Does painting kitchen cabinets decrease home value? This is the question you are probably asking yourself right now if you are thinking of painting your cabinets before selling your home.
This is a tricky question because painting kitchen cabinets can either increase or bring down a home’s value depending on the paint color that you choose. And this does not only apply to kitchen cabinets – the paint color you choose when upgrading any other parts of your house may lower or boost the value of your property.
Updating the color of your kitchen cabinets, whether to a darker or lighter tone, will create a fresh, trendier, and modern appearance of the entire kitchen. Thus, painting kitchen cabinets will not bring down home value unless you pick a color that is bold, style specific, or one that looks outdated.
In this article, you’ll learn everything you need to know about whether painting your kitchen cabinets before listing is a good idea and how it will affect your home’s resale value. So keep on reading!
Should You Paint Your Kitchen Cabinets Before Selling Your Home?
Yes, painting kitchen cabinets is highly recommended, especially if you have limited funds to do other upgrades. A complete kitchen makeover can cost more than $10,000 while just painting the cabinets will cost relatively less, around $1,000 for a small-size kitchen. The typical cost of a cabinet painting project depends on the painting method, square footage, paint quality, cabinet style, and your home location, and ranges from $30 to $60 per linear foot.
Kitchen cabinets are one of the first things that prospective buyers will notice about your kitchen. If the kitchen cabinets are in odd color or not in good shape, then you will most likely lose the buyer.
A 2018 report conducted by Zillow, one of the leading online real estate and online marketplace, found out that painting kitchen cabinets alone increase the home’s resale value by a whopping $1,547.
However, they also found out that not all colors have a positive impact on home resale value. The report stressed that bright colors, such as white, have a more positive impact on home resale value rather than colorful or dark tones. They urged homeowners to stick to a neutral palette when painting their kitchen cabinets in order to increase the resale value.
Is It Worth Painting Kitchen Cabinets Before Selling?
When selling your house, one big decision you have to make is whether or not to paint your kitchen cabinets. At first, painting the cabinets before selling may seem expensive, especially if you are on a tight budget.
However, the cost you will incur when you paint your kitchen cabinets is nothing compared to the high price the house will sell for. Newly painted cabinets will make the entire kitchen look more appealing and modern, and that will lead to a quicker sale when you put your house on the market.
Thus, painting kitchen cabinets before you sell your house is definitely worth the cost. Depending on the quality of the paint and the real estate market in your neighborhood, you can achieve between 50-500% return on your investment.
Painting kitchen cabinets is one investment that you will not regret because it will increase your home’s resale value and also attract a serious buyer more quickly. However, the color that you choose must be pleasing and accommodating.
Can Painted Kitchen Cabinets Look Cheap And Lower The Value Of The House?
It depends on the color of the paint and the quality of the painting. If well done, a new coat of paint on your kitchen cabinet will completely change the look of your kitchen, thus increasing the value of your house.
The color that you choose when painting the cabinets also matters a lot. Some colors can make your kitchen look cheap, thus lowering the value of your house, while others will make your kitchen more attractive which will boost the value of your house.
According to experts, neutral painted kitchen cabinets have a significant positive impact on the resale value of your home while colorful and very dark paint tones can make your kitchen cabinets look cheap, thus lowering the house’s resale value.
Therefore, when thinking about repainting your kitchen cabinets, it is very important to choose the paint color carefully and consider the quality of the painting.
If you want to increase your home resale value, the paint color should be enticing to buyers (preferably neutral colors) and the quality of the painting should also be outstanding. Unless you are an expert painter yourself, it is recommended that you hire a professional painter to do the job for you.
What Are The Best Colors To Paint Kitchen Cabinets For House Resale?
The color that you choose to paint your kitchen cabinets matters a lot. The cabinets are a focal point in the kitchen. They also take a lot of kitchen space, meaning you will bump into them day after day. If they are not painted with the right color, you will make the kitchen look dull and boring.
On the other hand, if you paint them with the right color, the kitchen will feel lively, warm, and welcoming.
If you want to increase your home’s resale value and attract serious buyers quickly, you need to paint the cabinets with the right color that is going to be appealing to a potential buyer.
Currently, it’s best to opt for colors that are found in nature as they provide a sense of comfort. But there are many colors that will work well for kitchen cabinets.
So what are the best paint colors for kitchen cabinets to boost your home’s resale value? Let’s take a look.
White
White kitchen cabinets are bright, lively, and welcoming. They also represent tidiness and cleanliness. If you are looking for the perfect color to paint your kitchen cabinets for a house resale, you won’t go wrong if you choose white.
According to Zillow, white painted kitchen cabinets are preferred by many buyers because they make the kitchen look fresh, modern, and generally, more attractive. White is also versatile and goes well with everything, including beige, black, brown, and so many other colors.
Without a doubt, white cabinets look pretty, but keep in mind that they will be more difficult to clean as they show more smudge marks and dirt than dark-colored ones.
Gray
A nice coat of fresh gray paint on the cabinets will do wonders for your kitchen and the overall look of your home. Most people associate gray with dullness but that is not the case. Gray color provides a sense of comfort and relaxation.
It is also easy to clean and pairs perfectly with anything, from crisp white backsplashes to warm wooden shelves. Whether the oven, dishwater, or refrigerator are white, green, or red, they will still look great when the kitchen cabinets are painted gray.
Instead of using the traditional gray, you can also opt for the greige, which is a combination of beige and gray.
Beige
You won’t go wrong if you paint your kitchen cabinets beige for house resale. Beige is not only great because it is neutral but because it is attractive, quiet, welcoming, thus it never goes out of style.
This color will help warm up your kitchen. Another amazing thing about beige is that it allows other design elements in your kitchen to stand out. So, if you have a nice piece of art in your kitchen, you can be sure that it won’t be overshadowed by this color.
Yellow
Yellow is a seasonless color, suitable not only for hot summer. Tones such as creamy, wheat, or buttercup yellows are warm and neutral, they bring light and brightness to any space they’ve been added to. These hues make the kitchen look cheerful, cozy, and inviting. Pale shades of yellow can be mellow and quiet, adding a casual and relaxed vibe to any kitchen.
Thus, yellow painted kitchen cabinets help sell a house for $1,000 or more than its market value. Yellow is also versatile as it pairs nicely with both neutral and bright colors, as well as complementary shades like white, gray, red, or brown.
Sea Green
The light hue of sea green not only makes your kitchen look bright but it makes it feel fresher and airy. It is serene and creates a peaceful ambiance.
It’s also incredibly versatile and blends well with other colors such as white, black, blue, and much more. Sea green gives the freedom to incorporate more playful colors through appliances and accessories.
What Paint Colors For Kitchen Cabinets Should You Avoid?
If you choose the wrong color on your kitchen cabinetry, it can really hurt your home resale value and deter buyers.
While everyone has a different style choice, you shouldn’t be going for paint shades that are off-putting, too dark, or style specific. Homes with cabinets in such colors sell for much less than market value.
Red – although red was once very popular in kitchen décor, today this color will have your home value drop by an average of $2,310, according to Zillow.
Black – because black is overpowering with a drab feel, it shouldn’t be used as the dominant color in a kitchen. This room is supposed to feel bright, joyful, and airy.
Basically, any overstated and audacious color that draws attention is considered a bad idea. Think hot pinks, fluorescent yellows, metallic golds, bright oranges, or purples! Shades that look arrogant will definitely turn off a lot of potential buyers.
What Color Kitchen Cabinets Never Go Out Of Style?
Some kitchen cabinet colors are seasonal, meaning they go out of style with time, while others are timeless. Most home buyers today prefer to buy houses whose kitchen cabinets are painted with colors that will always be in style because it helps to save on cost. A timeless paint color means that you don’t have to change it to a new one after some time.
If you think that you might sell your home at some point in the near future, it is important to pick a timeless color because it attracts buyers quickly and also increases your home resale value.
Here a few kitchen cabinets colors that have stood the test of time:
WHITE
White kitchen cabinets have been around since the early 80s when the cabinets’ popularity in the United States surged. Up to date white is still one of the most preferred colors for kitchen cabinets by most homeowners.
White kitchen cabinets never go out of style because they make the kitchen bright, warm and welcoming. They also represent tidiness, are easy to clean, and blend well with other colors.
GRAY
Similar to white, gray kitchen cabinets have stood the test of time and are very popular up to date. The gray color is timeless, meaning it never goes out of style, and this is because it is neutral. That is why many home buyers prefer gray painting on kitchen cabinets.
Gray can blend well with many other different colors and fixtures. Gray painted kitchen cabinets bring a sense of calm and relaxation even to a busy kitchen. They are also very appealing and make the kitchen look great regardless of other colors present.
NAVY BLUE
Navy blue kitchen cabinets have also stood the test of time. Most people love this color because it gives the kitchen a sense of luxury and calmness.
Although navy blue is a deep tone, it still goes well with many other different colors, especially the lighter ones such as white and gray. Whether it is a country cottage or a modern penthouse, painting your kitchen cabinets with navy blue will add comfort and sophistication that never goes out of style.
Final Words,
Whether you decide to paint your kitchen cabinets or replace them altogether, you definitely will need to finish them off with new hardware. This will add the finishing touch to the cabinetry, and is also easy to do and inexpensive.
Replacing your cabinets can be quite costly, so if you feel they are in decent shape, repainting them is a great alternative. Updated cabinets can totally change the aesthetics of a kitchen, which will help increase the resale value of your home before selling.