De cluttered made the table smaller what colour runner and rug? Plus our housing market in Alberta is way down we would lose about $80,000 if we sold now so we are going to update it while waiting for market to recover. We plan on purchasing a microwave in SS that goes over the stove. We also have a new inset for the back door

It looks much better already :)

I wouldn't put a microwave over the range. It really is better in the location you show your current MW. Just convert the current one to SS and the current hood to SS.

I can see the pics of your kitchen but they are very dark. Can you put on the lights and retake so the details of the kitchen show through?

Nobody WANTS a microwave over the stove. There is nothing you can do that will get you an 80K comeback. Other than perhaps prayer.

I am certain Cananda is not different than the USA. People buy housing for location, schools, bathroom and bedroom count. Curb appeal matters, as does the appearance and fact of good working order on all elements Hvac, no leaks anywhere, etc, no mold.....the works.

A house is simply worth what someone will PAY. No more, no less.

I agree with all who said declutter, paint, change the vent hood, and leave cabinets as is. Just clean them and put new shelf paper if needed. The pros here are saying leave the backsplash too, a buyer will probably update it. This is also a good time to pack and store pieces you don't use every day like from the tops of the cabinets, China, etc.

My two cents: staging would do wonders for that kitchen! Show your buyers they can live with this kitchen for a while. Example: take the table leaf out for a small round table and only the 3 chairs that match. This will show as more space. Put a cute eye catching tablecloth. Take your 2 tiered serving piece from up top and place in the center. Get cups, saucers, etc like you are getting ready to have coffee. Before a showing bake ready made cookies or set some treats out, and brew a pot of coffee! Now the dated kitchen is homey like mom's house.

Stagers in the Houzz: how can she stage the rest of the kitchen to make it where buyers see "homey" and not just "dated?"

I would consider replacing the dishwasher and the oven vent with stainless units. Clean and de-clutter, and maybe add window treatments. If the oven vent is the recirculating type, install a vent which actually expels smoke and odors outside through the wall or ceiling. A recirculating vent merely pulls odors through a cheap filter (which needs to be cleaned) and sends it right back into the kitchen. When the house is being shown, turn on the kitchen lighting so it doesn’t seem so dark.

Try turning on the recessed lights for new photos, please.

If your housing market in Alberta is affected by oil prices, it's hard to predict when a pickup will occur.

Real estate is all about location. Talk with several local realtors about the overall market trend. More importantly, you want to understand WHY your area has a negative pricing trend, as opposed to the rest of the country.

Demographic shifts to rural agrarian areas that result in population exits are not going to result in a better market in a few years. If that is the reason for the downward trend, you should plan to cut the losses and get out as quickly as possible.

If it’s just a major employer closing, and a new one is on the horizon to build, then the market may reverse. But you need local real estate knowledge to know your course of action.

No matter what, don’t plan for major projects here. Consider that anything you spend, you’re spending it for your enjoyment only. It isn’t money in the bank that you will pull out some day. It’s the specialty indulgence $60 Kahluah chocolate pie. It makes you happy now, and makes for a great memory. You’re not going to freeze it and sell it by the piece in 5 years.

We painted cabinets gray ....amazing and inexpensive fix...with new hardware..

Hopefully better pictures. Alberta is in a recession right now. Two years ago when we bought it wasn’t

Looks much better now with just the lights on :)

Edit: You have only been in the house 2 years. Is it necessary to sell soon? Or can you ride it out until the market rebounds? I'm asking because sometimes downsizing is a personal choice that has a more flexible time frame than some other types of moves. Real estate has high transaction costs both to purchase and to sell. These costs eat up equity especially if done back to back and 2 years is considered a short recovery time except in very strong markets.

I wouldn’t do anything major. Let the new buyers change it if they want. At most change out the vent hood. The eye is drawn there immediately because of all the contrast. Get rid of the larger plant in the window and the garbage can. Buy 3 small cute pots for herbs to put on the ledge behind the sink.

Lighting helps a lot. Under cabinet lighting will help even more. Swap out the white appliances for stainless, and do a new backsplash. Then stop.

There IS such a thing in real estate as buying at the top of the market and never being able to get back to that price again. Just ask folks who bought homes in 2006. Talk to several local realtors for a timeline strategy and their suggestions. Bear in mind that expensive projects that make a home sell faster don’t really increase the price at which it sells. A house is imprisoned to it’s comps, in the market in which it exists. Many realtors like suggesting those renovations because it makes their job easier. Not because it makes you any money.

Echoing others. Unless, refacing and professionally painting your cabinets, you will most likely lower your resale value. Doing all that, changing hardware, appliances, lighting, you are looking at a full refresh around 10k. Slapping on white house paint calling it good, isn’t going to look good or trick buyers. Now, if you were experienced in painting cabinets, that is one thing, but sounds like you are not.

If you have a realtor, they can tell you what is worth updating and how to stage for sale. Unless this is a millionaire dollar home or neighborhood, I wouldn’t chase after a bigger return.

Get some citrus-y wood cleaner and have a good go at those cabinets. Get the grime off, buff, let them gleam. I transformed a rental kitchen this way.

You don't sound very attached to this house at all. Live somewhere that gives you pleasure. Sell it: sales price is not everything! IMO, you gotta enjoy your space, or you can get $$$ impacts to the negative in lowered quality of life. Get comfortable. It may well be cheaper in the long run. It looks like you have a child, too....

Citrus cleaners are the worst thing possible for any modern finished wood anything. Closely followed by Murphy’s. They’ve ruined countless cabinets and floors. They should all be banned.

I don't see that the wood is grimey, and I agree with Live_wire_oak that those products are terrible for the wood. They are also bad for the indoor air quality.

You made a very big difference from your OP pics! Fix/replace the blind on the door, or remove it. Improve the lighting as suggested above - it won't cost so much, and people really respond to light spaces, and retreat from dark spaces.

I don't know that I agree with your idea to put in an over-the-range MW. First, you'd have to get a "low profile" style because any OTR MW will be much taller than your current hood, and leave little space over your range. Even a low-profile OTR MW may still be too tall. And then what do you do with the space where the MW is currently? I think I might replace the hood and the countertop MW with a stainless steel hood and stainless steel countertop MW, just to make things look more cohesive. Do not spend a lot on these - check out Costco and Amazon.

I also agree with live_wire_oak that you need to take some realtor's recommendations to make improvements on your house with a grain of salt. Use judgement and determine what you want to spend and stick with that. With a realtor's recommendations for improvements, you will spend money, you will NOT get that money back, but you will make the realtor's life easier at no cost to them.

If the home is not selling, the price is too high for the market, and no cabinet painting is going to change that. On the other hand, if the realtor advises "remove that furniture piece(s) because it makes the room look small", or "clean out the closets so it looks like there is plenty of storage", listen to that and do it!

Don't forget to wash the windows!

I agree with most above and don't think you should spend a lot of money that you may never get back. You did a great job decluttering and it looks a lot better. That being said, your kitchen is very one note/color - oak, oak, oak. Get a new stove vent in stainless, and a new stainless dishwasher and microwave. Painting the cabinets would look better, but is too expensive a job to tackle under the current market conditions. How about replacing your round oak table and chairs with a white one, or at the very least painting the one you have. A cute round white table and some contrasting bistro chairs would break up the monotony of all the yellow/orange oak and you could take it with you to your new place. Sell the old dishwasher and table and chairs on Craigslist or Marketplace to recoup some of the cost of the new ones.

Great plan to buy on sale. I swear appliances are dialed into closings and as soon as the new buyer closes they die - including HVAC systems :( This is another reason to not have appliances talking to one another in the "internet of things" ...lol

Denita. We moved from a small town 2 years ago and needed space as my mom was living with us. So this was a house bought purely for size and I wasn’t in live with it then or now. We ran out of time to purchase with our closing date on our other home

Thx, live wire oak, for the correction. I agree about totally about the Murphy's. It strips wood. I'll have to look and see what I used to buff up the wood cabinets; it was a few years ago, now. Whatever it was, they were transformed. Bottom line: clean the cabinets with something that will make them look spiffy!

If the real estate market is low in your area, and you're anticipating a loss, another house you buy presumably would be low, too. A bargain, compared to what you were looking at 2 years ago. Sometimes focus on one number—like the $80k lowered value since purchase—oversimplifies and can misrepresent the actual gains/losses.

Just think, you might even have lower taxes if you downsize! Look at the WHOLE picture.

The easy wipe chair makes sense for day to day, I’d just plan to remove it when taking listing photos or having showings.

If you decide to stay for a few years and want to do something for yourself, here is my wood kitchens idea book with both new and older, refreshed kitchens:

https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/75202366/list/wood-kitchens

Do not count on any "improvements" increasing the home value - they may not be what a buyer wants and the potential buy may feel bad about wanting to rip out new counters etc.

I think your kitchen looks nice! As others have said, change out the white for SS. You could also just get new chairs for the table or a whole new set. Good luck to you.

Clean, de-clutter, CLEAN.

Having all appliance unified would be a good idea--but again not money you will recover. Your tables set screams dated to me more than anything. Perhaps a smaller bistro set that you can use in your next home. Your kitchen is what it is and the buyer will want what they want. You have no idea what that might be. There is no reason to spend a dime when they will make their changes. As long as it's clean and any maintenance done all you need to do is price it accordingly. Be sure your lighting is all it can be--brighter is better.

Backsplash is fine, not offensive. Swap hood, and maybe DW, for SS to “match”. Add some under counter led lighting. Paint or replace vent under sink to a darker finish to camouflage it. I saw a comment about monotone... you could add a fabric valance to the windows, keep them short and use a “sophisticated” or “modern playful” to add some color.... (NOT flouncy 1980’s “country” style ;) )

If you want to spend some time over money, work on getting any yellowish tones out of the oak cabinets, and chose an updated simple, clean stain and matte finish. Depending on sales on appliances, possibly update those or “add a credit” for new appliances when selling. That is a simple way to go....and like the others mentioned, a more updated kitchen table set would look more appealing to a prospective buyer.

I might try panting out the burgundy in the splash. The rest of it is a neutral and fine. Painting tile is not a permanent fix, but if it works, it saves you from doing a new backsplash.

Go to Home Depot and buy a “Rust-oleum cabinet transformations kit” for $100 and paint the cabinets yourself. (You might need 2 kits for the size of your kitchen). Rust-oleum also makes a tile transformations kit to paint your backsplash. (I’ve never used this kit but I imagine it’s as good as the cabinets one). Go on kijiji and buy a used SS dishwasher and range hood for cheap. Find a used table and chairs set that isn’t oak (sometimes people even give them away for free).

Your cabinets are in good condition from what I can see here. Please don't use the Rustoleum product or anything like it on your cabinets. It will totally devalue your kitchen.

I agree, these quick fixes will devalue your home. Instead of just being a dated backsplash, it will look like a painted and dated backsplash. These hack projects to sell, will be seen through. Nothing compares to cleaning and decluttering.

Also, I don’t understand the hate for oak. It’s a classic wood that came be modernized with paint and decor. I just bought a swanky table made of oak.

My vote is to buy nothing, do nothing, but cleaning and decluttering. Please no chalk paint or rust oleum.

Chances are pretty good that your buyer will have her own ideas about what she wants in a kitchen...and that may even include a whole new layout and cabinets. I would probably just replace the appliances with new stainless steel units and perhaps redo the backsplash, and keep everything spotless and neat to show.

Not sure why someone said NO ONE wants a microwave over the stove. In my opinion, no one wants to lose that much counter space. If you’re replacing the hood and the microwave, put them over the stove and free up 3+ feet of counter space. Do not paint the cabinets! They will eventually chip and then HAVE to be replaced by the new owner, whether they want to or not. And what if they don’t like the trendy-soon-to-be-obsolete white or gray? To me, kitchen decor is a very personal thing. A new backsplash might be exactly what a potential buyer doesn’t like, so why spend the money? Finally, the table/chairs blend nicely with the room...I would look for a clean, cohesive space when looking for a new home, knowing I can remodel to my liking. Add the stainless microwave/hood and dishwasher and no more!

following

That was good comment about room looking crowded, and that's a negative for people wanting to see room for their things. If leaf in table, take it out.

If backsplash is real stone, yeah! the clay color at base is neutral and you might play it up with accessory that type of color, or copper pendant light for newish attraction.

One time I looked at a house and was told the owners wanted to take the ceiling fans - you don't have to leave new elements - copper, and even plastic chairs?

Country Dining Room · More Info

https://www.houzz.com/photos/country-dining-room-farmhouse-dining-room-phvw-vp~24968129

I'm posting these cause houzzers think there's "too much wood" - greys similar to appliances which is nice I think -

Modern Urban Industrial Distressed Vintage Dining Chair, Set of 2, Silver, Metal · More Info

GDF Studio Owen Metal Frame Chairs, Cushion, Set of 2, Gray · More Info

https://www.houzz.com/products/modern-urban-industrial-distressed-vintage-dining-chair-set-of-2-silver-metal-prvw-vr~106876976

Indoor or outdoor rustic finish vintage touch / add cushion, quilt. Drawing room, bedroom, kitchen, garden, or porch / not heavy. 39 x 23 x 22

Take with you when you move.

Metal Arm Chair in Teal Finish · More Info

https://www.houzz.com/products/westfield-metal-arm-chair-teal-prvw-vr~37861563

I’ve ordered a round rug and a runner in pretty colours to go in the kitchen. Once they arrive I will see what colour chairs I can find along with a different table. Thx!!! We will get a new stainless steel range hood and a new dishwasher too. Undecided as to whether or not to replace the backsplash still!

Rugs I have ordered to brighten it up

I'm not sure if you mean for kitchen or another room … ?

You can change that back splash. Totally DIY'able too! Pick a cheap subway tile that looks good with the counters and it won't cost more than $200-$300. It's hard to see your cabinet pulls but they are easy to change out too. So new back splash and pulls.

Having your house look more up to date WILL get you a higher price and also a faster sale. There are LOTS and LOTS of people out there who can not see beyond the cosmetics of a house let alone have the money to remodel upon purchase.

There have been numerous posts on Houzz/Gardenweb over the years of people having great angst about choosing their backsplash when building or remodeling. The chances of a potential buyer liking anything new you would choose for a backsplash are probably not much greater than them liking what you already have, so I'd leave it alone and let the buyer change it. It didn't keep you from buying this house 2 years ago.

There are also always opposing views on whether extra counter space is desirable enough to put the microwave over the range. I lived with a MW on the counter in a small galley condo kitchen for 30 years which was fine, and when we remodeled to sell (had to, the really crappy worse than present-day builders' grade cabinets were falling apart), we put the MW over the range, since that's where it was in the other condos. My husband and I HATED it there until we moved out.

You have a decent amount of counter space for the size kitchen you have, so do get a SS range hood at the least so it matches the range, and let the new owners get a new MW and decide if they want it over the range. They may want a steam, convection, or some other kind of MW combo or whatever is out there now.

I would only get a new table and chairs if you would be doing that anyway for your future home, and are sure whatever you choose would work in a different space. But with a 2-1/2 year old grandchild around for the foreseeable future, I'd stick with old furniture - and definitely wouldn't get white if you do get new!

I had a cherry table and chairs refinished just before we moved into our new house, and then ended up with 3 very young grandchildren living with us for several years while my daughter continued her education. They were good kids, but the table/chairs and new house didn't look very new by the time they left.

Anne

Yes to everything above ^^^^! Changing out your furniture isn't going to make someone buy your house-they're buying the house-not the furniture. Changing the range hood, dishwasher, and possibly building in a microwave in the space in the pantry are all you need to do. The colorful rugs are pretty and will help break up some of the wood, but I really don't think you need to go any further. The decluttering you've done has already made a huge difference.