Staging the Kitchen

For a faster, more profitable home sale

Staging the kitchen before placing your home on the real estate market can make the difference between a quick sale or having your home linger on the market place for months. 

Kitchens rank very high on a buyer’s priority list, and the condition of your kitchen can make or break a quick home sale. 

Should I renovate my kitchen before I sell it?

With high expectations for this room, home buyers are looking for an updated kitchen with that “holy grail” duo of stainless steel appliances and a natural stone countertop.

If your kitchen doesn’t meet these standards, don't despair. A complete kitchen renovation is not necessary in order to sell your home fast.

There are many do-it-yourself fixes and home staging tips that you can apply to your kitchen to make it more appealing to a greater number of home buyers.

If you plan to do a kitchen renovation before placing your home on the market, avoid the mistake of making it too "taste specific." What does "taste specific" mean? 

Don't invest in a kitchen renovation that is sure to become outdated five years down the road. Most buyers are pretty savvy and may not want to invest their money in a home where the most expensive room in the house will soon become outdated.

Before staging the kitchen, always be sure to declutter, clean, and make any necessary repairs.

How to stage kitchen countertops

This is actually the last step in the home staging process, after you have removed most appliances and clutter.

By staging your kitchen, or any room for that matter, you are presenting a perceived lifestyle to buyers.

A classic and creative vignette will help you achieve this goal.

When staging your kitchen countertops, aim for a clean, almost austere look. Your goal, especially in a small kitchen, is make it look as spacious as possible.

Cluttered countertops will only "shrink" the space.

Every countertop doesn't need to be filled with fruit, appliances, vignettes or trailing ivy. I see many photos of staged kitchens with ivy trailing across upper cabinets. The result just looks messy.

Keep it simple, yet elegant. Also, keep in mind that the more countertop surface area you can see, the larger your kitchen will appear.

For a medium to large kitchen, limit yourself to no more than two appliances on the countertops. 

For a small kitchen, remove all appliances. I know this is difficult when you occupy your home while it's on the market, but the situation won't last forever.

Following are a few suggestions for creating vignettes on your countertops:

• Stage your kitchen countertop with a classic Kitchen Aid appliance in a stunning color.

• Place a live green plant or vase of flowers on the counter-- just one will do the trick.

• Create a tempting food vignette with elegant bottles of oil and vinaigrettes in varying heights, and a loaf of artisan bread on a small breadboard.

• Lay out two place settings using placemats, (no ruffles or lace please) on your kitchen island or peninsula countertop. Stage with wine glasses and a bottle of wine.

• Everything looks good when arranged on a tray! Confine a kitchen vignette within a tray.

• Cupcakes or cookies look irresistible when placed on a pretty tiered cake stand.

• Be sure that the kitchen work station (sink, stove, and fridge) has proper task lighting. If not, install strip lighting under cabinets and turn on during viewings.

• Display colorful fruit in a pretty bowl or basket. Oranges, limes, or lemons will add a splash of color and make feng shui buyers happy. 
  

• During the holidays, fill bowls or glass containers with seasonal fruit, like pomegranates or mandarins.

• Fill a wire or straw basket with natural colored eggs.

• Add a cluster of grapes to your kitchen decor, allowing them to drape gracefully over the edge of a bowl.

• To freshen your kitchen and remove bad odors before viewings, run lemon halves through the garbage disposal.

Kitchen appliances

Matching kitchen appliances are a MUST for buyers these days. If you don't have them, a request for matching appliances will surely find it's way onto the home sale negotiation list.

If your kitchen appliances are in really bad shape, consider buying new ones. They don't have to be expensive. The fact that they are new and clean will still appeal to buyers.

For an older, yet still functional electric stove, replace grimy burner plates with shiny new ones. Be sure the entire stovetop gleams as much as the new burner plates.

If you're having trouble with a kitchen appliance, be sure to get it fixed. Don't sell your home with a non-functioning appliance.

Your oven, fridge and dishwasher should be spotless inside and out. If they're clean, buyers will form the impression that your home is well maintained. And yes, most buyers WILL peek inside. 

Don't leave a microwave out on the counter. It screams, "no room!"

Remove the cluttered art gallery from the refrigerator door. Personal photos will only distract buyers.

How to stage a kitchen island or table

Too many chairs crowded around a kitchen island or table will make your kitchen look smaller.

• Set out a few neutral placemats and table settings at the bar area. Two is sufficient.
  

• No island? If you have a single wall of kitchen cabinets and plenty of floorspace, consider getting an inexpensive rolling cart with a wood top and storage underneath. 

• Another option is a free-standing butcher block table. Wood warms up a kitchen and buyers will appreciate the extra storage and workspace.
  

• A free-standing table in the middle of the kitchen can also function as an island. A rustic farm table in warm wood tones will add character and more usable work space. 

• You should have at least three feet of maneuverable space around any kitchen island.

• For an eat-in kitchen, remove a table leaf to decrease the table size and place only two chairs. This will make your eating area appear more spacious.

How to make a small kitchen look bigger

Illusion is a powerful tool in a home stager’s bag of tricks. Following are some tips that will visually expand a small kitchen:

• Don't diminish the size of your kitchen with clutter. At most, display one item, like a flowering plant or bowl of fruit on the countertop.

• Avoid patterned tiles. Busy patterns "feel" cluttered.

• Use open or floating shelving in place of upper closed cabinetry. This can "visually" expand the space in a small kitchen by drawing your eye all the way to the wall.

• Use a light colored palette of no more than two tones. If cabinets and walls are all the same light color, a small space will appear larger. 

• A monochromatic room design color scheme works best at creating an expansive feel.
  

• Limit the number of accessories on display on open shelves or inside glass-fronted cabinets.

• Painting a low ceiling bright white will "visually" raise the height.

• Use a neutral cool color on walls-- a cool color will have a receding effect. 

• A massive fridge can be an unwelcome focal point in a small kitchen. Consider replacing it with a smaller one that will fit flush with the cabinets. (Take the big fridge with you to your new home!)

• Expand and unify the kitchen by sticking to one neutral palette on the walls, cabinets and backsplash. 

• This includes electrical outlets as well-- match them to the wall colors to keep the eye from stopping at each one. Contrasting plate covers will create a zig zag effect that breaks the flow of the eye.

• For a low ceiling, use vertical lines in the backsplash tiles to draw the eye upward.

• If you're installing new kitchen cabinets, consider going all the way to the ceiling. Not only will this give you more storage, it will create a strong vertical line that will visually expand your small kitchen. 

• See small kitchen decorating ideas for more small kitchen tips.

For kitchen nooks or eat-in kitchens with barely enough room for a small table, see the video below by RealEstate4NH from the Home Staging Channel.

Below is a video by "for dummies" with some basic tips on staging your kitchen to sell. The video contains one staging faux pas... let's see if you can spot it! Check your answer at the bottom of the page.      

Common mistakes made by home sellers for viewings

• Leaving a stack of dirty dishes in the sink! I've washed seller's dishes myself before an open house.

• Leaving bottles of dish soap, froggy soap dispensers, washrags, scrub brushes and sponges at the sink.

• Leaving the dish rack on the counter. 

• Hanging up grimy dishtowels and potholders.

• Using the front of the refrigerator as an art gallery. 

• Leaving a smelly garbage can out. If you can’t hide it under the sink or inside a kitchen cabinet, take it outside during viewings. A kitchen with an exposed garbage can screams, “No room!”

• Covering a toaster and other appliances with knick-knack fabric items, like quilted toaster covers. These can make a kitchen look dated.

Answer: The kitchen staging faux pas was the garbage pail left out in plain sight.

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Last updated 1-27-2025