Not sure if you should go ahead and do that home improvement project or upgrade the kitchen package that comes with you new home?

Article by: Larry Koza

Put Sales Sizzle into Your New Homes Kitchen

Selling new homes in the 1990's is a tough business but it can be easier if more attention is paid to the kitchen which plays a very important role in the home buying decision.

As a builder you must ask if you are getting the maximum marketing punch from your kitchen and if it meets the flexible needs of an educated and demanding consumer. It is easy to spend, even waste money throughout a new home on such items as upgraded hardware, fancy flooring or landscaping packages that will have a minimal effect on the overall buying decision. Study after study has shown, however, that spending on kitchens offers the best return on investments, for both resale and new houses. The kitchen is the home's traffic hub and living centre, so the design and layout should reflect its importance.

Major Kitchen Considerations
The following is a list of kitchen considerations that should be thoroughly thought out before the new house is built: size and openness, storage,layout, workspaces, electrical outlets, appliances, style, lighting and ventilation, kitchen activities, wheel chair accessibility, esthetic considerations, overall design layout, functionalism, options in cabinets, pullout drawers, wine racks, pullout drawers, lazy susans, recycling bins, pantry units, and spice racks etc., accessibility to the yard and rest of the house.

Three Key Design Questions
There are three key questions you should ask potential new home buyers about their kitchen needs as the design process starts:
1. What arrangement of sinks do they require, single, double, extra half-sink or some other configuration?
2. What type of eating facilities are preferred: sit-down table, nook or bar?
3. How much space must the kitchen have?

By knowing these three elements the rest of the kitchen design will flow much more easily. The only thing consistent in today's new home market is change.