4 Updates Home Sellers Must DoMinor Kitchen Remodel
Cost of midrange minor kitchen remodel: $14,913
Average resale value: $14,691
Percentage of cost recovered: 98.5%
Best return: 152.7% in San Francisco
Worst return: 58.1% in Detroit
If your kitchen has good flow and functions well, a minor remodel will pay off at resale. Reface the cabinets with new doors and drawers, put in new appliances, update with resilient flooring and laminate countertops and finish with neutral wall paint. "It’s easy to overspend remodeling the kitchen, but you can’t go too low-end or the kitchen will look cheap," warns Susan Huerta, a sales associate with Long & Foster Real Estate, Clarksville, Md. "For instance, buy stainless steel appliances to give the kitchen an updated look, but don’t spend thousands for professional-grade appliances unless you’re in a high-end property."
