new kitchen to sell house. help me choose.

[mumnosbest]

We want to sell in the next year or 2 and are currently replacing our kichen. If you were buying my house what sort of kitchen would you like? What's neutral, popular but not going to go out of fashion? Im thinking light oak as it would go with the rest of the house. The kitchen leads into beige/cream/coffee and light oak living room. What about tiles, paint etc? Is white on the walls to plain?

I hate oak kitchens (sorry) so this would not be a selling point to me. When we sold our house earlier this year the EA said not to bother updating the kitchen to sell as

a)you never recoup the money.
b) you cannot please all the varying tastes of potential buyers

If you want to update for you - do what you like. If you really think it needs updating for selling maybe look round some local showhomes to see what they think is appealing to the most people and/or speak to an EA

I agree with fishfingers (can we have a granite photo update please!), I'm not keen on oak either. I prefer pale shaker, so off white, pale grey, pale greeny greigey sort of colours.

But then white or cream gloss is still meant to be the most popular kitchen style. I'm not that keen on those either though!

So I'd either upgrade to something you love, or just leave it and sell as is.

Thanks for your replies. We have to replace it due to a burst pipe and water dammage so want it appealing to as many people as possible. Good idea about looking round showhomes.

amazonianwoman - kitchen covered in plastic and dustsheets as they are giving it a final paint today. I have a whole afternoon without DC (they are at school film club til 6pm) and I should be baking and cooking with my first chunk of midweek DC-free time for nearly 7 years. Or at least wiping the kitchen down so I can start filling the cupboards. But no. Ironing, paperwork and MNing in the slightly chilly static :-( Just want to be in now.

I'll try for a photo at the weekend.

Mumnosbest If you are replacing your kitchen due to a burst pipe and the subsequent water damage, have you thought to claim under your building / contents insurance, the cost of repairing the pipe and any excess being down to you ?

I would prefer a neutral plain gloss type kitchen. However, ideally I would be happy to see a really bad kitchen that I could replace myself.

White non gloss with plain wooden tops and simple tiles in a neutral colour

I am also thinking about this. I like a mixture of wood and white (bottom cupboards made of wood, top ones whire) with stone work surfaces, belfast sink, range, plain white walls .. the tricky bit is hoping to achieve it on a shoestring budget!

Look for something matt and blend in the other room if more open plan.
but also consider where you are and what market your looking to attract for your sale in the mean time something you like yourself to live with.

What is the rest of the house like and what style? I would go slightly modern or slightly traditional depending, but nothing extreme as that will be too love/hate for buyers.

If you are selling the house maybe go for a high end wood-laminate worktop as people are very divided on real wood. A good layout and nice cooker will appeal to everyone.

it does depend on the age of your house but I think a matt cream flat fronted door with decent laminate worktop and good applicances could work, I prefer integrated appliances.
I dont like oak or gloss kitchens either.

Yes clare we're covered by insurance and luckily the repair itself costs next to nothing. It just made such a mess as it was hidden.

I like the idea of white and wood. The rest of the house is ex-council, nice size all plastered and modern-ish. It was our 1st house and we went a bit mad with beige and cream and laminate flooring. I think we'll be looking at 1st time buyers/ families. I like the idea of white and wood.

Mm appliances might alter things :( not thouht of them. That changes things. We've got a silver/grey fridge freezer and dishwasher (both too new to replace) and the cooker is matt black.

With silver and black you are probably better off with a grey or green-grey kitchen, so your appliances dont jump out too much, along these lines
www.diy.com/nav/rooms/kitchens/cooke-lewis-kitchens/cooke___lewis_kitchen_doors___drawer_fronts/-style%3Ecarisbrooke_taupe

These might work thanks pannacotta just getting carried away now with the kitchen i want in my new house.