What to Look for in a Kitchen

The kitchen is often considered to centerpiece of the home. As such, the kitchen is the focal point of many buyers’ searches. Wheather you’re just starting your search for a McAllen home or have been looking for months, we’ve put together a list of some of the top things to look for in a kitchen.

These pointers will not only ensure you love your kitchen, they will help with resale value when it comes time to sell your home down the road. Some missing features are deal breakers, while others you can work with. Here we have broken down what to look for in a kitchen when purchasing your McAllen dream home. Plus we have included a few suggestions for making it work if it falls a bit short.

How Much Are You Willing to Spend?

The typical kitchen renovation can cost anywhere from $10K up to $30K. Whether you are investing in upgrades in order to boost your home value or you are weighing the costs of making upgrades after you purchase the home, you have to ask yourself how much are you willing to spend?

#1: Space

Are you the type that likes to entertain? Do you fancy yourself an amateur chef? If so, space is likely very important to you. If you have a big family or frequent guests, will you be able to live with a cramped kitchen?

You don’t want to end up with buyer’s remorse after the deal is closed. Unloading your house isn’t as easy as waiting out a lease and moving out. Think about how you will feel about the kitchen three years from now. 

#2: Fixtures

Cabinets, lights, and sinks are the main fixtures in your kitchen. Lighting is easy to replace. Cabinets…not so much. You may not realize this but cabinetry, particularly custom built cabinets, can eat up nearly half of the entire cost of a kitchen remodel.

Therefore when figuring out what to look for in a kitchen, cabinets are near the top of the list. If the cabinets are outdated, it may be a deal breaker. If you know you will want to rip them out and replace them, you may want to keep looking.

The good news is you may not have to. There are several suggestions from Consumer Reports to turn not so appealing cabinets into stylish contemporary ones:

• Refinish Existing Cabinets
• Paint or Reface Cabinets
• Replace Cabinet Doors
• Add Veneers
• Buy Semi-Custom Units

#3: Appliances

As a buyer you don’t just want to look at appliances on the outside. Test the burners, start dishwashers, and check the temperature of the refrigerator. An honest seller will disclose any issues in the disclosure form. Still it doesn’t hurt to double check.

For sellers, it doesn’t make sense to pour too much money into upgrading your appliances for resale. Especially if you intend to take them with you, it will not have the same effect on buyers. Instead call in a repair specialist before you start showing your house. Have buttons replaced, burners fixed, and surfaces cleaned and repaired to make a good impression.

#4: Countertops

Natural stone countertops are all the rage today. However they can be extremely expensive. If you are prepping your home for resale, you have several options for upgrading your countertops without sinking too much money into it like:

• Replace them with a more affordable quartz countertop.
• Look for local stone slabs instead of expensive imports.
• Find good quality granite countertops locally.
• Use a high quality laminate that resembles natural stone.

For buyers countertops can be replaced and upgraded for much less than most other kitchen features. If you have found what you are looking for with everything else in the kitchen except for the countertops, you may want to stick and replace the countertops yourself.

#5: Flooring

Be careful not to fall in love with wood flooring without further inspection. Not all wood floors will hold up over time. What to look for in a kitchen when it comes to flooring includes:

• Checking for Scratches
• Inspecting for Cracks or Stains
• Testing the Quality of the Flooring
• And verifying it is Installed Correctly.

Deciding whether or not less than ideal flooring is a deal breaker is very subjective. If you anticipate replacing the flooring in other parts of the house, maybe a large kitchen floor will put you way over budget. On the other hand if the flooring throughout the rest of the house is perfect, upgrading the kitchen floors may be a small price to pay. Calculate how much replacing the floor will be and decide if it fits into your budget. If so, you may want to stick.

Find Your McAllen Dream Home

Need help deciding on what to look for in a kitchen? The team at Trendsetters Realty can help you realize your goals for finding your dream home. Contact our top McAllen real estate team today to learn more.