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It's a tool used by house flippers all across the nation. Stagers know its power. Real estate agents push its importance. What is this not-so-well-kept secret of real estate? A kitchen can sell a house.
A kitchen is the heart of a home. This is true all across the globe. The old saying that the "stomach is the way to the heart" carries a lot of truth. Kitchens are where we spend much of our time and most of that is with our families. It's the room where we nourish our bodies and our spirits.
Kitchens are integral to entertaining and in today's age of open floor plans, they're a focal piece of many family rooms. It's because of this that kitchens play such an important role in the buying and selling process.
This one room is the showpiece of the house. You'll see it every day and your guests will see it during most visits. This means buyers want homes with up-to-date kitchens.
Kitchens, however, can be one of the most expensive rooms to renovate. These projects can also be the most labor and time intensive of all home renovations. It's not just a new layer of paint.
Instead you find a complicated array of flooring, tiling, cabinets, and counters. This means buyers may want a home with an up-to-date kitchen but they aren't willing to tackle this problem themselves. Most buyers want a kitchen that is ready to use the day they move in.
What do buyers look for in up-to-date kitchens? A lot of this depends on what price range your home is in.
The main thing to remember as a seller is to not price yourself out of your market. If homes in your neighborhood are selling for $100,000 with tidy, but not luxury kitchens, then this is no time to upgrade to granite, travertine, and marble at the price tag of $40,000 . You simply won't find a buyer.
Scope out the competition. Use open houses in your area or MLS listings to find out what your competitions' kitchens look like.
Do area homes have new solid wood cabinets and granite counters in today's designer colors? You'll be wise to consider making the same move. Are they including new stainless steel appliances and add-ons like dishwashers, wine-coolers, and trash compactors?
Are you in a higher-end neighborhood? It's time to think high-end. Your older home may have a highly functional kitchen, but a buyer will take one look at your formica counters and white appliances and become lost in the stress of how much money and time it would take to remodel. If you don't want to put in the time yourself to make upgrades then you'll have to make concessions in the price.
Don't become overwhelmed, though. Sometimes a kitchen update can mean doing just a few minor changes. Change the paint color to a warm, neutral tone. Get rid of any clutter. Update your appliances, paint your cabinets, change the pulls, or get a high-end looking counter for a fraction of the cost (faux-granite or lower end granite). You might even save a bundle by doing much of the work yourself.
The bottom line is a kitchen can sell a home. Do a little research and find out what your kitchen needs to make it competitive with area listings.
Published: January 24, 2012
Use of this article without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.
Carla Hill, M.A., works on the Realty Times staff as Managing Editor for our online publication. She also is Producer for the real estate news channel, seen daily on RealtyTimes.com and on video newsletters nationwide.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Realty Times - Kitchens Sell a House
Friday, February 17, 2012
Friday, February 10, 2012
5 reasons why the housing market won’t crash - Yahoo! Finance Canada
The media and blogosphere is full of predictions that the housing market in Canada is going to crash. My hunch is that it won't. It could level off or stagnate for a while, but Canadians aren't going to wake up one morning a year or two from now and discover their houses are worth 15% to 25% less. Here are five reasons why:
No. 1: Housing doomsayers argue that when interest rates rise from their currently low levels, it'll take away the credit punch bowl and cause house prices to tumble. However, the Bank of Canada will likely only allow its rates to climb as long as the economy is growing vigorously—which, in turn, means that employment and income levels are trending upward. Historically, job increases and wage gains have contributed to housing demand. These macroeconomic factors might not keep the mania in full flight, but they can serve as an offset to rising mortgage rates and help prevent the market from cratering. [More: How long can the housing madness last?]
No. 2: Real estate is a local market and differences exist between regions. Vancouver, with average house prices above $800,000, may be a bubble about to burst. But many other places, like New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island—where average house prices are under $200,000—don't appear to be overly frothy.
No. 3: The doomsayers may be afflicted with "recency bias," which says that people's view of the future tends to be shaped by what recently occurred. The U.S. and some other countries experienced housing busts over the last several years, so that scenario tends to get a lot of weight in people's minds when they reflect on the Canadian housing market. But, historically, such busts have been "fat tail" events that rarely occur. [More: Why housing can't be relied upon to carry Canada through a recession]
No. 4: There are structural differences between the U.S. and Canadian housing markets. Lenders in Canada have greater recourse rights, meaning they can go after people who walk away from their mortgages (Alberta might be an exception). Also, the subprime mortgage market was less advanced in Canada.
No. 5: Price-to-rent and price-to-income ratios show over-valuation in the Canadian market, but valuation levels are not usually good indicators of turning points. Over- and under-valuation can persist for years in currency and financial markets. Indeed, the U.S stock market has been over-valued for more than a decade going by several yardsticks—yet it's still holding up. [More: How will the housing bubble pop?]