Will painting my kitchen cabinets bring up or down my home’s value?

Will painting the kitchen cabinets raise or decrease my home’s selling price? How much does the cabinetry concern potential buyers?

When preparing your home to be put on the market, you have several questions in mind, most of which regard the improvements and changes that may boost your home’s value so you can get top dollar. However, one of the most burning concerns is how the price trajectory will change after painting the kitchen cabinets. Since it’s the kitchen that sells your home and is the room of paramount interest, it’s only natural to pay the most attention to it before preparing your house for sale.

While remodeling your whole kitchen is guaranteed to increase your dwelling’s value, it doesn’t necessarily mean the investment will pay off. Maximizing your profit is a tricky endeavor, and a complete overhaul can be time-consuming and nerve-wracking if different factors, like a busy schedule, come into the equation.

For this reason, it’s generally accepted that small but effective transformations like cabinetry upgrades and kitchen doors replacement can be the best and most rewarding improvements you can make when remodelling your kitchen is off the table.

So, is painting your kitchen cabinets the upgrade that will lift your home resale price, or could it deliver the opposite result? There are a few considerations, so let’s see if this undertaking should be on your to-do list.

When painting, cabinetry is not the answer.

Breathing new life into your kitchen by painting the kitchen cabinetry is no easy task since it involves a certain level of skill, mixing and matching colors correctly, and choosing the best product from a sea of color and texture options. Not to say that without the needed talent, you may end up disliking the result and being constrained to reach out to experts to help you correct the flaws.

Sometimes, some little tricks and improvements can upgrade the outlook of your kitchen and improve its functionality without necessitating swapping cabinetry or adding new hues to the existing pieces of furniture. For instance, places like cupboards that store kitchen utensils, dishware, and pans are most prone to deterioration because they’re highly used and exposed to wear and tear. Therefore, a simple coat of paint may not be enough to fix the damages suffered, remove the cause of concern in buyers, or make them look better. There are situations when the most rewarding improvement you can make is to replace the kitchen cupboard doors, as well as the cabinet doors that you deem necessary. Installing a new kitchen when the level of damage is worrying can be money-consuming and take weeks. However, replacing the cabinetry doors is more approachable, cost-effective, and manageable, making your kitchen look fresh, and the buyers pay less attention to other details in the room.

The paramount questions you should ask yourself before proceeding to paint the cabinets

Before jumping into your painting strategy, answering some questions is important.

Will the painted cabinets be easier to maintain?

Probably among the most eye-catching aspects of a home is low-maintenance furniture that promises to stand the test of time, especially regarding cabinets and countertops that support great utilization. If you’re up to painting your kitchen, you should also focus on buying quality paint that will look impeccable. Semi-gloss or high-gloss paint is more durable than flat or matte finishes, as a shiny finish keeps your cabinets looking new while making it easier to wipe, clean, and maintain. Therefore, to determine whether painting your cabinetry is the key to increasing your home’s value, you should also ponder how much effort you will put into your remodeling project.

How bad is the condition of my cabinets?

It shouldn’t be surprising that an outdated kitchen with deteriorated cabinetry can be a deal breaker for buyers or that the negotiation won’t be in your favor. However, there are times when other units in this room deserve more budgeting, especially if they hide health hazards. A good example would be mold developed inside the cabinetry, which poses health risks and requires more efficient solutions, like replacing its doors.

On the other hand, if the only problem your kitchen faces is a dated outlook, a fresh coat of paint might be enough to deliver the desired result and enhance your space’s look. Usually, you can rely on lighter hues and nuances of white to do the trick.

As you plan your kitchen remodel, carefully create a hierarchy of the spots and units that require the most budgeting, and leave the least essential modifications at the bottom of the list.

How will the painting impact the flow of the house?

Indeed, your kitchen is not the only thing that concerns prospective buyers when visiting your home. The overall aesthetic of the dwelling is equally important, so you will want to ensure you create a cohesive color flow that prevents a choppy aspect in the spaces.

Can you recolor the cabinets and keep other spots neutral? More often than not, you can, but it depends on whether all the other postponed repairs are fixed.

When kitchen cabinet painting pays off

Enhancing the marketability of your home necessitates several improvements, and while kitchen cabinetry repainting might pop into your head, the strategy may only sometimes work in your best interest. If a simple coat of paint is enough to upgrade the look of your kitchen and work on several aspects, such as covering stains, then you should try it. Similarly, if the existing palette of colors makes your kitchen look cramped and congested, going lighter hues might be the secret to making it look more spacious and larger.

On the other hand, some situations require more drastic solutions. For instance, if your cooking room is small, painting the cabinetry can be risky, as the picked hues can make or break the aspect of your kitchen, making it feel narrower or inaesthetic.

Wrapping it all up

It is imperative to step back and determine what you want your cooking space to communicate and whether painting your kitchen cabinets is all it takes to convince potential buyers that your cooking space will fulfill their expectations once they’re settled in their new dwelling. Painting your kitchen cabinetry can be a profitable investment and raise your home value, but only if done correctly and other more important aspects are on point.