Paint or Replace?

[mike2016]

Hi,

I'm selling in January to fund my self build but the estate agent recommended upgrading the kitchen if I was able. I'm happy putting down new flooring (the existing has lifted due to previous leaks) but am debating if I should replace the existing kitchen doors or get them repainted? I'd like to get the countertop changed also - they have that cheap metal strip in the joints. Not sure I want to have to take out the sink but that's certainly doable. 

Anyway, the doors are coated with plastic something - might be PVC. I can clean them up and paint them myself to keep costs down but would the finish be worth it?

There is also a resin you can pour onto a countertop I've seen people use, would that be an option? 

Anyway, any ideas welcome. Initial research shows that a professional respray is over €1K, or new doors about €540 based on my current research. I can install doors/soft closers etc myself and get new handles. Not sure about the end carcass facings / shelves etc and if these can be left or should also be touched up? I'm not set on any particular style, just one that refreshes things and caters to most tastes? 

Thanks! 

[newhome]

If it was me looking to buy I would probably want to replace the kitchen at some point but I could live with yours until I did. The tiles are what dates it for me tbh and I’m not a lover of open shelves. Whatever you do, completely remove everything on the worktops when people come. The open shelves should also be empty or über tidy / uncluttered. Have large crates ready to fill and move into a cupboard or garage. Same for the bathrooms. It’s a pain but gives a kitchen a feeling of light and space. 

 

@PeterW suggested an inexpensive wood worktop from somewhere in a different thread that looked ok. 

[Ferdinand]

I'd work out your tartups, and your tartup budget, then do them in order.

 

For the kitchen, I would say doors plus worktop, and see if you can find doors that match your current hinges if your current hinges are the click-off type. Larger tiles - possibly (or paint those).I would perhaps look at sanding the floor. That dark framework may be problematic.

 

See about 3 episodes of House Doctor then you have insights from the entire run. For some reason Ann Maurice seems to look younger than she has for about a decade, or it could have been on Really.

 

Ferdinand

 

Edited August 14, 2018 by Ferdinand

[vivienz]

Some friends recently freshened up their kitchen. They painted the kitchen doors and tiles using a small roller and it worked really well. Along with a new roller blind in the window and a new acrylic splashback, it made a big difference for not much money.

[lizzie]

@mike2016 anyone buying would want to replace the kitchen but will want something useable pro tem so just try something first.  Clear out everything as @newhome suggests and just replace a few chosen pieces on those open shelves.  Scrub everything until it shines and then scrub and polish again....review those wall tiles then, they are dated but they are of the same era as the kitchen and maybe some work on the grout may just do it.  Replace the flooring as its had it. go for something clean and light not dull and serviceable. Paint the walls a light neutral and then get the EA round again.  I bet they say it is fine.

Edited August 14, 2018 by lizzie

[Mr Punter]

Paint the doors and cornice a neutral colour.  Replace the wall tiles.  The ones one the cooker run could be tiled over if they are tricky to remove.  Replace the floor.

[AliMcLeod]

I'd be tempted to just give a thorough clean, declutter, fix the floors (if they are obviously bad) and paint walls and perhaps cabinet doors. Its easy for the estate agent to suggest spending a couple of £K because its not their money and it might get them their commission a little sooner.

Unless its being sold as move-in condition, people want something they can live with for a period of time before putting their own stamp on the place.

Rather than spend a couple of £K, perhaps see that as a buffer amount you'd accept below any offer you currently have in mind.

Edited August 14, 2018 by AliMcLeod

[Declan52]

When you say pvc do you mean a vinyl wrapped door. You can get paint specifically for these but it's not cheap or easy to do. 

As above I would clean the kitchen up as cheap as possible.

[Stones]

Clean, clean and clean again, remove all worktop clutter to give the impression of vast swathes of worktop, buff the sink to a shine, adjust all the doors and drawers so they are all hanging straight.  Agree the floor needs done - vinyl / lino type flooring?

[mike2016]

Thanks - probably vinyl wrapped doors with a few freyed edges around the bottom of some. Will check out suitable paint. Plan laminate flooring maybe as I've laid that elsewhere in the house although maybe tile for the actual kitchen area makes more sense and laminate in the dining space? Lots to do to make it clutter free but the green just doesn't do it for me but typical of the time. I'm not staying so don't mind but wondered where a little money might help. Great ideas and there's lot of options....! I'm just after doing the BTC kitchen installation course mostly for the new build but could apply some of the skills I picked up in the existing kitchen too, just don't want to spend too much on it but could be good practice. 

[newhome]

Whack some wood effect vinyl on the floor. Much cheaper. 

[Simplysimon]

don't need to replace the tiles, they can be painted with gloss paint and a roller, far cheaper

[ryder72]

Its a foil wrap door so no matter what you do you wont get it looking nice with a paint job.

 

Either sell it as it and accept that you havent got the bother of carrying out the work but accept that you will take a hit on the price or do a full up to date replacement job with an inexpensive likeable kitchen with up to date worktops, appliances etc. At the very least you will get your money back and it will make the house more sellable.

 

 

[Jeremy Harris]

Advice from our agent was to just clean and de-clutter, but not bother with replacing anything, as the chances are that any buyer would want to do their own thing anyway. 

 

That's been borne out by our experience of the 16 people who have viewed our place so far, three of whom made offers (we're still negotiating).  All said the same thing, they would want to decide themselves what to fit and were pleased we'd not made any attempt to tart things up, but just shown everything as-is, albeit nice and clean and tidy.

 

I'm not convinced fitting a cheap kitchen to make it look more up to date would cover even the cost of the most basic kitchen available in terms of increasing the sale price.  Most people will see a cheap kitchen for what it is and budget to rip it out and replace it, which seems a heck of a waste to me, and not great for the environment, either.

[AliMcLeod]

12 minutes ago, JSHarris said:

I'm not convinced fitting a cheap kitchen to make it look more up to date would cover even the cost of the most basic kitchen available in terms of increasing the sale price.  Most people will see a cheap kitchen for what it is and budget to rip it out and replace it, which seems a heck of a waste to me, and not great for the environment, either.

 

+1. @mike2016, have you had a valuation done? Did the estate agent suggest you'd get a higher valuation with a new kitchen?

 

In my experience, in anything but at the extremes (either in very poor or excellent condition), house price valuations when selling are produced based on recent comparable house prices in the same area or, if the data for that is too small, the house size based on the local market rate per m2.

Edited August 15, 2018 by AliMcLeod

[mike2016]

It would be nice to do something with the kitchen area but I'm tempering that with cost and the declutter / clean route is the easiest, cheapest approach from reading responses here. I might lift the floor so it matches the living room but unless I get a really good price on doors I don't see a cheap investment there being worth it, I'll just be installing new cheap doors instead of keeping existing cheap doors!

Thanks everyone!