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Kitchen Cabinets That Are Hurting Your Home's Resale Value
By SILVAN KITMA
Material
Buyers often dislike kitchen cabinets made of particle board, as they’re less resistant to moisture, impacts, and scratches, and their surface can be difficult to refinish.
Professional kitchen designer Ariel Path says, "Particle board cabinets have lower resale value than plywood kitchen cabinets and solid wood cabinets," which are wiser choices.
Color
Intense kitchen cabinet colors only appeal to certain people and often deter buyers. Red cabinets can reduce a home’s selling price by $2,310 on average, according to Zillow.
Experts say the best colors for kitchen cabinets are neutrals, like white, gray, and wood tones, or tuxedo cabinets, where the bottom cabinets are a dark hue and the top are light.
Gap
Many buyers are put off by a gap between the cabinets and the ceiling, as it wastes storage space, collects dust and cobwebs, and costs money to fix.
Install cabinets that go all the way to the ceiling instead; however, if your kitchen already has this gap, fill it with a faux bulkhead or decorate it with crown molding.
Double-Stacked
Also called two-tiered cabinets, these are overhead cabinets with two layers, one on top of the other, which is chosen for decorative reasons, not for functionality.
The top layer is hard to reach due to its height, and you risk falling or dropping something when accessing it. Rather, install single cabinets for a seamless look at a lower cost.
Light
Buyers never like dark rooms. Sunlight illuminates a room, kills germs on surfaces, prevents mold build-up, reduces electricity consumption, and makes a kitchen feel bigger.
Bring in the light by balancing your cabinets and windows, preferably using mainly interior walls for your cabinets and shelves, and leaving space for windows on exterior walls.