We were featured on Redfin! Read the full article here: Should You Renovate Your Kitchen Before Selling?
Redfin reached out for a builder’s take on a question South Bay sellers ask me constantly: is it worth remodeling the kitchen before the house goes on the market? Here is what I told them.
“Sellers should look at comparable sales in their area first. If updated kitchens are driving higher offers on similar homes, a renovation likely pays off. If buyers in that price range are already planning their own updates, a full remodel is often wasted money. Condition matters more than age.”
Let the comps make the decision
Before you price out cabinets, look at what has actually sold near you in the last six months. If the homes drawing the strongest offers all have updated kitchens, the market is telling you buyers will pay for one. If similar homes are selling fine with their original kitchens because buyers in that price range plan to renovate anyway, you would be spending money on work the next owner intends to tear out.
Condition beats age
An older kitchen that is clean, functional, and well maintained rarely costs a seller the sale. A neglected one does. Paint, hardware, lighting, and honest repairs go a long way, and they cost a fraction of a full remodel. That is usually where I tell sellers to put their money first.
Why I can answer this from both sides
Because I hold both a contractor’s license and a real estate broker’s license, I can look at a kitchen as a build cost and as a listing at the same time. That is the part most sellers are missing when they ask me this question.
Planning to sell in Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, or Redondo Beach? Get in touch and we can walk through whether the work you are considering will actually come back to you at closing.
Planning to build or remodel in the South Bay? See our custom home and remodeling services, or schedule a consultation.
