According to the Washington Post's article on 'The Hot and the Not' in home remodeling, the hot stainless steel appliance trend is on the way out.
The author of the book 1,001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home Mark Nash interviewed hundreds of real estate agents and the results were surprising.
The remarks about stainless steel appliances stuck out the most with me. Besides wanting a granite countertop, the next most requested item for any kitchen remodel is usually the gleaming silver, industrial look from those appliances. There is apparently a negative backlash to the stainless steel surface from many potential homeowners.
As much as people "love the look" of various additions to a remodeling project, it always seems to come back to function and maintenance. If it looks great but is hard to maintain, it can quickly fall out of favor. This may be what's happening with stainless steel. The surface is easily marred with fingerprints, especially in a heavily-used kitchen or a house with one or more children or even pets. Keeping something clean will eventually outweigh the value of the pure aesthetic appeal of almost any new product.
The author received a lot of feedback from real estate agents, "I'm hearing people say, 'I'm tired of it,' " Nash said. "They say: 'I don't have time to polish it. I have kids. I have dogs. It's too high maintenance.' "
While stainless steel appliances in the kitchen might still seem like a great idea for your kitchen renovation project, consider what the value of those items will mean to potential buyers in 5 to 10 years. Many of the those buyers may have already had steel appliances in their homes and are fed up with them. Think of some of the "hot" kitchen trends from as recently as the 90's -- many of those have fallen out of favor and are being replaced in today's modern kitchens.
Many of the agents, however, did say that stainless steel appliances are still a big item. They provide a "wow" factor and can still sell homes. Many love the neutral look they give to any style of kitchen - whether it's a sleek Contemporary kitchen or a French Country kitchen. One agent said, "'People here walk in and see that stainless steel, and it dazzles them,'"
I think it's important to weigh your options and your needs when it comes to deciding how best to renovate your kitchen. For you, having those gleaming steel appliance surfaces is worth a little extra elbow grease to keep them looking great.
RELATED POSTS:
2007 Kitchen Design Trends
Kitchen Design Ideas
Small Kitchen Remodeling Ideas
If you're interested in updating your kitchen and talking with a professional kitchen design company, post your request with ConstructionDeal.com. It's a fast, free and easy way to find a local kitchen company. Simply list your project details and kitchen experts will call you - no more looking up companies in the yellow pages and calling them at random! That saves you time.
And you'll get four quotes - usually in minutes. This gives you multiple bids. Many bids can mean you'll get the best pricing options. That saves you money.
The author of the book 1,001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home Mark Nash interviewed hundreds of real estate agents and the results were surprising.
The remarks about stainless steel appliances stuck out the most with me. Besides wanting a granite countertop, the next most requested item for any kitchen remodel is usually the gleaming silver, industrial look from those appliances. There is apparently a negative backlash to the stainless steel surface from many potential homeowners.
As much as people "love the look" of various additions to a remodeling project, it always seems to come back to function and maintenance. If it looks great but is hard to maintain, it can quickly fall out of favor. This may be what's happening with stainless steel. The surface is easily marred with fingerprints, especially in a heavily-used kitchen or a house with one or more children or even pets. Keeping something clean will eventually outweigh the value of the pure aesthetic appeal of almost any new product.
The author received a lot of feedback from real estate agents, "I'm hearing people say, 'I'm tired of it,' " Nash said. "They say: 'I don't have time to polish it. I have kids. I have dogs. It's too high maintenance.' "
While stainless steel appliances in the kitchen might still seem like a great idea for your kitchen renovation project, consider what the value of those items will mean to potential buyers in 5 to 10 years. Many of the those buyers may have already had steel appliances in their homes and are fed up with them. Think of some of the "hot" kitchen trends from as recently as the 90's -- many of those have fallen out of favor and are being replaced in today's modern kitchens.Many of the agents, however, did say that stainless steel appliances are still a big item. They provide a "wow" factor and can still sell homes. Many love the neutral look they give to any style of kitchen - whether it's a sleek Contemporary kitchen or a French Country kitchen. One agent said, "'People here walk in and see that stainless steel, and it dazzles them,'"
I think it's important to weigh your options and your needs when it comes to deciding how best to renovate your kitchen. For you, having those gleaming steel appliance surfaces is worth a little extra elbow grease to keep them looking great.
RELATED POSTS:
2007 Kitchen Design Trends
Kitchen Design Ideas
Small Kitchen Remodeling Ideas
If you're interested in updating your kitchen and talking with a professional kitchen design company, post your request with ConstructionDeal.com. It's a fast, free and easy way to find a local kitchen company. Simply list your project details and kitchen experts will call you - no more looking up companies in the yellow pages and calling them at random! That saves you time.
And you'll get four quotes - usually in minutes. This gives you multiple bids. Many bids can mean you'll get the best pricing options. That saves you money.
