Kitchen Renovation Ideas To Increase Your Home's Value: Tips From A Pro

Written by Randy on September 9, 2007 | Comments (0)

I had the privilege of conducting a rare one-on-one phone interview recently with Paul Ryan of DIY Network's Kitchen Renovations; Weekend Handyman; and Home Energy Savings. Paul was also a guest host on DIY's 2007 Blog Cabin series where he installed all of the custom kitchen cabinetry of this blogger-designed log cabin in Kinzel Springs, Tennessee.

Paul is a licensed contractor and expert carpenter with experience in plumbing, fiberglass repair and general construction, but his specialty is kitchen renovations and remodels. I feel fortunate to have been able to speak with Paul to get his expert opinions on some hot topics and kitchen trends.

I'll be shedding some light on the details of my interview with Paul in upcoming posts.

In my first segment, Paul offers his opinion about the #1 thing that homeowners can do to a kitchen to increase the value of their home and some options for refacing kitchen cabinets.

While I had never spoken with a TV personality before and was rather nervous about the whole prospect of the interview, I was looking forward to what a true expert in the field of kitchen renovations had to say about it all. Paul spoke with me while on a short break from doing a show at the Minnesota State Fair.

Here's what Paul had to say about kitchen remodeling increasing the value of their home:

Randy: What is the #1 thing any homeowner can do to a kitchen to increase the value of a home?
Paul: Boy...I tell ya...you're starting off with a toughie because you know I talk to people all the time about re-doing their kitchens and it's like, "do you do the whole thing or do you do just a little bit? Is there one thing that can add more value?" and a lot of times there's not just one answer because of the fact that..um.. there's any one thing. When you walk into a kitchen you're staring at the whole encompassing deal and sometimes when people do one thing...it can kind of backfire on them.
R: How so?
P: Let's say somebody spends a lot of money putting in brand new appliances. That might be great but it doesn't do a lot for the overall look of the kitchen.
R: What about re-facing cabinets...something like that?
P: Sure. That's certainly one thing you can do. Something as simple as changing the color can make a huge difference if you're selling your house. Because you might have just one thing in there and if you just simply change the color and make it match the rest of the decor, that's something that can make a huge difference, as well. You know, it might not be the #1 thing but it can be an effective thing, as well. As far as re-facing the cabinets...yeah...that's one way that you can get a totally new look and it's very, very inexpensive... well some instances it's inexpensive. We did one where they put stainless steel doors on and each stainless steel door ran about $80.
R: Wow.
P: We've done some where we've re-faced the cabinet with some Formica and it was about $4 per door. So you can definitely get a whole different look that way without putting a lot of money into it. And yeah...that's one of the ways that you can definitely improve the look of it. But when you talk about the #1 way, I'm always hesitant to say..."the #1 way" because there are so many different things that you can do that can totally change the look of a kitchen.
R: ...and there are so many different situations, too.
P: Yeah...definitely..definitely. A lot of it is budget driven. A lot of it is design driven.

I'd have to say that I agree with Paul that there are so many options and situations that you really should assess your personal situation when renovating you kitchen. Things such as your budget, your design needs and the functionality of the kitchen and how it relates to the homeowners needs.

More Expert Tips On Refacing Your Kitchen Cabinets:

Face Your Kitchen's Guide to Refacing Kitchen Cabinets
This Old House asks "Reface or Replace Cabinets?"
Bob Vila gives his expert advice on door fronts, hinges, finish options and costs, and choosing wood
Don Vandervort's Home Tips on re-facing kitchen cabinets
Cabinet Facelift How-To from HGTV Kitchen Design

More Options and Tools for Sprucing Up Your Kitchen:

This Old House tips on painting kitchen cabinets
HGTV Kitchen Design: Combine Colors Like a Design Expert
Kitchen Resale Priorities from HGTV
HGTV's Kitchen Remodeling Budget Estimator
HGTV's 10 Steps to a New Kitchen: A Beginner's Remodeling Guide

Related:

Enter to Win the Blog Cabin: You can enter everyday through October 1, 2007
Blog Cabin Video Channel: Video "how-to" demonstrations
DIY Kitchen Renovations segment on Refacing Cabinets and Creating a Backsplash
Paul Ryan's Bio

Thanks to...
Lynnette of The Fun Times Guide To Log Homes (and other Fun blogs) for getting the ball rolling for me on the interview. Amie K. at 360i for pointing me in the right direction to get the interview. Rob L. at DIY Network for setting up the interview for me with Paul. And, of course, Paul Ryan

Top right photo of Paul Ryan courtesy DIY

Additional Paul Ryan interview segments: