o think they are beautiful

I agree. The backsplash fits with the rest of your kitchen. A buyer very well may want to gut the kitchen to start over, and there’s no reason to spend money on tile that will just get ripped out.

Just clean and make sure everything works. Leave everything as is. If I were looking to buy a house, this kitchen would not deter me from buying, especially if it was priced right for my budget if I had remodeling in mind. Right now, it's better than what I have, so I'd be delighted with that kitchen! :)

Little fixes aren't going to change anything enough. Leave it, clean it well, and reflect the dated kitchen in the asking price.

I completely agree with the others. I would be (eventually) replacing the entire counter so it would not matter what tile you used, it would be replaced anyway. I suspect many would do the same.

Replace the vertical blind, maybe the faucet (if you do a pull down faucet you will kick yourself for not having done it sooner)

Ok, so what you are all saying is to either do nothing and have that reflect in the price...or do full remodel and ask more? Every home in our area has an updated kitchen from what I can tell.

You never get 100% back on your investment. Your house would be attractive to me because it hasn’t been improved so I’m not paying for upgrades I wouldn’t have chosen. Talk to a realtor.

Your buyers will likely update the kitchen (as has happened in your neighborhood) is what we are saying. Don't spend money on a backsplash, not to mention it will be problematic to "just" replace the blue tiles for many reasons. Just price it with a kitchen that is clean and functional but could be updated by buyer. And yes, lose the blind. Nothing else.

Love the space in the kitchen, so I agree- leave it as is, price accordingly, and let the buyer renovate.

I agree with everyone else. don't bother with changing the backsplash - it is not that bad, and also, replacing a grouted tile counter would be high on my to do list if I bought the home. The backsplash would be taken out with it.

The only things I would do is replace the faucet with a pull-down, remove the blinds, and perhaps add drawer and cabinet pulls. Maybe also paint the wall with the blue tiles a light blue that coordinates with the tile.

Definitely speak to an experienced local real estate agent, because the answer will be local. Is this a starter home? A first-time buyer will be happy to get the home at a lower price, with the idea of being able to upgrade in the future.

I'm guessing this is a mid-nineties builder grade kitchen. A gut re-do is likely to be $50k+, depending on the finish level appropriate for your area.

Remove everything from the fridge and off the counters. Scrub the grout. Don't forget to clean all the cabinet interiors.

Clean, declutter, lose the blinds, change the faucet, and make any repairs you know inspectors will find. Priced accordingly that would go quickly where I am (north of Atlanta). I passed on every house for sale that boasted “updated kitchen!” because they were inevitably not to my taste and/or looked flip quality, and I feel it’s wasteful to rip out brand new materials.

I agree with the consensus that there is no need to do anything. Your kitchen is clean.

The tile actually does not bother me as a backsplash. I'd be more concerned about it as a counter.

But since it looks sparkly clean, I wouldn't worry about it.

We've been through this and I couldn't agree more with just cleaning and decluttering. Buyers will likely change whatever updates you do. I've seen both newly installed granite and quartz ripped out for something else. People really do like to make their own choices.

normally I'd agree with PPs about doing nothing. however..... what you could do here is rip out the backsplash and simply patch and paint the wall. it's not the newest kitchen, but removing that backsplash will make it look way less 90s and more neutral. just don't replace it with new tile, that would be a waste.

but only do it if you have the time and patience. if it's a sellers market, you may as well leave it be.

do what Marie said.

Blinds, declutter, faucet, nothing on fridge, maybe throw down a nice runner.

change out your bulbs to 4000K led's. what you have now make everything too yellow.

You could possibly put on some hardware. some simple handles.

find a new window treatment. for sure.

maybe install some trim around the window just to give it a finished look. just a nice white trim similar to this, and maybe some woven wood inset blinds. this looks nice w/oak

or try some blinds like these

thing about painting the walls a diff color too

all of this would go a long way and won't cost you much.

Changing out the countertop/backsplash will just further date the oak cabinets.

if you want to have those painted, great! but it will cost around 5K for a pro job. another 3-5K for countertop/new splash.

Talk to a realtor and ask them if investing 10K into the kitchen (what about the bathrooms?) will bring in an extra 20-25. if not, don't bother.

That's a beautiful and sparkly clean tile job. IF you can replace the blue tiles inexpensively without mangling the rest of it, it might be worth it. Otherwise let it be. It looks like a kitchen that has been scrupulously maintained and that is a good look.

Consulting a Realtor is usually a good idea.

Fori makes a good point-- removing the backsplash might damage the counter. Normally I hate tile countertops, but this one is in really great shape, and thank goodness it's all white.

The blue isn't going to win any buyers, and it could turn some away. About a month before selling, i would paint the tile in the backsplash to the same color as the cream tiles. A crazy easy fix, for about an hour of your time. It probably won't last 6 months, but you would not be the first home seller who put lipstick on a pig to sell a house, only for the new owners to find out after they move in that stuff wasn't quite as good quality as they were hoping.

Backsplash tile is in my opinion nicer and better than the tile countertops. Tile make an awful countertop.

Check out the listings in your area and look at their kitchens. Then compare it to yours to decide what you should do.

I'd replace that backsplash, especially since it does not fill all the space between the bottom of the cabinets and countertop.

If the tile counters won't kill the deal, then neither will the blue backsplash tiles. Everyone is taking those shorties out for full wall installations, so don't waste your money. I'm sure the entire kitchen will be a demo for the new owners. How much money does your realtor expect you to lose due to the kitchen?

I agree with a few responses. tile in good space may be something a buyer gets hung up over. I painting a blacksplacsvis doable, I'd pull that trigger but hold on to other changes till you see how the painting looks

I just sold my parents house, AS IS. NO updates, original kitchen. 20 year old house. It's a seller's market. Don't worry about updating the kitchen. You won't recoup what you spend, so I would not bother. You'll sell the house anyway.

I agree with others, someone will be thrilled to get this for a little less than neighboring properties (with high-end kitchens) so they can renovate to their liking. Anything you add, might get ripped out in 6 months. It's a huge, bright space with tons of potential that I think buyers will recognize. Ditch the blinds, maybe add a runner, new faucet & drawer pulls, then clean & declutter is my vote.

Leave it alone. If your local RE market is hot, I wouldn't spend any money on anything, you only need to make necessary repairs and use your own elbow grease to declutter and clean. When bidding wars are resulting in homes selling for 30%+ above asking price, is as happening in many, many areas of the country, believe me the last thing someone is going to care about is the tile backsplash, pulls, and blinds so save your money.

Others are correct in that you'll most like not recoup any investment you'd make into upgrades. Focus on making the kitchen "so clean it appears never used". Don't forget to clean the ceiling exhaust cover, remove everything from the refrigerator front, and scrub the refrigerator/oven/microwave/cabinet interiors, etc. so they appear brand new. Arranging things in your refrigerator and pantry/kitchen shelving will show buyers you're organized. Given your large window, I'd place items in the kitchen to draw your eye to the view outside, if it focuses on good landscaping/a place to relax outdoors. See what it would cost to change out the vertical blinds for a roller style blind in a coordinating/neutral color.

Just be sure to price accordingly. If a home with a new kitchen is priced at $225,000, for example, and you are looking at $25K in work on your kitchen, price your home at $215K and you'll come out ahead without all the headaches.

As for staging, start with the fridge and clear it off so it isn't the bulletin board for your family. Moving left, take away whatever is sitting on top of the coffee maker and remove the little doodads from above the door. You can repair holes with white toothpaste and a bit of paint (even acrylic art paint can do.) On to the wad of towels left of the door. I'd remove them and possibly the hook or hanger they're on if it won't leave too big a hole right at eye level (depends on what the hook looks like too.) Next, the counter. If that's a bowl in the corner, move it to the table and fill it with fresh fruit for showings. Move your utensil container to the right of the range (most people are right handed, so it will appear natural to them.) Be sure it is clean and dust free, and only your best looking utensils are in it. Leave the two small white containers on the left. Window: down with the vertical blinds! What's the view? If it is worth seeing, leave it exposed. If it's just your fence and trash cans, I would spend $$$ on a top down/bottom up white honeycomb shade so you can control the view while allowing light to flood in. Set a fresh bouquet of flowers in front of the window for showings.

2020 Honeycomb Bottom-up Top-down Collection · More Info

I don't recommend spending much money on updates. Two of my favorites have not been mentioned yet. First, consider swapping out the recessed lights for new LED trims which sit almost flat to the ceiling. I just suggested a friend do that in my kitchen update and she loved the result. Home Depot had a four pack for less than $20 and it only takes a couple minutes to swap them out. However, a new trim may be a bit smaller and show a ring around the old fixture. Another quick update is take down the ceiling grill and spray paint with a fresh coat of white paint.

Regarding the window with the vertical blinds. It looks like the window is lower than the counters and the backs of the cabinets are visible from outside (hence the blinds to hide the cabinets). If that's so, I recommend getting rid of the vertical blinds and doing something there to at least hide the cabinet backs from the outside while keeping the top of the window open. Or, find a way to "decorate" the backs of the cabinets so they're not an eyesore from outside.

ETA: I may be wrong...it looks like there might be light on the counter under the blinds. What does the "sill" look like, if there is one?

Just to sell-paint that accent wall the same color blue as the tile. Get rid of the blinds. Add greenery in blue and white vases so it makes some sense with the colors. The new buyer will upgrade anyway.

Clean, declutter, clean again, paint walls and trim. Paint is your friend after the cleaning and decluttering. Other than making certain that everything that needs servicing gets a service, I wouldn't spend a lot of time or money on any updates. You won't get it back. Paint, decluttered and in good repair. That is what will get you top dollar.

You might consider getting your own home inspection prior to putting it on the market. It's a new set of eyes on the property. Opinions are split on this. If you have kept up on everything, you may not need one.

Skip replacing the backspash. If the sink looks worn and the faucet icky, replace/refurburish. Otherwise if the sink and faucet look good, skip it. New blinds would be nicer than the current blinds. Don't mess with the cabinets unless they need repair. The paint looks in good shape- I wouldn't repaint unless you also consider fresh paint in other parts of the house as well. It can seem off if only one room is repainted.

Clean, clean, and then clean again. It already looks clean, but make sure you do the walls and ceiling, lights and so on too. Perhaps consider having the floor professionally cleaned/detailed.

People seem to have trouble with the BLUE. I like blue. It would coordinate with my cobalt blue dishes and Mexican pottery. I don't like gray. Or white/white/white kitchens. I would buy your house if it was priced well, and probably not even replace the counters as tile counters don't bother me - they look like a good backdrop for my Mexican style. Tile for counters was used for a VERY LONG TIME before someone decided that granite was the way to go (probably a stone yard owner). And the thing about "the grout gets so dirty" - well, wipe it down daily after you prepare the meals and it's fine. Don't cut on it. And if you use something besides white tile and white grout, it's not so bad and if you seal it there should be no mold. There certainly aren't many people left who can install tile counters well, like in the 50s - have you TRIED to remove those? Of course, my dream home would be a 1940s-50s Spanish style house in San Diego, complete with original tile. I WOULD put some hardware on the cabinets.

I do not think you should upgrade the kitchen. As some have said, most people will probably be wanting to gut the kitchen anyways so leaving it as it will give them the chance to do that. It might even mean selling the house quicker, but there's no guarantee. I would do whatever minor changes like painting/repairs/etc. Nothing too drastic.

I wouldn't even put hardware on the cabinets. I don't think it's going to make enough of an improvement. besides, one of the first things I do to upgrade a space is change the hardware, and when the existing holes don't line up, it's such a pain to fix.

I agree with don't hardware up either. Don't start holes where there are none.

And something else.. I see a lot of threads about potential buyers and home inspections... Perhaps if you want to spend a few bucks considering what needs to happen to sell. Consider getting a light sort of home inspection and servicing stuff done to in general see what might need more attention than the bucks spent on refreshing stuff.

she asked what to do to improve the looks. Rather than do a full changeout of countertop/backsplash, I suggested hardware (after giving the wood cabs a nice refresh on the finish). To me, the cabs look pretty sad w/out hardware.

If the hardware suits the cabs and look good, then why would the new owners want to change them? If they want to paint the cabinets, then they can fill the holes if they really need new hardware.

With the newer hardware today, the sizes are common and interchangeable. The new owners could find plenty of other options to fit the new 'hole sizes'. smh.

The point is to pick hardware that looks good so that even a new buyer will like it.

(people paint walls. what if the new owner doesn't like the new color? I mean, we can play what if on everything)

But for new buyers to come in and see everything as is, but with new hardware, and say, "oh, if only there wasn't any hardware on these old cabinets", is kind of stupid.

I do think that a better faucet - a pull-down style - is a low expense but big return in "first impression" points. Hopefully the sink resurfacing will be done excellently, and not look obviously a re-coat. Such little things can go a long way toward creating a favorable feeling toward the house.

Good lighting would be too, and might be easily improved with 3000k (at the least) LED bulbs in the existing fixtures if possible.

I always like to see some simple framing around a window and it isn't expensive or hard to do, either. Just choose a profile that agrees with the cabinets and baseboards.

If you do decide to add pulls, look at styles by Hafele- they have some nice simple designs (and you want to keep them simple for sure) and not expensive. Just don't go for the cheap looking skinny 3" pulls that are builder grade.

When I looked at the photos again, my eye was drawn to the empty wall to the left of the window... perhaps a print, that incorporates some of the blue from the tile, would look good there.

If a spray-on coating is your idea of a sink refinish, do it right before you start to show the house and stop using the sink completely please.

Beautiful and easily refinished Corian bowl hiding under that spray on crap. Had to walk away from this one; too much work.

More spray on. I fixed this one though:

Fix what is broken, clean what is dirty, price accordingly. As long as the items you think might date the room look in good condition a potential buyer will be thinking I can live with that until I can redo to what my tastes are.