These 9 Kitchen Features Could Help Your Home Sell Faster
We can’t be the only ones who ooh and ahh over the dreamy kitchens on cooking shows and celebrity chefs’ Instagrams. (And, as of this week, inside Martha Stewart’s first restaurant that’s a replica of her Bedford, New York farmhouse!)
After countless swoon-worthy moments, and many frustrated feelings while whipping up dinner ourselves, we’ve built a mental list of the qualities of our own dream kitchens. Apparently, we're not the only ones. According to a survey by HomeAdvisor that polled 3,000 homeowners, Americans have pretty strong feelings about what should—and shouldn’t—be included in their ideal cooking space.
A functional kitchen is so crucial that 55% of Americans wouldn’t put an offer in on a home if the kitchen failed to meet their expectations.
Those expectations vary widely, though, even from state to state. Residents of Colorado, Delaware and Nebraska are the only ones who prefer sage cabinets, for example, while most other states lean toward white or some shade of wood. As far as floors go, Minnesota is the single state with residents who believe bamboo should be underfoot. Most others vote for hardwood, stone tile or ceramic tile.
Regardless of home state, here are the elements of the ultimate dream kitchen, if the survey respondents paint an accurate picture for the population at large:
Stone tile backsplash
Marble countertops
Natural wood cabinets with a light to medium finish
Hardwood floors
Stainless steel hardware
A kitchen island
A mix of shelving and cabinets (with lighting)
Paint (71% of people say wallpaper is a dealbreaker)
A spacious walk-in pantry
The most coveted “luxury amenities” include a built-in spice drawer, a smart fridge and smart oven, an automatic kitchen faucet and an appliance garage. (By the way, here's what the future of the American house looks like.)
So how much are we willing to ante up? The average survey participant said they’d be willing to pay $21,215 to cover the renovation costs. Or in other “trades,” 6 in 10 adults say they would sacrifice sex for a full year, while 35% would give up their car for a year. Not everything is quite so easy to part with, though. Only 20% of respondents feel that it would be worth it to part with their pet or internet service for a year in exchange for a spiffier space.
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