#How to: Make your kitchen sing at sale time

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It s common knowledge that there are some keys selling points or drawcards when it comes to selling your property.

Kitchens, bathrooms, outdoor living areas and, depending on the location, car parking are major players.

It goes without saying that you need to focus on your assets and make sure they are singing in tune with the calibre of property you are presenting to the market.

So what makes or breaks the way a kitchen is presented?

First let s consider what sort of image or vision we are trying to sell when staging and styling the kitchen space. It could be any or all of the following:

1. A cook s kitchen
2. An entertainer s kitchen
3. A family kitchen
4. A kitchen perfect for a takeaway food lover.

One thing is certain: we re not trying to sell the image or vision of :

1. A hard to maintain kitchen
2. A kitchen that needs upgrading
3. A kitchen with little storage
4. A kitchen that doesn’t accommodate entertaining.

Regardless of the vision you want to create for your kitchen (and this will be largely focused on the buyer or target markets)  here are my tips to making sure that your kitchen shines for sale.

1. Gut it

The first step is undoubtedly getting rid of anything from your kitchen that it s not essential to have in the house during the sale process.

This might be the serving ware that s only used at Christmas, the chocolate fountain that comes out every Easter or the slow cooker that never sees the light of day except in the coldest month of the year.

The first step is undoubtedly getting rid of anything from your kitchen that it is not essential.

In this new-found cupboard space you will need put anything that clutters up your benches day to day; everything in your kitchen needs to have a home in a cupboard or a drawer, not on your kitchen bench.

Next stop is the pantry.  Remove all out-of-date or almost empty packets. At least a third of the pantry contents need to be removed and thrown out or stored off site.

It s essential that the pantry and cupboards look like there s room to move and that storage space in the kitchen is certainly not at capacity.

2. Clean it

All of the things most people don’t get a chance to clean every week must be sparkling. This includes.

• Range hood
• Oven
• Behind and under the fridge
• Microwave pocket
• Under the dishwasher
• Pendent lights
• Sky light

3. Organise it

You ve have gone to the trouble of emptying and cleaning the kitchen, so go the extra mile and organise it as you put the contents back in.

This is especially important in kitchens that have opaque glass cupboard fronts or open shelving where the contents are on display; consider the heights and colours of the items when putting them away, as well as the position of the labels.

A well-organised cupboard promotes the concept of a well-maintained, well cared for and well-loved kitchen, an ideal impression to be giving a buyer.

4. Introduce life   colour

The modern kitchen is no longer a pure utility space. It s an integrated living space in the home and hence it needs to be dressed to feel that way.

Consider the following to add some life:

• Flowers – simple and one type of flower or mixed foliage rather than a traditional bouquet.
• Herbs  or terrariums – make sure they are fresh and thriving.
• Cook book s – nothing gives life to a space like books and the kitchen is not exception. Choose your best good books to adorn a shelf or as a stack on the bench.
• Fruit in  a monochrome manner not a mixed bunch.

Only leave one showpiece appliance, like a stand mixer or coffee machines, but only if you have a large amount of kitchen bench space.

5. Show off its capacity

If you have an eat-in or breakfast bar facility in the kitchen, don’t assume everyone will notice it unless you show them. Make sure there s seating on show in this space.