New kitchen or not? Advise needed

isplumm

Hi,

We are looking to put our semi detached house on the market.

My wife & I are having a disagreement as to whether we should update the kitchen or not.

It is about 18ft by 10ft and was updated back in 2003, so is now 14 years old & starting to show its age. The style is old farmhouse - but we live in a modern house, so it really needs updating. There is also a crack in the wooden floor tiles.

My view is that with the modern age, we need to update the kitchen, as people will look online, just see a tired kitchen and move on. My wife thinks that people will still visit & try & knock us down in price.

Thoughts?

Thanks Mark

jennifernil

My view is that tastes in kitchens are very variable, not everyone may like what you fit, either in layout or style, and that you are unlikely to get as much more for the house as you spend.

Most people would probably prefer an older kitchen that is OK to use for a bit while they decide what they would like to do with it.

JoJo1978

I'd be tempted to put it on the market as is and only consider updating if a) was on months with no offers and b) the kitchen was specifically mentioned in feedback

Slithery

You won't recover the money you spend on a new kitchen. It should, however, make the property easier to sell.

Sarastro

It all depends on how much you spend on updating the kitchen. You could completely change it just by changing the cupboard door units and repainting which might not be terribly expensive. Why don't you just put it on the market as it is and see if you wife is right?

FTBuyerGlasgow

As a first time buyer we were delighted to get a kitchen in a "move-in" condition, it was brand new and we didn't need to spend any money on it.

For other buyers though, I'd be tempted to leave as is.

In short, if your property is at the lower end of the market then get a new kitchen because the people looking to buy it won't want the expense of a new kitchen.

If it's at say £200k plus then don't bother with a new kitchen as the buyer will want to put their own in.

Hope this helps.

LandyAndy

I wouldn't pay a penny extra for a new kitchen I didn't like than I would for an old one I didn't like. If all the appliances work and it is clean that is enough.

Fosterdog

I was a first time buyer last year and the kitchen was 14 years old, now 15 and not to our tastes at all but we bought it anyway and will just live with it for a few years until we can afford to ge5 it done to our tastes. There’s nothing actually wrongs with it, it’s just purely cosmetic reasons.

We found the right sized house, in the right location, and at the right price, it is structurally sound, has a lot more positives than negatives for us so we happily bought even though we don’t like the kitchen or the bathroom. They are both perfectly liveable until we get around to doing the work and in a much better condition than I’ve ever had in rental houses.

In your position I’d do nothing and see how the viewings go.

goodwithsaving

I look for an older kitchen, it's something I prefer done to my taste.
I'd leave it. If it causes problems, then gauge it, change it and relist. If it doesn't, you'll have saved yourself a good few thou!

Mojisola

LandyAndy wrote: »

I wouldn't pay a penny extra for a new kitchen I didn't like than I would for an old one I didn't like. If all the appliances work and it is clean that is enough.

This ^

I wouldn't buy a house with a brand-new kitchen if it wasn't to my taste because I'd feel awful about stripping out new cupboards and appliances while I wouldn't mind doing this for an old, tired kitchen.

Is your buyer going to want a gas or electric hob? A single or double oven? Traditional cupboards or all deep drawers? Tiles or glass splash backs? Etc, etc.....

tealady

Hi
Another vote for leaving the kitchen as it is.
There is a house near to me described to me as "ready to move in to" from my point of view I LOATHE the kitchen and would want to rip it out and start again.
I would rather buy a house a bit cheaper and live with an old kitchen than have to rip out band new stuff such as "brick "tiles and black surfaces (both of which I loathe).
And don't get me started on roll top baths!