Quick Ways to Make a Dated Rental Kitchen Look New
Posted by Leslie C. on 22nd Jun 2023
When tenants move out of your rental property, it's a good time to make updates that will attract new tenants. One of the ways you can make improvements to your rental property is by updating the kitchen. An old kitchen with dated cabinets, old paint, old fixtures, and maintenance problems can deter good tenants who might think about renting your property. By making updates, repairs, and small changes to your kitchen, you can make the space look new.
Paint
A fresh coat of paint can make just about any room like new. When painting a kitchen, it's important to first clean the walls and remove dirt, grime, and grease. Use a grease cleaner to clean the walls, especially around the stove and vents, where the grease might be especially heavy.
When choosing a paint color for your rental property kitchen, stick to neutrals because these colors tend to appeal to renters. This includes colors like white, cream, gray, and brown or beige.
Choose the right paint for your kitchen walls. High gloss paint like semi-gloss and satin tends to be easier to clean. Avoid paints with flat or matte finishes, as these will be difficult to clean and may stain easily.
Deep Clean
Before putting the house back on the rental market, deep clean the kitchen until it gleams. This includes cleaning parts of the kitchen that rarely get cleaned. Remove grease from surfaces like the cabinets, the outside of the built-in microwave, and the back of the stove. Clean the grout around the tiles until it looks new. Scrub the floors well!
Make Small Repairs
Does the kitchen have any deferred maintenance problems, like a leaky faucet or a broken knob on the stove? Tenants will ask you to make these repairs after they move in, so you may as well fix these problems now. Assess the condition of the kitchen thoroughly. Test all the fixtures and lights. Plug an electric device into every outlet to confirm each one works. If the outlets aren't GFCI, have them replaced.
Update Cabinet Hardware
Old cabinet hardware, especially if the hardware is inexpensive, can make your cabinets look shabby. You can give your cabinets an all-new look just by changing out the old hardware for new hardware.
Replace the knobs and hinges with something modern, attractive, and in line with the look of the kitchen. Try to match the metal of the hardware to the faucet and other fixtures.
Upgrade Lighting
Old kitchen lighting fixtures can get covered in grease and grime that never wants to come off. You can make the kitchen look new and different by installing new light fixtures. Is the kitchen naturally dark? Have an electrician install multiple new light fixtures.
Are you unsure what else you can do to make your rental home more attractive to new tenants? Get a property management company that can help you keep up with your investment property. You'll be glad you did.
About The Author
Leslie C. has written hundreds of articles and blog posts on a freelance basis. Just a few of her interests as a writer include topics like home repair, home maintenance, home improvement, travel, cooking, baking, green living, gardening, parenting, decorating, party planning and generally running a successful and functional household. In particular, her passion for writing home and family related articles has only increased since she started a cooking blog in 2011 and bought a ranch-style "fixer" home, circa 1950's. Everyday for Leslie is a new adventure in DIY home repair, family cooking and retro-style decorating, and her passion for these subjects shows in her written work.
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