Homeowners looking to increase their home’s value before listing the home for sale should carefully consider which improvements will add the most value to their home. Many home remodeling projects are bound to increase the value of your home, but it all depends on your budget and house condition.

Homeowners may go with bathroom remodelings or additional decks to entice buyers. A kitchen remodel, however, is the project that has stood above almost every other home remodeling or renovation in the past years.

Whether you plan to sell your home immediately or want a fully updated kitchen to enjoy for years to come, the pros of kitchen remodelings often outweigh the cons.

The Impact of an Updated Kitchen

Kitchens are often described as the heart of a home. It is where families come together to cook meals, hand down secret recipes, and have heart-warming conversations.

Signs of wear and tear are commonly found in kitchens. This is especially true for homes with large families. The combination of daily use, high foot traffic, high heat, and water pipes makes kitchens prone to various types of damage.

This is also why many homebuyers look closely at kitchens. As a damage-prone and much-used area, a well-maintained kitchen can be taken as a sign of a well-maintained home. Additionally, updating your kitchen allows you to fully showcase its functionality and beauty, even after years of faithful use for you and your family.

A kitchen remodel not only helps improve the resale value, but also the owners’ quality of life and happiness.

DanaKing.com is a trusted St. Louis home remodeling company, but we know our word may not be enough to convince others. So, take a look at what other industry experts say, too.

In the 2019 Remodeling Impact Report, kitchen renovations ranked as the third most popular type of home improvement project. Meanwhile, the 2021 Cost vs Value Report from Remodeling Magazine ranks kitchen remodels as the third-best home improvement project to recoup costs.

Does a Kitchen Remodel Truly Increase Home Value?

Yes, a kitchen remodel truly does improve your home’s resale value. However, take note that there is still a difference between raising your home’s value and recouping all your spending or investment on the project.

It is rare to receive a 100% return on any home improvement investment. The highest-ranked project in Remodeling Magazine’s 2021 Cost vs Value report does not recover even 95% of total costs. A garage door replacement, while cost-efficient, only has a 93.8% return on investment.

Average Recouped Costs for a Kitchen Remodel

You need to carefully evaluate both your budget and the current state of your kitchen if you want maximum return on investment. Not all remodeling costs may be worth your time and budget, regardless of how substantial it may be.

First, take note of anything that requires basic or practical repairs, such as leaking faucets and rusted cabinet hinges. A beautiful but faulty kitchen would still rank lower than a simple yet functional one.

Then, look into kitchen feature upgrades that cost less but provide high returns.

The Remodeling Magazine’s 2021 Cost vs Value notes that a kitchen remodel with minor changes using midrange products recoups over 72% of costs incurred. An average minor kitchen remodel costs just over $26,000 and recovers almost $19,000 in expenses via a higher home resale value.

The magazine recommends smaller changes, such as replacing cabinet fronts, installing new hardware, and replacing laminate countertops, for a low-cost project with higher resale value.

For major upgrades, though, you can completely gut the cabinets and commission built-in sliding shelves, upgrade to a ceramic or glass backsplash, and install a high-end under-mount sink. Such a project can cost upwards of $145,000 and recoup 54% of the costs.

Kitchen Features That Best Improves Resale Value

DanaKing.com can help you identify which parts of your kitchen can provide the best results when remodeled. Here are some of the most popular kitchen features and possible upgrade options:

• Cabinets and drawers: Replace the cabinet doors and drawer pulls for a minor kitchen remodel or gut and change the cabinet boxes completely for a major renovation.
• Countertops and backsplashes: Update to granite countertops for high-end remodels or quartz for a less costly option. Colorful backsplash tiles can improve the atmosphere and overall appeal despite being a small change.
• Appliances and light fixtures: Switch to smart and energy-efficient appliances, like inverter fridges and LED lights, as more homebuyers prefer eco-friendly options.
• Kitchen sink: Match the kitchen sink and faucets to new drawer pulls and countertops.

Love it or Sell it?

Beyond recouping costs, a kitchen remodel project can improve your overall happiness and enjoyment of your home. The Joy Score, which ranks homeowner happiness from one to ten, ranks professionally upgraded kitchens at a 9.2!

A beautifully renovated kitchen results in 90% of homeowners wanting to spend more time at home. And, with the current pandemic where we have little to no choice but stay at home, renovation projects are even more valuable. Kitchen and other home remodeling projects can greatly improve our overall disposition and mental health.

If You Decide to Remodel, an Expert Can Help

Speaking with a trusted St. Louis home remodeling company, like Dana King Home Remodeling, can help you figure out a kitchen remodeling plan and budget.

Kitchen remodel projects are truly worth it. A more appealing kitchen design is not only a motivating factor for buyers but also helps improve the house’s selling price.

Even if you don’t recoup 100% of your renovation costs, you can still improve your home’s overall resale value. Moreover, if you are not planning on selling right away, a kitchen remodel raises your happiness at home. And that is something you cannot put a price on.

11 Tips for the temporary kitchen from Dana King Design-Build Remodeling. 

Being without a kitchen during a remodel is a daunting challenge. The Dana King team shares tips, not only on how to survive but to thrive, having observed the ingenuity of our clients over the years. Planning ahead and having some basic functionality will directly improve your overall experience and lengthen your patience with the remodeling project. 

1. Start with power and water: Set up a temporary kitchen near a sink or water source like a bathroom sink or outdoor hose. Or if you don’t have a convenient water source, consider renting a water cooler and keep jugs of water on hand. 
2.  Create a prep and storage space: The temporary kitchen can be a chest of drawers where the top functions as the countertop for food preparation and the drawers provide storage. Or a simple card table works too with portable shelves underneath to store dry goods. IKEA has a wonderful set-up complete with a sink! It is called Ravaror, which is Swedish must mean: tiny cheap kitchen! Actually, translated it means raw, uncooked, half-done. Not a compelling name for a kitchen, so we recommend you use it for well-done culinary creations that defy its meaning. Check it out: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/ravaror-mini-kitchen-black-90473354/
3. Consider converting the bathroom: A spare bathroom can function as a makeshift kitchen. A bathroom typically has the power and water you’ll need, along with some counter space and shelving. The bathtub can be used to wash large pots and pans. We recommend lining the bathtub with a rubber mat and use care. The refrigerator can be placed just outside the bathroom if the space is too small to accommodate.
4. Use compact appliances: You can do a lot with small appliances. Newer versions of cooking appliances can have up to ten functions, including air frying! Popular small appliances include a coffee maker, electric kettle, toaster oven, microwave, small individual electric or induction burners, and an Insta-pot. High-powered blenders, like Vitamix, can even create hot soup in no time! One client used a clothes iron to make grilled cheese – but we aren’t endorsing — just giving kudos for creativity! Better, use a waffle iron, which makes the bread a whimsical waffly design! 
5. Consider refrigeration: you can use a small refrigerator to repurpose an office or basement after the remodel. Or hang on to your old refrigerator during the renovation and move to your temporary kitchen. If you will keep your existing refrigerator in the newly remodeled kitchen, it can be moved for use in your makeshift kitchen. 
6.  Socialize more: Invite yourself over to friends for dinner with a coupon for a free meal in your new kitchen as a “thank you”! Invite the neighbors to your driveway or porch for a potluck – they bring the food! Have an ice cream truck come to reward them as a surprise.
7. Budget to eat out: For most people, the convenience of dining out or ordering food delivered will work best, and that can get expensive, so grab your calculator and figure out what budget you can expect. 
8. Minimize Dishes: You might try paper plates and disposable cutlery, or adopt a collection of multi-purpose mugs and bowls that can handle all types of foods. Have each family member keep just one set of dishes to use the entire time, cutting down on the temptation to pile the dishes between use. The habits developed to simplify the use of daily dishes may carry over to your new kitchen and make future kitchen-life all the more enjoyable!
9. Experiment with a new meal plan:  You could change a few habits, like “quick” meals only for breakfast (oatmeal, muffins, or smoothies), or try some one-pot dinners or heat-n-serve meals from a grocery store or one of the many specialty shops around town. A couple of our favorites in St. Louis: The Art of Entertaining in Webster Groves has frozen and fresh meals (watch for their specials) and Fit Flavors has fresh healthy meals at two locations. 
10. Try smoothies: If you haven’t tried smoothies, now may be the time. Ask our team for our favorite flavors and we may give you one to try!
11. Make it fun! Although trying and challenging, you may make the temporary kitchen fun and educational in some ways. Engage the family for the high-adventure of kitchen remodeling and do some campfire cooking! Experiment with solar cooking, creating your own sun-powered oven. Or take a trip in time, study old-time kitchens online that show you how Great Great Grandma used a very compact kitchen. Perspective is everything. Small children may enjoy the adventure and teenagers can build character!

Finally, like all good adventures, they come to an end.  Don’t forget to record the experience with photos or video. You may never be without a kitchen again, so you’ll want to document the experience for posterity! We hope you’ll share the photos so we can inspire others. And if you have favorite easy recipes to share, we want those too!

The project managers at Dana King will help to create your temporary kitchen, but first, let’s design a fantastic new one! Give us a call to set up an inspiring in-home or virtual consultation to design your new kitchen. 

“Hey, kids, we are going back in time, cooking like the good old days. Nice and compact!”

Circa 1910 (photo from clickamerica.com)