When people are buying houses these days, one of the big considerations is the kitchen and for some people, the kitchen will be the primary deciding factor.
The kitchen is the central hub of the house, host to much of a days activity from cooking to washing dishes to grabbing a midnight snack.
This is why, when your home is on the market, kitchens should be a high priority and you may want to have yours staged.
The first thing to do is to thoroughly clean your kitchen, removing all mold and mildew.
The trash should be out, and everything put neatly away.
This gives the buyers an idea of what they can fit in the kitchen, and where it can go.
All clutter and non-essential items should be removed from refrigerators, cabinets and counters so that the kitchen will feel large and spacious as this will appeal to buyers.
Leaky faucets, rusty hinges, loose handles and any other defect should be repaired or replaced as part of the staging.
The expenses for minor repairs such as these will be more than recouped in the end through a higher selling price.
If you're appliances are old and not functioning well, you should consider replacing them, but if they still work fine then just give them a great cleaning and shine them up as much as you can.
Replacing broken appliances may seem like a waste of money, but they show proper maintenance, and will help the buyers view your home as being more valuable which will help you net a higher selling price.
The kitchen is no longer just a mother's or wife's domain, it's used and enjoyed by the entire family.
Families eat in the kitchen, do homework in the kitchen, and just hang out in the kitchen.
Some well placed kitchen furniture can really help to make the room more inviting and help people to see how well your kitchen can fit their lifestyle.
Potted herbs that do double-duty as decoration and cooking ingredient make a lovely accessory that will also help your kitchen seem more welcoming and warm.
Some home stages will use bowls of fruit, or plates of cookies or brownies or even a pot of fresh coffee so that the kitchen will seem welcoming, homey and make the buyers want to put in an offer on the home.