Expert reveals 5 small design changes that can add value to your kitchen

Kitchens help sell homes, and that's a fact. The kitchen is routinely voted one of the most important rooms in the house by home buyers, and getting the kitchen right is pretty much guaranteed to add value to your home.

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But what should you do to add value to your kitchen? It turns out that a few simple tweaks and updates can make a big difference, but you have to know what they are.  Home insurance experts at money.co.uk help us uncover the most important tips on how to add value to your kitchen.

1. Fix small defects

Buyers do sweat the small stuff, always. A kitchen that looks like it doesn't need any work doing to it is worth more to prospective buyers who generally don't want to do painting and decorating as soon as they move in.

So, keeping up to date with any current issues such as paint peeling, chipped and loose tiles, dripping taps, mouldy sealants and broken doors will save you time and money more than if you were to leave it to the last minute.

2. Invest in new tiles

Beautiful tiles are instantly noticeable and give a kitchen a more high-end look, even if you haven't spent a fortune on a complete kitchen redesign. Have a statement tiled area or splashback, and match your new tiles to the colour scheme of your walls – or give the walls a quick repaint to match the kitchen tile ideas. Matching the colours will give the kitchen a coherent, well-designed look.

3. Choose the best worktop your budget will allow

Worktops are another element of kitchen design that buyers really notice. Kitchen worktops made from durable and beautiful material instantly make the whole kitchen look more expensive, encouraging the buyer to pay more.

If your worktops are extensively damaged, it may be time for ‘out with the old, in with the new’. We recommend choosing a surface that will last and is more durable and stylish, such as granite or quartz!

4. Keep the design timeless and classic

If you are going for a full kitchen update, stick to timeless styles that show off solid workmanship and quality finishes, particularly where it comes to kitchen cabinets. Keep the design itself as simple as possible will really help buyers when they come to view your property as it gives them a chance to mentally place where and what they’d like to do with your space if they choose your home.

5. Add kitchen storage

Having a spacious kitchen will really help add value as your kitchen is one of the busiest rooms of the house, with it constantly being used and updated with food. If space is something you lack in your home, a way to resolve this is to add display shelves, ceiling racks or even installing cupboards above or below existing wall cabinets.

Storage of any kind always adds value to a home, and kitchen storage is essential for keeping the room functional and smart-looking.

With your kitchen believed to be the heart of the home, making these changes is guaranteed to give you the extra push when it comes to putting your house on the market,' explains Salman Haqqi, personal finance expert at money.co.uk. 'The kitchen is the place where you prepare meals, socialise, and even relax, so having your interiors up to date is expected from many buyers.'

Related: Kitchen storage ideas – smart storage solutions to organise busy kitchens

Could your home benefit from any of these changes?