don't. Most buyers plan to refurb/refit kitchen & bathroom "to make it Their Place", so why put yourself through all the pain worry & expense (My legal team)?
I have seen carefully removed full kitchen suites on ebay - in some cases mere months old as the new owners wanted rid.

By all means cost up an approximate replacement so if asked to reduce the cost you know how much you'd spend on a refurb & can't be chivvied further, but your estate agent will probably suggest a price "as is" including a reduction for redecoration to taste.

However, if you find you have a wasps nest or Less Pleasant Discoveries, do please take prompt action!

All the best with the house sale - & you can always "give the place a new look" with a deep clean & some new paint. (Although I personally was so delighted by seeing it so clean, I skipped the paint.)

rach_k

As long as it's clean, safe and usable I'd leave it. As a buyer, I'd rather see a property with an old kitchen I could live with at £100K than a properly with a new kitchen that was nice but not exactly to my tastes at £110K. I wouldn't be willing to pay that extra £10K even if the kitchen cost far more, as I'd know eventually I'd want to redo it.

DRP

I would do it if I could DIY most of it, and could anticipate it helping the sale.

In our last sale (2013) we spent on an Ikea kitchen and a new boiler - about 5 grand in total. This replaced a very tired 90s kitchen and 20 year old combi boiler. Our house subsequently sold for nearly 20k more than the offer that fell through the previous year (plus a new boiler + kitchen meant we had a more comfortable year leading up to the sale ).

I'm not saying that it was entirely a direct cause & effect as prices were rising anyway - but the amount of interest, offers, and the sale price were all much improved over the previous year, making for a better experience all round.

Cisco001

Can you replace the kitchen doors only?

michelle2008

It really depends on the value of your house, the condition of your kitchen and the market you are selling to.

I am selling my house soon and will replace the cupboard doors and put in a new sink. My kitchen is about ten years old but is showing some wear and tear - and is out if style. In my local market houses that are 'done' attract a premium. There are very few new builds.

The kitchen and bathroom are the first pictures I look at - if they are not recently done I automatically assume a new kitchen at £10 - 15k and bathroom (s) at £5 -10k.

The advice you get here unlikely be from people who are buying at the moment - and in your area and price bracket.

What I have done in the past is call into my local estate agent with pictures and ask what they advise. They will be happy to chat to you - and call out to house.

missbiggles1

Cisco001 wrote: »

Can you replace the kitchen doors only?

Definitely - it's the best way to jazz up an old kitchen, that and replacing the work surface.

Not only is it quite a cheap option but it's also relatively quick and cuts down on disruption.

amerste

If your worktops, cupboards & doors have chips and look scruffy, replace with a neutral colour. Nothing worse than selling a property with a poor kitchen or bathroom. Downside is you will have to put up with mess & inconvenience for a short while ( as long as you have tradesmen in to do the job it should not take long). It may not add value although probably will but makes your property more saleable. Another thought is price of area property, is it worth spending if the area price is at the level without carrying out any work.