Avoid Making This Trendy Appliance Mistake When Selling Your Home

When preparing to sell your home, you might have considered remodeling the kitchen, and for good reason. It's thought that a stylish kitchen is a make-or-break factor for most home buyers, which can make an outdated or damaged space an instant turnoff during showings. For such reasons, it can be tempting to invest in specific kitchen design choices in hopes of helping your home sell quicker, or at a higher price. However, you don't want to make the mistake of replacing all of your existing standalone kitchen appliances with built-in appliances. 

In 2024, the estimated cost of a kitchen remodel was $27,492. Depending on the extent of your kitchen renovation project, as well as the overall market, you might possibly get a return-on-investment (ROI) of between about 54 and 81 percent. Given these facts, it's important to know where to cut down on some of your expenses on this type of project. This is when you might consider whether it's worth replacing or upgrading any kitchen appliances. While trendier, the problem with built-in appliance replacements is that you likely won't get your money's worth when you do sell your home. Built-in appliances cost much more than their freestanding counterparts, rendering them unaffordable in some cases. Also, these can be challenging to install, which could potentially mean you have to spend even more money on professional installation.

There's no guarantee of a specific ROI for any upgrades you make to your home before selling, which can mean you won't make a profit from installing pricier built-in appliances in your kitchen. Still, there are some situations when buying built-in appliances does make sense. First, if you already have built-in appliances in your kitchen and one is in dire need of replacement, you may need to make this investment to improve the overall appeal of your kitchen to prospective buyers. This way, you are only spending money on what is necessary, rather than buying all new built-ins.

A final consideration is the timing in which you plan on putting your home on the market. If you don't plan on selling for several years, then you may have more freedom to spend money on any trendy kitchen appliances you want without worrying about a ROI. On the whole, built-in appliances are more aesthetically appealing, easier to clean, and can help create more space in your kitchen. Just keep in mind that all of these benefits do come at an extra cost.