Hello fellow homeowners,
Whenever I walk through a home and the kitchen looks a little 'tired', I do a mental checklist to figure out how what kind of improvements can be done to add value to the home. There are improvements that add to the value of your home that you can enjoy while you are living there, and then there are staging tips specifically for selling your home. I say, if an improvement just involves your time and labour at very little cost, let's call it staging your house - for you! Replacing a countertop or flooring can be costly, but sometimes there may be life yet in those kitchen cupboards, and they just need a little updating.
Yesterday I participated in a workshop hosted by House of Colour on Allen Drive in Bolton, called "How to Paint your Kitchen and Bathroom Cabinets". This demonstration was presented by Leo Pilon of Queen City Decorating Inc. (happens to be my better half). It was a step-by-step demo on how to prepare and paint your cabinets and he transformed a cabinet door from a popular 90's sturdy oak, to a more updated look in a painted and glazed finish. With the addition of some oiled bronzed hardware it compares quite well with the finishes that you would be offered today in kitchen cabinetry.
Leo also showed a selection of classic and unique finishes that he has produced, and everyone had fun choosing their favourite look. As a realtor who promotes the marketing value of staging your home, I always say choose the neutral tones if you are thinking of reselling, but the decorator in me was quite happy to see everyone excited about the different colours and styles. As Leo says in the paint business, "The Possibilities are Endless".
We have prepared a slide show, which is a great reference for your staging library, if you are interested in seeing the steps involved in this process. If you start with solid cabinets, doing this yourself could add at least $10,000. to the value of your home. Just make sure you do it correctly and choose colours tastefully. The internet is full of photos of 'painted kitchen cabinets gone wrong' and you don't want to go down that path.
Here is the link for the slide show
Home Staging Tips: "How to Prepare and Paint Kitchen and Bathroom Cabinets":
I hope you enjoy viewing it as much as we had fun putting it together. If you have any specific areas of Staging Tips or How-to's that you would like to hear about you can email me at:
Happy Regards,
Christina Pilon, Broker, Re/Max West Realty Inc.,
My Priorities Are Simple. They're Yours.