Some conflicting advice when googling this. Some say it adds between 4-7% to the value, others say nothing at all.

Anyone with actual experience on here?

I tend to take the view that a crap kitchen will knock value off rather than a good one add it.

If what’s there looks ok and all works people will mentally think ‘we can live with it’ if it’s on it’s last legs and they have to budget for immediate replacement they’ll knock off however much they think it’ll cost.

(note: I live in a high demand property area in the South East – the above may not reflect how it works in other areas)

Depends how much you spend surely? I spent £3k, I know others who’ve spent £50k.

I wouldn’t install a new kitchen just to sell a house.

The value of it depends on other peoples taste.

@www – really good point about it reducing value, didn’t think of it like that.

The rest of our house has slowly been renovated and redecorated, so the kitchen looks quite tired and dated with some dodgy cupboards. So I think I need to invest a bit in making it match up with the rest of the house.

I used to say nothing, but it all depends on the type of house and the kind of buyer you’re aiming at. Previously I’d say most people would probably be planning to rip out a kitchen and put in one to their taste, but I think lots of folk simply can’t be arsed and want to buy a house with a high-end kitchen already in place.

So it may be worthwhile putting in a decent kitchen, but you may not get the whole value back, just make it easier to shift in a buyer’s market. And if you’re in a streetful of similarly priced houses, a new kitchen won’t boost it over that threshold.

One thing I wouldn’t do it put in a low-end budget kitchen. Or do anything outlandish like alternating black and white tiles or lime green splashbacks etc.

I’d rather the kitchen was on it’s last legs, needed replacing and influenced the price of the house accordingly. That way I could fit what I wanted after moving in rather than somebody else idea of what I’d want.

If by some fluke a new kitchen had been fitted that was close enough to how I’d want it then I don’t think I’d think about paying a premium because of it, in my head I’d just be thinking it’s got a decent kitchen.

I don’t think a new Kitchen in a ‘normal’ 3 or 4 bed house will add anything to the value. It will make it easier to sell (e.g. the buy to let types are looking for houses they can stick tenants straight in to without much more than a lick of paint).

However, with the shortage of houses on the market in this area it wouldn’t make any difference there either! If it’s a well proportioned house in a decent area, it will just sell.

Or do anything outlandish like … lime green splashbacks etc.

*whistles nonchalantly*

I wouldn’t install a new kitchen just to sell a house.

No, but a refresh is probably worth it.

FWIW when we last sold we installed a new oven and decorated (including egg-shelling the units) – spent about £300. Looked really nice and no doubt helped sell, although the new owners ripped it out with a couple of months.

It depends on the value of the house to begin with. My mother got it all wrong last year with a new kitchen costing £15k which we had advised her not to do. Valuations done after had put 5% additional value on the property or just £7K.

you could always just fit new doors to the existing cupboards. Make sure you give the cooker a right good clean though

I’ve been thinking just new doors and new tiling as it looks quite shoddy now. Something to bring it up to date with the rest of the house. Not thinking of selling for a year or so, but fancy getting this done during the summer.

Sounds like its balancing it the with the cost of the house, and what I could stand to make back when we sell.

As wwaswas points out and based on recent experience selling my late uncle’s house, home improvements don’t add anything to the value it’s more a case of preventing it being devalued

Case in point there was nothing wrong with my uncle’s place it was tidy and well maintained but it didn’t have
* the same kind of double glazing throughout
* central heating in every room
* a porch
* a conservatory

The first potential buyer used most of these things to try and reduce the price and it wasn’t until the third or fourth buyer pointed did the same that I realised people expect this sort of thing along with neutral decor, nice interior doors, recessed lighting, luxury bathroom, new kitchen etc etc

It may not increase the value of the house but it’ll make it more saleable. We’ve jsut spent £12,000 on a new kitchen incuding re-wire, re-plumb, new floor, the lot. I’m certain that hasn’t increased the value by one penny but it certainly contributes to “kerb appeal”.

…and we were fed up with the hideous old Magnet kitchen installed by the guy who built the house on the cheap 22 years ago.