These staging tips will give buyers the kitchen they are dying for!
Let’s De-clutter first, shall we? Start with your counter tops and get rid of stuff you don’t need anymore. Try to get EVERYTHING off of them. (Except ONE counter top appliance. Just one, pick your favorite!)
Next, go through your cabinets and pantry. Buyers hate when they open a cabinet and a bunch of Tupperware falls out on their face. Trust me. Start packing all the extra dishes and cups and mugs and miscellaneous things you won’t need for the next 3 months. Seriously, 6 plates, 6 cups, 6 bowls, etc.
Create 20-30% vacancy in your cabinets. Organize your cabinets and pantry like something out of Bed, Bath and Beyond. (Buyers EAT THAT UP!) Who doesn’t love opening a cabinet and seeing everything tidy and organized?
Once your cabinets have been emptied of excess, you’ll find you have more space to store other things in there, like your knife block, toaster, k-cups, etc.
Now that the clutter is gone, the MOST IMPORTANT PART IS NEXT— CLEAN THAT THANG! Everyone wants a clean kitchen. Everyone. Even buyers who aren’t picky. (Yes, even those people.)
Seriously, scrub until you can’t scrub no more, then scrub just a little bit more!
Clean your cabinets. Get the years of grease and grime off of there. If you have wood cabinets, I highly recommend using OLD ENGLISH with scratch repair. This stuff magically transforms any woodwork in your home (not for use of floors). It gives it new life and luster. It’s worth it. TRUST ME. Side Note: you can use this stuff on trim, cabinets, window sills: anywhere sun, water, age, etc has taken the life out of your #woodwork; this stuff breathes new life and gives a super fresh appearance.
Clean your appliances. Self-cleaning oven?—Run that beast! (Be sure to take out the racks first!) If you have a glass top stove, be sure to use the liquid Barkeepers Friend. It works AMAZINGLY well for burnt on debris. (//Side Note TIP: If you have soap scum on a shower door, the liquid Barkeepers Friend it takes it off with no problems at all! Squirt it on, scrub with a sponge and it comes off like magic!)
Wipe down the outside, inside, upside down of every appliance in your kitchen! Run a cleaning cycle on your dishwasher. Take everything out of your fridge, pull out the drawers, wipe down the shelves.
E V E R Y T H I N G.
Buyers often correlate cleanliness with maintenance. Don’t give them any reason to think that you didn’t change your air filter every 3 months. Clean and organized spaces scream, “WE TAKE CARE OF OUR STUFF, YOU’LL WANT TO BUY THIS HOUSE!”
So, now that you are de-cluttered and squeaky clean… then what?
Let’s add just a little bit of personality and style.
I am a huge proponent of showing off counter space! Let that work space shine!
Just a few accessories will help to add color, interest and softness.
Choose one or two based on the size of your kitchen: -Try using a cookbook open to a pretty page displayed on a stand by your stove. -Add a green leafy plant to your counter top such as a small fern, succulent, orchid or common house plant. (real or fake) Like this one or this one! -Buy a couple of bags of green apples, lemons, OR artichokes at your local grocery store and put them in a bowl- they are less expensive than fake ones and they are healthier for you! -Use a white pitcher with some eucalyptus branches -A tray with some coffee mugs and a small plant -A pizza board or cutting board propped up on a stand
Bottom line--
Make it clean.
Keep it Simple.
Add some style.
