The one of the biggest differences between remodeling a kitchen in a home that you plan on staying in for the long term versus remodeling to help sell your home is that a project done for the long term will be designed around the homeowners preferences while a home sale-based project will be designed for the preferences of as yet unknown buyers. In terms of planning, the different objectives will take a project on completely different paths:
The Emotional Quest
In addition to being the place where meals are prepared, the kitchen is now the hub of family and social interaction which combines two activities that bring people together. In this sense, planning a kitchen remodeling project can be an emotional quest based on the activities that are anticipated to take place there. In fact, neurological studies have found a direct link between specific brain cells and the safety, memories, and experiences that take place in home, of which the kitchen has become both the physical and spiritual hub. With an emotional layer added to the remodeling project, the planning phase goes beyond the purchase of the physical products and instead goes to the memories and experiences that will occur there. As a caveat, regardless of the level of emotion behind the project, pragmatic decisions must be made in terms of the budget, the appliances, and the rest of the kitchen design elements for a successful outcome.
The Financial Quest
A remodeling project that is being planned for the purpose of selling the home should take out all of the emotion that would go into a remodeling project based on staying in the home for the long term. In this situation, there are two primary goals; designing a kitchen that will help to sell the home while spending the lowest amount possible to achieve the first objective. In this type of quest, the remodeling process should start with research on relative home values as well as an assessment of how much remodeling is necessary to realize the highest sale price possible. A third variable in this calculation is that the end result of the remodeling project should appeal to the broadest market possible. Generally speaking, a remodeling project that meets these criteria will likely include energy efficient appliances that fit into an overall scheme of a neutral style that ties in with the rest of the home. Keep in mind that while this type of project may not be as exciting to plan as one for the long term, the sale of the current home may put you in a position where you can design a kitchen that you and your family can use for years to come.
