Five kitchen projects add thousands
- Better Homes & Gardens published a five-project kitchen value guide on April 13, naming countertops, pendant lighting, painted cabinets, tile backsplashes, and staging. - The sharpest number came from Zillow: homes with soapstone countertops sell for 3.5% more than expected, while quartz is tied to a 2.6% premium. - The advice tracks a broader shift toward smaller remodels: JLC says a midrange minor kitchen remodel recoups 96% nationally. (jlconline.com)
A new April 13 guide from Better Homes & Gardens says five kitchen updates can lift resale value without a full gut renovation. (aol.com) The list, based on interviews with real estate agents, centers on new countertops, modern pendant lighting, painted cabinets, tile backsplashes, and basic staging before showings. (aol.com) Susan Thayer of the Thayer Group told the magazine buyers often forgive dated rooms elsewhere if the kitchen already feels updated, because kitchen remodels are costly and disruptive. Pamela Bathen of Oak Realty said the room carries outsized visual weight in a sale. (aol.com) The most concrete price signal in the piece came from Zillow data on countertops. Zillow said soapstone is associated with a 3.5% sale premium and quartz with a 2.6% premium. (aol.com) (zillow.com) That fits Zillow’s broader warning against overspending on a kitchen before listing. The company says buyers care deeply about kitchen style, but a smaller refresh often makes more financial sense than a full overhaul. (zillow.com) Zillow’s 2024 Consumer Housing Trends Report found 57% of buyers said having their preferred kitchen style was extremely or very important in a home purchase. Its seller guide says a “mini face-lift” can be enough if the kitchen is not badly damaged or dysfunctional. (zillow.com) The national remodeling math points the same way. Journal of Light Construction’s 2024 Cost vs. Value report says a midrange minor kitchen remodel costs $27,492 and returns $26,406 at resale, or 96% recouped. (jlconline.com) A major kitchen remodel is a different bet. The same report puts a midrange major kitchen remodel at $79,982 with 50% recouped, and an upscale major remodel at $158,530 with 38% recouped. (jlconline.com) The National Association of Realtors’ remodeling research adds a consumer backdrop to that advice. Its 2022 report said owners most often remodel to replace worn surfaces, improve livability, or make a change, not just to chase resale. (nar.realtor) Taken together, the latest expert advice is less about tearing out a kitchen than editing it. Fresh surfaces, better light, and cleaner presentation are the upgrades getting the strongest case right now. (aol.com) (zillow.com)
