While you may not have the budget for a complete kitchen re-do, one way to freshen up the space – and ultimately add value to your home – is retiling your kitchen splashback. “It's all about where people spend the most time and the kitchen is certainly a key area,” said Mr Gray.
Tiles are an amazingly practical surface for kitchens, so consider covering entire walls with your favorite tile, not just around the sink and cooking area. Wall tiles are easy to maintain, hygienic and can create a serious style statement when used in statement block colors.
Update, Paint, or Replace Cabinets
Another one of Olhausen's favorite ways to increase the value of a kitchen is to update the cabinets. "Whether painting cabinets, updating hardware, or completely changing them out, this is a sure way to completely change the look of a kitchen," explains Olhausen.
One of the ways that you can add a little extra value to your home is by adding a tiled backsplash to your kitchen or bathroom. This is a more up-to-date touch that is also very functional. It gives you a lot of options and will attract a potential buyer's eye.
It can improve your house's appearance, make your floor more resistant to spills, and even make cleaning easier. When done right, it also increases your home's value!
The best flooring for resale value: The ROI on wood floors
They're durable, versatile, and most buyers love them. According to real estate experts, the average ROI for installing hardwood floors is about 70% to 80%, and wood floors can boost the sales price of your home as much as 2.5%.
Yes, a higher quality tile is usually more expensive. But it could have a high quality appearance, higher quality production standards, or a higher durability rating.
Use a striated backsplash to make the kitchen look bigger
You can even choose bigger or smaller tile cuts — the idea is to trick the eye into making the kitchen feel longer than it is.
Getting your kitchen layout right is the most important factor in ensuring a functional and practical kitchen area. Whether your kitchen is small and cramped or large and expansive, a clever layout will make all the difference in helping you to get the most out of the space.
If adding value to your home is the goal, the kitchen is likely the place to start. Conventional wisdom says kitchens and bathrooms sell houses. How much will a new kitchen increase the value of your home? According to Zillow, kitchen renovations provide up to 80% return on investment.
Kitchens are a focal point for both homeowners and home buyers (and HGTV shows for that matter), so refreshing or remodeling a kitchen before selling can result in happy buyers, a high return on investment for sellers, and referrals for real estate agents.
These large tiles trick the eye and make a room look bigger, less cluttered and make the room feel more seamless. Maximise this trick of the eye with a complementary or matching coloured grout, rather than a contrasting one, as this will help grout lines blend in with the tiles rather than frame them.
Using large format tiles on kitchen walls can help to create the illusion of more space. This is because fewer grout lines mean fewer boundaries to section the space. But the grout lines advantage doesn't stop there; large tiles are one of the best kitchen floor tile ideas for this reason too.
Gold and green, light blue and dark blue, dark grey and green, blue and orange, red and yellow, etc., are a few colour combos that work best with kitchen wall tiles.
1-foot square tiles may be among the top contenders for the most popular tile size. This option is very commonly used on floors, especially in bathrooms and kitchens. You'll also find 12-inch tiles in entryways and living areas. Some can even be placed on walls!
The design should be used to balance out the light and dark shades of the other elements, so if you have light cabinets and countertops, you may want to choose a dark backsplash to bring more depth to the kitchen. If you have very dark cabinets or countertops, a light backsplash will help the kitchen feel fresh.
Go with Light Colors
Light colors are more reflective than dark colors and they will make your kitchen appear bigger as well as more open and airy. Light blues, greens, or pale yellows are other great colors to make your space look larger than life.
While tile might be more expensive to install, it does have a much higher long-term value. Laminate can't be refinished, meaning that when it's worn out, you'll need to replace it (every 10–25 years or so on average). And it doesn't add a huge amount of value to your home.
Tile floors cost an average of $17 per square foot, which means most bathroom floors require $1,100–$3,000 worth of tile work. Vinyl tile installation can cost as low as $2 per square foot, while premium tile can run more than $100.
Because kitchens are high-traffic areas that are prone to liquid spills, porcelain is a better choice for kitchen floors and countertops. Ceramic tile is a good choice for backsplashes, though, since it's available in more colors and textures.
Dark colored hardwood floors are highly sought after by home buyers because they match modern styles. Lighter hardwood floors don't have that same appeal to many buyers, but buying quality hardwood can help. Use a discerning eye when choosing your hardwood floor and stain type.
Ceramic, porcelain and stone tile are all common choices for kitchen flooring options. Tile comes in many sizes and colors and can be laid out in a variety of patterns to suit just about any design theme. Tile is incredibly long-lasting but in some instances, the grout needs to be resealed to keep it stain-resistant.
No. 1 Common Grade – Characterized by prominent color variation as well as prominent (but limited in size) character marks such as knots and open checks, as well as variations resulting from drying and machining processes. This grade results in a tasteful floor where prominent variation is to be expected.