The 80 20 rule and the kitchen renovation

**canadian gardener** · 08-11-2005, 10:31 AM

WHICH PAYS OFF BETTER AT RESALE?

A full kitchen reno-- new cabinets, walls changed, flooring, appliances, granite counters, all new --complete redo

vs the surface redo; painting walls and cabinets, putting in new knobs on the doors, a new kitchen tap, new formica countertops. New flooring and lighting if needed, and upgrading appliances as needed.

The latter!

It makes sense. You put in 20% of the effort to gain 80% of the benefit when you do the surface redo rather than the full perfectionist rip out and start over from scratch.

Something fun I read in a library magazine -- This Old House Kitchen and Bath Guide winter 2003

You actually only gain a whopping 4% increase in resale from the full redo over the surface.

But you put in SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much more effort and money which you can't take with you.

Something comforting for all us frugal decorator gals.

**SHOPGIRL** · 08-11-2005, 10:41 AM

I'm glad you mentioned this. Next year, I'd like to update my kitchen. I was thinking of just putting in a new countertop, knobs and appliances. The floor is fine. The cabinets are in good shape. I just don't like the design of them. Good tip!

**Goodi2shooz** · 08-11-2005, 10:45 AM

I wish we could only do a surface redo! But whoever designed this house wasn't very smart, because my kitchen is not only really tiny, but badly laid out, not maximizing the space at all and leaving almost no counter space and huge gaps in other places.
The upside is, with such a small space, the price for a redo won't be as bad.

**QuilterMom** · 08-11-2005, 10:51 AM

No chance of a surface redo here either even though we hope to be moving in the next few years. The cabinets are in awful shape as are the counters. The appliances were beyond horrible so they have already been replaced. The flooring is wretched. We're in the same situation Goodi2shooz mentioned - large kitchen, but lots of wasted space and poor design. There's no way a surface redo would even gain us a dime on resale. A complete remodel though should bring us a good profit though.

**Nada.Leona** · 08-11-2005, 10:52 AM

DH and I are always contemplating painting our apartment. We didn't expect to be here as long as we have been (2 years) and we'll be here anothe 2 years yet. We keep saying,"Yeah, let's paint it" but then one of us will always say, "Well, we've lived here for two years already and didn't paint. So why paint now?" Or "Well, we can't take the paint with us, so it's better not to spend the money, when we could put it to better use." Still, white walls get boring pretty darn quick.

Bright Blessings!
Aphrodite Pretty

**canadian gardener** · 08-11-2005, 02:49 PM

Each kitchen is different, and I agree, some are horrors that no builder should ever have contemplated, but I always figured the guy who built them, never set foot in a kitchen, his wife did it all.

One thing that forever and always gets me is all the new home construction, and no broom closet. Like where do they think mops live??????

**geniebird** · 08-11-2005, 03:15 PM

It doesn't seem to matter around here. Omaha is booming and it's pretty much a sellers market. When we were looking at houses it was horrible. We were seeing houses over $100,000 that needed work -- some needed lots of work. We're not just talking personal taste stuff here. But they seem to sell anyway -- and pretty quick.

That's when we decided we are actually happy renting

**Goodi2shooz** · 08-11-2005, 03:18 PM

It's definitely a seller's market here too.. houses in worse shape than ours selling for 150 -170 K and up.

**pkellyc** · 08-11-2005, 04:03 PM

How about this one, stick with netrual colors. I remember when house shopping some of the horrible colors people used. I know of one house with bright yellow walls and orange-red counter tops, just looked like McDonalds to me. Same goes in bathrooms, unless you get that one person who loves that retro look of pink and black or willing to retile, it's never going to sell.

**FreesiaE** · 08-16-2005, 11:29 AM

We live in an older home, and before we even moved in, I knew we would need a new kitchen. The cabinets had several layers of paint, the countertops were a lovely dark fake wood, the floor had 2 subfloors and 3 layers of vinyl, and the way everything was arranged (stove next to fridge), it was not up to code. We basically redid everything, keeping everything in a neutral tan, except for black appliances. I think it will pay off. Something I'm not to crazy about is the stainless steel craze in appliances. They seem to get an awful lot of finger prints unless you pay extra $ for the fingerprintless type, and I find them, well, a bit blah for my taste. Do you think this is a trend like avacado or harvest gold, or it is here to stay?

**FreesiaE** · 08-16-2005, 11:38 AM

We live in an older home, and before we even moved in, I knew we would need a new kitchen. The cabinets had several layers of paint, the countertops were a lovely dark fake wood, the floor had 2 subfloors and 3 layers of vinyl, and the way everything was arranged (stove next to fridge), it was not up to code. We basically redid everything, keeping everything in a neutral tan, except for black appliances. I think it will pay off. Something I'm not to crazy about is the stainless steel craze in appliances. They seem to get an awful lot of finger prints unless you pay extra $ for the fingerprintless type, and I find them, well, a bit blah for my taste. Do you think this is a trend like avacado or harvest gold, or it is here to stay?

**canadian gardener** · 08-16-2005, 05:18 PM

the stainless steel thing is already fading according to the design and decor experts on Cityline TV out of Toronto. They are usually fairly up on the current trends.

That industrial decor chic is fading and softening. They didn't say what will replace it though.

**PrairieRose** · 08-22-2005, 08:43 AM

I'm looking forward to a surface re-do (well sort of surface...

) in my own kitchen. I'm going to replace the countertops (either new laminate or Gripey and I may do wood ourselves) and new backsplash. We have to buy a new oven as our's is done and I'll have a new sink. Otherwise it's just new knobs and pulls and I think we'll be done. We did the flooring already, which I'm sooooo thankful for.