Why Replacing Kitchen Cabinets Is the Best Project to Increase Home Value

Whether you live in your home forever or not, the hope is that any home improvement project you undertake will give you a return on investment.

But if you’re looking to sell soon, prioritizing your projects is important, and this recent finding from Frontdoor might help. They released a report on home remodelers that analyzed which home improvements yield the highest returns.

Winner? Upgrade kitchen cabinets, with a profit increase of 3.6% (equivalent to about $7,500).

We spoke with a kitchen design expert to learn more about why kitchen cabinet updates can make such a big impact.

Why your kitchen is worth the investment

Ah, the kitchen—where you make your morning coffee, bake pastries, and clean up after yourself every day. It’s the heart of the home—think about it: when you host a party, the kitchen always seems to be the natural place for guests to gather, even though there’s no seating.

Cantley has a theory as to why home buyers seem to gravitate toward the kitchen.

“The kitchen is where we spend most of our waking hours—which is why it can sell your home,” she says. “This is the area of ​​the home where you’ll get the best return on investment.”

Most realtors will back her up on this, Cantley says, so don’t be surprised if your realtor even suggests a few upgrades, like new cabinets or kitchen countertops.

3 Quick, Affordable Kitchen Cabinet Upgrades to Try

When it comes to renovating your kitchen before putting it on the market, don’t complicate things with bold design choices and avoid cost cutting that could cost you.

“Buyers want a home that’s ready to move into, so when renovating, don’t follow the latest trends or do things the cheap way,” says Cantley. “Keep things simple and timeless, and do what your budget allows.”

Here are some cheap kitchen cabinet upgrade ideas that Cantley recommends for clients who are looking to sell their home.

Change cabinet doors

Even if you’re using a pre-Y2K cabinet set, you don’t necessarily need to start collecting bids for a completely new set and layout right now.

New cabinet doors will dramatically change the look of your kitchen, Frontdoor reports. Plus, Cantley notes, simple door styles are much easier to clean in the kitchen and will cost less.

She also likes to add a few glass cabinet doors to her kitchen and paint the insides a light blue or green to add a subtle pop of color to the space.

Hardware upgrade

Cabinet hardware is another area where classic and timeless options will win out over trendy options. The two metals for knobs that Cantley always gravitates toward are polished nickel or unlacquered brass—and simple round knobs or barrel knobs never go out of style.

Give them a fresh coat of paint.

If you’re just updating the cabinet doors, you’ll likely need to paint the cabinet legs as well. Cantley always suggests painting cabinets a light neutral color, like white, to appeal to future buyers.

You can paint your cabinets yourself, but this takes time and patience.

Bonus Tip: Update your kitchen countertops too.

The countertop listed at Frontdoor is another upgrade that gives you the most bang for your buck and the installation process is usually quite quick and affordable.

Cantley always suggests working closely with a local fabricator to find the best, most affordable solution and be sure to visit their stone yard.

“You’ll always get a better price by looking at what they have in stock,” she says. “You might find leftovers of something great for your kitchen island or backsplash.”