Kitchen renovations are known for their good return on investment, and they can also increase your enjoyment of your home while you’re living in it. The wrong upgrades, though, can prove to be more costly than they’re worth. How do you know the right renovations to make? Here’s a list of some kitchen makeovers that may add value to your home.

• Put in an island. This is one of the easiest ways to boost the value of your kitchen because an island provides extra space and makes a kitchen feels larger. What’s more, islands are unlikely to go out of style. The catch is that you’ll need to go custom, which can be pricey. While you can find prefabricated islands easily, they’re not going to add the same level of value.
• Update your cabinets. This may involve replacing them, but you may be able to simply paint them or update the hardware to make a big difference in the look of your kitchen. However, while replacing cabinets is the most expensive option, it may be the way to go if you need to improve your storage.
• Upgrade the appliances. Outdated or unreliable appliances can drag down a kitchen, making homeowners want to renovate purely for the sake of their own enjoyment of the house. Upgrading to high-quality appliances, however, will not only benefit you while you live in the house, but can also be a major selling point when it’s time to list it. Stainless steel appliances add the most value, but don’t go all out, buying the most expensive options. Keep it to a moderate price point and you’ll see a bigger return on your investment.
• Modernize your countertops. Granite used to be the major trend in countertops, but today’s buyers see it as too dark. You can brighten the look of your kitchen with countertops that are white or a light neutral, in porcelain or quartzite. You don’t need to go as far as an expensive material like marble for your counters, and can even go with something like concrete or butcherblock, but certainly update them if they’re something outdated, like tile and grout.
• Increase your workspace. More people than ever are working from home, making a multipurpose workspace in a kitchen a major draw for buyers. Putting in an in-kitchen desk can provide work-from-home space or a homework area where kids can work while parents are preparing a meal.
• Add a backsplash. By updating your backsplash area, you can change the personality of your kitchen without doing a major renovation. There are plenty of fresh options, from subway tile to glass tile to mosaics and more. Consider keeping the colors neutral, though, to make the kitchen feel brighter and appeal to potential buyers.
• Change your flooring. If you’ve got hardwoods in your kitchen, you can change their look just buy painting them. Want to do something more dramatic? Replace your hardwood floors with ceramic or porcelain tile.
• Switch out the lights. For a relatively small investments, you can improve the look of your kitchen by changing to better lighting. Look for a stylish statement piece, add some undercabinet lighting to upgrade the look of your kitchen, or just switch to LED bulbs to give yourself more light and save some energy.
• Swap the sink. The sink is an important, functional piece of the kitchen, but have you considered that it can also be a statement piece? A new, beautiful sink can make the kitchen feel more custom, and make buyers perceive your kitchen as a higher value space.
• Put a hood on your range. A stainless steel hood is functional and stylish, and can draw a potential buyer’s eye, giving the impression of a chef’s kitchen. If you don’t have the capacity to vent to the outside, choose a ductless hood with charcoal filters instead.

When you’re ready for a kitchen renovation, Capitol Design Build can help. We’ve been performing custom remodeling since 1989 and building custom, high-end homes in the Washington DC Metropolitan Area for 29 years. We serve businesses and individuals in Virginia, Washington D.C, and Maryland, meeting every need from kitchen renovation and bathroom remodeling to custom home design and building. With experience spanning many disciplines, including engineering, design, remodeling, construction, and customer service, we look forward to working with you. Feel free to shop our website, call us at (703) 436-6919, or contact us online for a free, no-obligation estimate.