They say that the kitchen is the heart of a home.  It's also the way to a buyer's heart.  Kitchens continue to be the most popular selling point for Charlotte home buyers.  If you are planning on selling your home within the next six months, you may need to give your kitchen a good once-over to make sure it is up to snuff.  That doesn't necessarily mean that you need to spend thousands of dollars on a major overhaul.  Here are a few quick kitchen makeovers that cost anywhere from a bit of elbow grease to a few dollars.

A Good Scrubbing - Everyday cleaning isn't enough.  Get down into the real nitty-gritty by moving the fridge and stove to get the floor and walls behind them clean.  Scrub down the backsplash and oven hood to remove any built up grease.  Take the top off the stove to get the drippings that fall down below.  Wash the baseboards and molding.  Get the cobwebs out of the corners.  Spring clean no matter what time of year it is.

Update/Add Hardware - Drawer pulls and cabinet knobs are cheap, especially if you buy them in bulk.  Changing out existing hardware or even adding some where there isn't any can completely change the look of the entire room even before you add any paint.

Add a New Coat of Paint - At less than $20 per gallon, you can customize your paint colors to freshen up the look of the room.  Get rid of the ugly avocado greens, mustard yellows or too bright colors you experimented with a few years ago.  Keep the room bright but not fluorescent.

High End Additions - Spring for a serious upgrade in select areas of the kitchen rather than spending a fortune on the entire area.  Adding a nice trim, expensive tiled backsplash above the stove or even a custom hood range may cost a few extra bucks, but can make a dramatic impact on a potential buyer's eyes.

As you can see, you don't have to take out a second mortgage to make your Charlotte home shine.  These quick kitchen makeovers can be done with little to no money and will only take you a weekend to get done.  Let me know when you're ready to put your Charlotte home on the market.  We'll get it sold!

Robin Husney, Your Charlotte NC Real Estate Specialist