We’ve been telling you for months that now is the perfect time to purchase a new home.  But maybe you’re not quite ready to purchase a new home (despite 50 year low interest rates, unbelievable home prices, and incredible selection) for one reason or another.  Perhaps you’ve made the decision to stay put in your existing home and just make do.  Well, instead of making do, maybe you should consider a kitchen re-do! 

According to Traditional Home Magazine, today’s economy provides not only the best time in history to purchase a new home but to also renovate your existing home.  Traditional Home points out that contractors and designers are eager for work, retailers are offering huge discounts and kitchen renovations are consistently wise financial investments with anywhere from 75 – 90 percent return on investment when you sell your home.  And, we should point out that the United States Department of Energy is also offering cash back for purchasing energy-efficient appliances. 

Your kitchen is the heart of your home so when planning your kitchen, a well-designed plan is critical to insure your family’s comfort and a good rate of return on your financial and time investment.  Traditional Home Magazine rates the top 10 smart kitchen updates that pay you back both financially and emotionally:

1. ISLANDS:  score big with cooks and kids!  Kitchen islands define work areas and create additional countertop space and seating.  Instead of matching the kitchen island to the rest of the cabinets, designers recommend changing up the color and surface materials to replicate furniture.
2. ENERGY EFFICIENT APPLIANCES:  Energy Star rated appliances not only save you money on your monthly utility bills, many are eligible for government credits and rebates.  For a complete list visit EnergyStar.gov.
3. COMFORTABLE SEATING:  Dinners for guests and family are often served in kitchen spaces instead of formal dining rooms.  Be sure to incorporate comfortable seating (like a cushy window seat) near the kitchen to encourage family and guests to socialize while you’re preparing meals.
4. OPEN FLOOR PLANS:  Often harder than it sounds, creating open floor plans with kitchens flowing into family rooms, dining areas, or sitting spaces facilitate casual, kitchen-focused entertaining spaces.  This open space also allows family members to do a variety of tasks in a well-used common area.
5. PULL DOWN FAUCETS: Renovating your kitchen is a huge undertaking!  Be sure to simplify your future chores by adding a pull-down kitchen faucet with a magnetic connection so the spray head snaps securely back into the faucet. 
6. ORGANIZATION BABY:  Plan organized storage to minimize countertop clutter and ease food prep.  Items can be grouped by function such as baking, breakfast, and snacks.
7. COMPUTER STATIONS:  Kitchen desks are always an option in new home designs – be sure to incorporate one into you new kitchen!  Kitchen computer stations are perfect for cooks who need to research recipes and food-prep techniques online or for kids doing afternoon homework.  While a laptop computer can go anywhere, it’s helpful to have an actual station in your kitchen with a printer and other accessories.
8. STONE COUNTERTOPS:  You just can’t go wrong with a stone countertop.  While granite continues to claim the crown as the top choice for kitchen countertops – engineered quartz, marble and limestone are also an excellent upscale alternative.
9. MUDROOMS:  Solve a multitude of problems with a mudroom.  The mudroom can function as a drop-off zone for kids’ gear, pet feeding stations, laundry room, and more.  Mudrooms allow for an easy transition from the messy outdoors to the rest of your home.
10. TIMELESS DESIGN: Your kitchen isn’t the place to go trendy!  Timeless design means your kitchen won’t look dated for years to come.  Choose cabinets with clean, classic lines, tone-on-tone textural tile treatments, and simple architectural details in keeping with the rest of your home.  

A kitchen renovation is a big investment of time and finances but one that is sure to pay off when you go to sell your home.  However, if after meeting with a licensed remodeler and an interior designer, you decide that tackling this type of project is not the best use of your financial resources and precious weekend hours, visit Campbell Homes in Colorado Springs where our designers have already taken into consideration this top ten list of kitchen must haves!