Should You Renovate A Kitchen Before Selling?

Yes, you might consider renovating your kitchen or giving it a facelift before selling, especially if it's quite outdated or damaged. If the renovations align with what a broad range of buyers might find appealing, it could be a valuable step in the selling process. Putting your home on the market is a daunting prospect for any homeowner, particularly if work needs to be done to it.

If you’re looking to sell your home, you might be wondering whether it’s a good idea to renovate your kitchen before selling. There are a range of benefits associated with renovating your kitchen that might help you to make a more informed decision.

Is a New Kitchen a Good Investment and Can Lead to a Faster Sell?

One of the biggest potential benefits of renovating a kitchen before selling is that it can result in a faster sale.

It’s no secret that ‘homes that are freshly remodelled…sell much faster than houses that are outdated or in need of repairs’, as it’s significantly more convenient to buy a home that can be moved into straight away.

When a house needs a lot of renovation work, potential buyers can be put off by the cost of future work and the hassle this entails.

In addition to this, they might even put a value on the effort that it will take to renovate your kitchen, meaning that they take thousands of pounds off the asking price as a result.

As such, if you’re hoping to sell your home quickly, renovating a kitchen can significantly help.

yIt’s no secret that ‘homes that are freshly remodelled…sell much faster than houses that are outdated or in need of repairs’, as it’s significantly more convenient to buy a home that can be moved into straight away.

Kitchen ROI - How Much Value Can It Add?

Renovating your kitchen remains one of the most value-adding upgrades you can make, but what kind of return can you expect? A typical kitchen renovation yields an ROI of around 50% in the UK market. That means if you spend £20,000, you might realistically expect a value increase of £10,000. While this is more conservative than some designer estimates, it reflects typical market behaviour: modest upgrades (new cabinets, better layout, updated appliances) tend to deliver the best results without overshooting what buyers will reward.

Key factors that influence your return include how well your upgrades match buyer expectations in your area, the quality of materials, and whether you improve layout and function (not just aesthetics). Overinvesting in ultra-luxury finishes may reduce your effective ROI because buyers in your market might not be willing to pay extra for them.

Improving The Appearance Of Your Home 

A significant benefit of renovating a kitchen before selling is that it significantly improves the appearance of your home.  As one of the most popular and most used rooms in the house, it’s natural for a kitchen to deteriorate due to wear and tear over the years.

Generally speaking, you ought to be replacing a kitchen every 10 to 15 years, so if you’ve had the same kitchen for longer than this, it’s likely in need of an upgrade. By improving the appearance of your home, then, prospective buyers will be able to imagine themselves happily living in your home without the looming need to replace the kitchen.

It’s possible to ‘increase the sale price of your property by 5% to 10% when you renovate or build a new kitchen’, emphasising how it can be a worthy investment to renovate your kitchen before moving.

Optimal Budget Distribution for Kitchen Renovations

Experts have suggested that 6-10% of the home’s value should be spent on a kitchen renovation. Spending more than this could result in you failing to make a good return on your investment. For instance, say your house is worth £500,000. If you budget £50,000 or 10% of your home’s value on a kitchen renovation, the return on investment can be as much as 77.6% (a £38,800 increase to your home’s value).

Before renovating your home, it’s important to take all considerations into account in conjunction with your personal circumstances. If you’re interested in renovating your kitchen before putting your home on the market, be sure to speak to a reputable kitchen designer to talk through your options and budget.

Generally speaking, you ought to be ‘replacing [a] kitchen every 10 to 15 years’, so if you’ve had the same kitchen for longer than this, it’s likely in need of an upgrade.

Hopefully this article has given you a better understanding of whether you should renovate your kitchen before selling your home. For tips on renovating a kitchen in the right order, check out our blog.

Cwtch Haus dedicates time and attention to understanding our customers’ lifestyles and habits to create a space that is perfectly tailored to their needs. We work to ensure that your space is not only beautiful but practical for your everyday use.

Get in touch for your free consultation and design from one of our experts. For more advice, head to our blog page or get in contact about our renovation services.
Written by Jemima Thomas for Cwtch Haus.