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When people shop for a house, they usually focus on the kitchen. Since most families use the kitchen every day for cooking, eating and socializing, its important that the space fit their needs and sense of style.

For many prospective homebuyers, a dated kitchen is an instant turnoff. Some could be interested in your house for other reasons, but they might demand that you lower the price. Youd most likely struggle to sell a house with an outdated kitchen if there were plenty of homes with more modern kitchens available in the area and your house didnt have any other features to make it stand out. Depending on the current design of your kitchen and the local housing market, it might be worthwhile to make some inexpensive upgrades before listing your home.

How to Modernize Your Kitchen
If your kitchen counters have scratches, cracks, or missing or damaged grout, you might be able to spruce them up inexpensively. If the countertops need to be completely replaced, granite is the best choice since it is in high demand and would help you get a good price for your home.

A dated, damaged or stained sink will immediately attract negative attention from potential buyers. An inexpensive new sink and faucet can improve the kitchens appearance.

A backsplash can add color and style to the kitchen. If youre on a tight budget, you can install stick-on tiles that resemble wood, stone or metal.

Nothing screams dated like vinyl flooring. Some buyers would take one look at a vinyl kitchen floor and not bother looking at the rest of the house. You can find inexpensive and attractive kitchen flooring that you may be able to install yourself to keep the cost down.

Old and outdated kitchen appliances can make it difficult to sell your home. Upgrading the appliances may be expensive, but new appliances will be sure to help you attract buyers. If your appliances work fine but just dont look good, you can install new face panels to freshen them up.

Kitchen cabinets are a focal point, and outdated ones will disappoint potential buyers. Fortunately, if the cabinets are in good shape, you might be able to save money by repainting them and installing new hardware.

A poorly lit kitchen is not a good place to work or socialize. Installing some new lighting fixtures can make the room look brighter and more inviting.

Make Strategic Kitchen Upgrades
Many prospective buyers consider an outdated kitchen a deal-breaker. You dont need to spend a fortune to improve the appearance of your kitchen. Some relatively inexpensive fixes may be enough to make the room look more appealing and attract a buyer. Ask your real estate agent for advice.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Theres no doubt that curb appeal can significantly boost your homes overall value and saleability. And while painting your home is necessary to protect it from weather damage and dry rot, your homes paint color can also do a lot more. A great exterior paint color can do a lot to ensure that your investment looks its best and, when the time comes, will appeal to homebuyers. Thankfully, choosing the perfect house color doesnt need to be overwhelming. A few unique but effective tips will guarantee that you make the best color choice for your home.

Get Local Inspiration
Home websites and Pinterest boards may have their place, but nothing can give you insight into your local areas home style more than taking a tour of your town. The perfect color will blend seamlessly into your neighborhood while still remaining stylish. If a color you picked clashes with the general surroundings and is not a usual home color, it can be jarring to passersby and scare off future potential homebuyers. Find inspiration by looking around your town and bringing that to your neighborhood.

Become All About That Base
When you are overwhelmed by choices, it can be easy to get stuck on the minor details rather than focusing on the big picture. Narrow down your options by focusing on the base color of your home. Once you have found a color that you love, you can find complementing accent colors for your trim and shutters.

Make It Mini
Its not uncommon to make a decision on your colors and be struck with a moment of indecision. If you need to truly visualize your color selection, get creative! Paint an inexpensive wooden playhouse with your desired base and trim colors to get a unique perspective on your chosen aesthetic before investing in painting your home. If you have children, they will love having a mini version of your home (down to the paint colors), and if you dont have children, a playhouse can serve as an excellent donation to a local childrens charity.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

A damaged or worn-out bathtub can be an eyesore. It may be the first thing you and your guests notice every time you enter the bathroom. You dont necessarily have to replace your old tub, as you may be able to reglaze it to make it look like new.

What is Bathtub Reglazing?
Reglazing is a process that involves applying a new chemical coating to restore the appearance of an old tub. You should hire a professional if you do not have experience with this type of work. A technician will sand the bathtub to remove the old finish, repair any chips or cracks and spray on a new coating. The reglazing process is completed in several phases.

Reglazing a bathtub can be much less expensive than replacing it. A reglazed tub may last as long as a new bathtub, or possibly even longer. You will need to use appropriate products to clean the tub to avoid damaging the new finish.

Pros and Cons of Replacing Your Old Tub
If you decide to replace the bathtub, it will need to be removed from the house. Depending on the weight of the tub, you and some friends may be able to do the job yourselves, or you may have to hire contractors. You will also have to figure out how to dispose of it.

Replacing a bathtub can be costly, even if you choose an inexpensive replacement. You might encounter additional costs that could add hundreds or thousands of dollars to the price tag. For example, some of the existing flooring may be damaged and may have to be replaced. In addition, the plumbing fixtures for bathtubs are not uniform. If your new tub does not match the existing plumbing, you may have to hire a plumber to adjust or replace fixtures.

Which Option is Right for You?
Whether you decide to reglaze or replace the bathtub, you can expect the process to take a few days. If you have your tub reglazed, you will still be able to use the rest of the bathroom while the work is in progress. If you have the tub replaced, you wont be able to use the bathroom until the work has been completed.

If you only want to improve the appearance of the bathtub and cost is a top priority, reglazing is probably the way to go. If you are planning to completely remodel the bathroom, installing a new tub may be a better choice, but you should consider the quality of your existing tub. Older bathtubs are often of much better quality than newer ones. If your current tub is well made and in good condition, you might get better results from reglazing than you could if you installed a new tub of inferior quality.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

If youre considering a safe room in your next home, these are the latest features you should know about…

These arent simply steel-lined closets behind trap doors, but rather, fully fortified luxury accommodations that can seamlessly blend in with the rest of a residence.

Safe rooms deliver peace of mind. Cutting-edge safe rooms can protect you from natural or manmade disasters while using alternative energy sources to keep your power on.

At the very least, a safe room will provide you with an ultra-secure space to store your valuables, like jewelry or artwork.

Published with permission from RISMedia.