Kitchens are often considered the heart of the home. Not only are they
the site of meal preparation, but they're also a central location for
family gatherings and home entertaining. With so much happening in the
kitchen, it's important to keep it organized and updated, whether
you're throwing a party, trying to sell your home, or just having a
family dinner. Luckily, you don't need to spend a fortune to refresh
your kitchen as there are several easy ways to add value and rejuvenate
any kitchen on a budget. "As
home sellers continue to seek ways to make their home stand apart in a
hyper-competitive market, it's important to realize how to make
cost-effective upgrades," says Nick Wolff, real estate broker. "If
potential buyers walk into a dated kitchen, they may only see the
additional work they would need to do and the money they would need to
spend. Remodeling or refreshing your kitchen is a great investment." For
the best return on investment, Wolff recommends avoiding going all out
on top-of-the-line finishes and appliances, and doing a more basic
kitchen makeover instead. In fact, planning a cost-effective way to
refresh your kitchen is always a smart plan -- whether you plan to sell
in one year or 30. There are simple, budget-friendly kitchen
renovations and organizational tactics that can make your space appear
bigger, brighter and better. Beth Randall, certified professional
organizer, offers a few tricks of the trade to help make your kitchen
look more spacious, organized and inviting: • Create roomier cabinets.
Remove items from the cabinets that have not been used in six to 12
months, like roasting pans that take up a ton of space, to another
storage area in the house. Another option is to donate unused kitchen
items you know you'll never use to charity. • De-clutter surfaces.
Eliminate clutter on the counter top while still keeping often-used
appliances accessible. Many of the new kitchen appliances are
convenient, versatile and cost-effective and can be mounted neatly
underneath your cabinets, freeing-up counter space and creating an easy
way to give the room a new, bigger and more organized look. Store
seldom-used appliances in cabinets or drawers and instead keep those
can't-live-without items like your coffeemaker, toaster oven, can
opener and food processor off your counters and with-in arm's reach. • Double your shelf space.
Make room in your cabinets by adding rubber or wire shelving, making it
easier to store twice as many mugs without fear they'll fall over and
break. Put heavier items down below and items you use regularly at eye
level. • Hook it. Use adhesive hooks and specialty hangers
to hang items such as pan lids inside cabinet doors to eliminate
searching. You may even consider hanging the pans from a ceiling
fixture instead of storing in the cabinets freeing up a multitude of
space - a simple "S" hook on a wire shelf works great. For storing
lids, cookie sheets, cutting boards and plates, try a vertical plate
holder that organizes and utilizes less space. • Rearrange the pantry.
Eliminate everything that is expired and sort foods into categories
(i.e., canned fruit, vegetables, pasta, breakfast cereals, etc.). Group
healthy snack foods together in a basket to make it easier to grab and
go, while storing spices using a step-shelf spice rack for easy viewing. • Refresh the refrigerator/freezer.
Eliminate everything that is unidentifiable, inedible or expired.
Remember the old saying -- when in doubt, throw it out. For all
remaining items, store similar foods together labeling when possible
and dating items with permanent marker. Keep any leftovers in square or
rectangular containers since they utilize space better than round
bowls. For additional organizational tips, kitchen feng shui and remodeling ideas, visit www.bdspacemaker.com. Courtesy of ARAcontent
