For  guests who choose to rent a home at the Lake in preference to a hotel or resort, cooking is a big part of their vacation.  They have time to prepare and cook meals for friends and family and that isn’t always the case with conflicting work and school events.   With that consideration, what a kitchen looks like can make a big difference in choosing a vacation rental.

Take a candid look at your kitchen.  Do the cabinets and countertops need a radical change – new paint or perhaps new hardware.  Or is it time for a complete makeover?  Money spent on renovating a kitchen can be recovered in a higher rental rate over a period of a year or so.

Here’s an example of a renovation at Senator’s Retreat completed in 2011.  What a difference!

Before:

And after:

Remember guests often comment that ah clean, modern kitchen is high on their priority list in picking the ideal vacation rental.  Having said that, it’s not necessary to do a complete kitchen renovation to make a kitchen look great.

Counter tops – Scrubbed clean, most countertops will be OK as long as there are no burn marks, gouges or deep scratches.  And if you don’t have a large are to cover a new countertop can have an immediate impact.  And the cost will be recovered in improved interest, inquiries and reservations.

Appliances –  Check the color and condition of your  appliances.  Nothing dates a kitchen like outdated appliances which results in a negative impact on people searching for that perfect vacation rental property.  Appliances must be in great condition – no rust or baked on grease.  If so these appliances should be replaced

Cabinets – These can often be freshened up with a simple coat of paint.  Whatever option you take, the cabinets should be spotlessly clean inside and out and well organized.

Hardware – It’s amazing what a difference new handles and pulls can make.  If your hardware has seen better days, replacing  these can effectively change the overall look of your kitchen.

Staging – Transform your kitchen into a desirable space by removing the extraneous objects (like magnets, calendars, extra soaps.)  Simply place a bowl of flowers on the counter and you’ll transform a bland or ordinary kitchen into a more desirable place to be.