Kitchens and house selling

[JFC]

As i've nearly got to the stage of making the doors for my own kitchen and over the last "Cough" years i've had loads of different ideas on what style of kitchen i should do . (Ive fitted and made that many kitchens and i like most of them) i am at a loss as to what to make for myself :shock:
My thoughts are shaker and bead lay on doors sprayed an off white would be a timeless kitchen so any buyers wouldn't think of having to change it . But my nagging thoughts are i can do better than that and should make framed units with inset doors with raised panels on butt hinges and have a few pilasters and fancy mouldings but i think this may become a selling issue if its not to the taste of the buyer .
The kitchen is 6m x 3m and is cut into two parts by french doors so its two sections of 3m x 3m .
It seems the kitchen companys have set the trend for the lay on door idea and very few people go for the hand built kitchen and if they do they go for smallbone etc .
My house is at the lower end of the market as its my first and i don't think any buyers would appreciate a hand built kitchen .
To top it all off i've no intention of selling ](*,)
Any thoughts from the forum on this ?

 

[Paul Chapman]

To top it all off i've no intention of selling ](*,)

Despite what you say, I don't know of anyone who has remained in the first house they bought. I would say keep it simple, timeless and in keeping with the style of house and the sort of person who would buy it.

Paul

 

[engineer one]

have to say, in my experience almost everyone these days expects
to change the kitchen before they move in, so frankly the simplest is
the way to go.

it is better to produce the best work for moveable furniture that you
can take with you, or sell, than built in stuff that most people will
not notice because they do not expect it.

if all the moving house programmes are anything to go by,
what new buyers want is something that is easy to live with, and
does not require too much pain to remove and replace. few seem
to have any vision, so save the best work for proper paying jobs.

paul :wink:

 

[Scrit]

I'd make the kitchen fit the market segment of the house. Probably the most universal is an MFC frameless carcass in standard sizes (so they can be replaced easily by you or anyone in the future) - if you avoid details like pilasters then a make-over becomes new doors, pelmets, cornices and plinths - you might even get away with leaving the old tops in and just painting the doors if they're the right sort (like MR-MDF Shakers). Avoid high gloss tops like the plague unless you're just about to sell a house and won't be using the kitchen (they scratch by osmosis from air, I reckon....) and think carefuly about wooden tops. I reckon they look nice, but only with a certain style of kitchen. Making a statement about yourself or your work doesn't necessarily help sell the house when the time comes - layout and useability do.

Regards

Scrit

 

[Colin C]

I would agree with Srit and engineer one as I might kind of in the same boat ( need to fit a new kitchen ), I dont have time or room to make my own so bought mine from where I get my kitchens from.
Wife ( before I forget, what is the anagrame that people use for they wifes mean :? ) wanted some thing very simple :-# , but I would have gone for shaker doors :roll:.
Go simple because I am sure if and when you move, you would hate to see your best work pulled out in days ( some have NO taste )

 

[RogerS]

have to say, in my experience almost everyone these days expects
to change the kitchen before they move in,

I don't think that this is necessarily true for every type of property. For example, flats in Central London..people expect to be able to move in without the hassle of refitting the kitchen. And so it would depend on the market that JFC's house would be aimed at.

JFC - why not wander down to your local estate agent and see what type of kitchens are going into similar properties to yours? But, if it will give you pleasure in building something decent then why not go down that route...just be sanguine in the years to come when you eventually sell that you might have to put something else in or reduce the price accordingly ......and who knows....your style might be in fashion !!

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi Colin

SWMBO or LOML, the choice is yours.

SWMBO - she who must be obeyed.

LOML - Love Of My Life.

Cheers
Neil

 

[Colin C]

Thanks Newbie_Neil
It now make all thngs clear :?

 

[Corset]

I am a bit embarassed to admit this but i am/was an estate agent. I deal with lettings mainly now for my sins.
Kitchens and bathrooms are the main area to sell a house outside of location. They are considered a major hassle to first time buyers whom are mortgage rich and cash poor. I have sold house 15/20% above market rates because of the kitchen. As long as the rest of the house is up to spec it is a MAJOR bonus. Concentrate on the lighting in the kitchen as much as the units as this is very important B and Q fittings are a major let down to a bespoke units. Remember light units photograph well for advertising while dark units will look grubby and dated digital photography that agents use is notorious for this in the trade.
Choose an agent that has good webshots and sales details and that will justify the extra expenditure that you spend. My experience is that a kitchen can have a three to one benefit done right ie a £5000 kitchen can add £15000

 

[Mcluma]

Kitchens and bathrooms are the main area to sell a house outside of location. They are considered a major hassle to first time buyers whom are mortgage rich and cash poor. I have sold house 15/20% above market rates because of the kitchen. As long as the rest of the house is up to spec it is a MAJOR bonus.

My experience is that a kitchen can have a three to one benefit done right ie a £5000 kitchen can add £15000

I fully agree

 

[nickson71]

I agree too

...but I've not to date bought a house that has a nice kitchen or bathroom In the my house the only two room that haven't been changed are the living room and bathroom and they are on the jobs to be done list
BUT I really enjoy DIY for the last few years I've either been working on my house or my sisters in my free time ..... and the house both me and my sister buy are a lot cheaper to buy and sell for a lot more.

But I guess thats just me

 

[Evergreen]

JFC

I agree 100% with Scrit and Engineer One.

I'm in the process of moving and yesterday, accepted a good offer for our house. Our kitchen is very simple. The cupboard doors are flat, semi matt cream coloured with light oak handles. The worktops are light oak coloured. People have described it as Shaker but when it was installed nearly 20 years ago, it was a style called "New Yorker"! It has stood the test of time far better than we could ever have expected.

The people buying our house only glanced at our kitchen. They were more interested in other things like decent sized bedrooms, large garden and proximity to good schools. They can live with our old kitchen because it's inoffensive until such time as they come to replace it.

We're now stepping up our efforts to find somewhere new, having been looking pretty hard for the last 6 weeks. I can honestly say that the style of kitchen doesn't matter to us. The size is relevant but even that isn't one of our highest priorities.

The whole painful business of moving has reinforced for us the messages that you can see every week on that "House Doctor" TV program. Use light, neutral colours, keep it simple and emphasize the feeling of space if you want to improve your chances of selling

So, install a fine, hand built kitchen if that's what you want for yourselves now. Whether or not you'll feel any benefit when you come to sell is a different matter. Your home will sell because of its location, size and general condition rather than its better-than-average kitchen.

Regards.

 

[andrewm]

... BUT I really enjoy DIY ...

So do I, and probably a lot of people on these forums. But let us not forget that there are a LOT of people out there who don't know one end of a screwdriver from another and (fortunately for us) will happily pay a premium for a house that they just can move into. Why else do you think that so many people buy brand new houses when something bigger, in a better position and with a larger garden but that requires a bit of work can be had nearby for a lower price.

In a similar vein I am sure that there are car enthusiast forums out there where the members spend all weekend under the bonnet and marvel that there are actually people out there who will pay a premium for a new car and pay to get it serviced at a garage. And computer hacker forums and gardening forums and so forth. You get my gist.

Andrew

 

[cutting42]

( before I forget, what is the anagrame that people use for they wifes mean :? )

The acronym is SWMBO - She who must be obeyed

 

[JFC]

Looks like your all thinking towards a plain easy build Sounds good to me ! I agree , to build a "Legacy" 8-[ inspired kitchen could not be to everyones taste and although the time and labour is free it could be better spent chilling out on the boat :lol: .
At the end of the day its still a hand built kitchen so should be a nice selling point . My main worry is that shaker has been the thing for a good ten years now so may be dated by the time i do sell ( If i ever do )
I think ill still add all the nice touches as in self closers and door buffers but thats for my own enjoyment

 

[engineer one]

jfc your last comments are very sensible, and within the parameters i was suggesting.

firstly decide whether you want to sell within the time it will take to build the kitchen, then keep the look simple and "timeless", but if you find that no offers make you snatch someone's arm off, then the little touches which make using the kitchen easier whilst waiting are worthwhile.

but as the programmes ALL say the most important thing is to FINISH
everything. get rid of the dings, re paint or paper and finish the tiling.

make sure the drawers open and close properly. and the handles look good, check for scratches etc. also make sure the wiring is competently
finished etc, the little details make mega bucks differences if you do decide to sell, whilst making it an easier kitchen to use for yourself.

good luck mate, but i agree the soft shut drawer and door closers are ace.

paul :wink:

 

[matt]

Take a look here for some inspiration for handbuilt designs: http://www.greenwichwoodworks.co.uk

As has already been said, aim for a design/type that will appeal to your particular house market. If the kitchen is too affluent for the house, then the buyer may presume that they are paying a premium just because of the kitchen. If, however, the kitchen is cheap for the type of property, then it will let the property down. I'd aim to do something that is just better than average so that it becomes a selling point.