Adding second picture.....

I think buyers will tend to devalue the house TWICE at a subconscious level... they'll subtract the (say) $10 K from the value and ALSO want to accept the cash incentive.

Were it me, I would fix the issues - hopefully for less than the $10K.

..... or would it be wiser to just come in at a lower price, this area doesn't really support higher values. It's a small town without any comparable homes on the market. Sq. footage here is 4250 living on acreage. Everything else is tip top shape, so it's not as if the kitchen repairs are going to bring a huge return since it will already be a tough sell.

IMO, I rarely advise to give anything away before negotiations even start.
Either price it accordingly with an outdated kitchen, or do the updating yourself and price accordingly.
If you offer the allowance up front, the buyers will take that and still reduce the price for the outdated kitchen.
Is the view out of the kitchen sink that of another house? It looks awfully close and obvious.

ncrealestateguy, what you are seeing in the view is the side of the detached garage.

The house has other desirables such as great schools, small town feel but close to interstate and close to larger city, Baton Rouge. We have lots of other amenities such as new outdoor kitchen w/deck, the land which isn't common with other houses on the market here, architectural details, etc.

Unless something is not working or damaged, I would leave it exactly like it is. I would put it on the market with a price you and your realtor decide on and go from there. IMHO, the kitchen is lovely and just remember, not everyone is spending their days looking at the newest kitchens at the GW forums! To me, the kitchen is very pretty. The only thing I can see that would be a turn off for me would be the lack of cabinets. I believe you should let the new buyer change their own kitchen if they think it needs it.

I 'wouldn't offer anything or do anything other than to make sure it is as spotless as possible. It is a great space, you already have people wow'ing over it, so let potential buyers make it an issue or not. You can let your agent know that you are open to an allowance in case someone is very interested but find the tile counters a major negative.

Also, to make the most of those windows, you might put some planted trellises against the garage walls to pretty up the view.

Thanks, I figured I should also add that this was designed for a parapalegic (sp?), and there is also a huge walk in (fits a wheelchair to go inside) pantry around the side where the breakfast area is, so storage really isn't limited, just a little bit different setup. The entire house is wheelchair accessible.

It sounds like you have a number of desirable features that could make the counters a non-issue and being wheelchair accessible is one that not many other homes offer. I agree with raee to make it spotless and limit the number of items on any horizontal surface - you don't have to go totally bare but minimal is good. Personally, I would not even tell my realtor that I'm open to giving an allowance. Wait and see if that even comes up. Keep your cards hidden.

I would leave it and price the house accordingly without specifying it is because of the kitchen.

I agree. Don't spend a dime. You already said most people love it as soon as they walk in.

I would leave it as is. I think your kitchen is lovely and I dont think the white appliances look that bad. I would not offer a 10k discount or price it lower. I think someone is going to fall in love with the space and may want to change out counters and appliances for those of their own choice. If it becomes an issue for the right buyer at the right price, you could fall back on offering an allowance or discount for these items. But I might just limit it to 5k for granite and see where that takes the negotiations.

Also consider that a potential buyer would consider that layout to be excessive and would want to spend some money taming down its gaudiness.

Grubby me,
Huh, wheelchair accessibility is gaudy? Let's hope you never have the need for such gaudiness.

Leave it as it is. Offer no apologies where many may see nothing wrong. And price it to sell.

What is the sq. ftg. of this home? This is a really big space. I'm just wondering if it is in scale with the rest of the home.
I looked at the pics closer than I did the first time, and yes, having only two cabinets is gonna be a big turn off for a lot of buyers. And no one likes tile, even granite tiles, for the counter tops.
The fact that the home was built for a paraplegic will not be a selling point, unless you happen to find a paraplegic buyer. Buyers would rather stretch upwards to open a cupboard, than bend down and open a cabinet.
I still would not offer an allowance, but I would spend a lot of time on correctly pricing it. Also, it may take a bit longer than normal to sell because of its uniqueness.
What were the features of the home that made you buy it? Capitalize on those.

OP said 4250 sq.ft on larger than normal acreage.

IâÂÂm in complete agreements with AR girl, "not everyone is spending their days looking at the newest kitchens at the GW forums!âÂÂ

I think itâÂÂs a stunning kitchen -- I donâÂÂt think I would even look at the countertops, because IâÂÂd be so busy gawking at those beautiful beams. Love the space. Leave the counters as they are, youâÂÂd be throwing away your money.

ncrealestateguy, there are 6 cabinets on the bottom (plus on large pot drawer under the oven) and 4 up top on the back wall. I didn't realize the picture only showed two?

Thanks to everyone for your opinions, I've read each one and feel a little bit more informed about this. There are a couple of agents I wanted to talk to to decide which I'm listing with, and I'm going to get their input as well but I am feeling we can price low enough to leave lots of room for the kitchen.

I agree with Function First. My first impression of that kitchen is WOW! The sense of openness really appeals to me.

Wrong thread...

This post was edited by ncrealestateguy on Mon, Oct 13, 14 at 9:44

It is a nice kitchen. If you were gonna consider changing anything before selling, i would also suggest that you some how add more cabinets.

Good luck.

I wouldn't do anything. First don't bring it to a buyers attention. You never know how they are going to view a room or what they are going to think are problems. Second your house looks like a move up house and not a first time buyer house. IMHO, move up buyers focus less on finishes. I know I do. I go into a house and look at location and layout. I don't want to see someone else's renovation, as I figure I am paying for something that isn't my taste.

I have never offered an allowance on anything when I have sold my homes. That is saved for the negotiations. Price it accordingly with similar comps or if you are in a hurry to sell priced slightly less. Granted the counters would be a problem for me, but many people like tile. Don't mess with the kitchen, it is fine. Just make sure all rooms are spotless and decluttered. If a room has too much furniture, remove some to make it appear more spacious, etc. If some rooms need painting, I would do that. Painting is not expensive and is quick to do. It gives rooms that fresh and new appearance. Check your curb appeal. Cleanly swept walkways and driveway(if possible). Non-dieing plants or flowers. Make sure it is inviting to come up to your door. Good luck, NancyLouise

It's a great kitchen, and the tile "goes" with it. I'd make sure that the tile and grout, and everything else, is gleaming and super clean. Declutter as much as possible and add some nice accessories.

I don't know about your potential buyer pool, but in my area, the size and beams would make it an upscale kitchen with the expectation of chef-kitchen appliances. If that's the case in your area, too, I'd perhaps look into some used upgraded appliances

Another vote for leave it and price accordingly. In my case, if I were looking at it, I love the openness of the space and the beautiful ceilings, but there really aren't that many cabinets for the size of that L-shaped construction, and they seem to be built into a drywalled frame in a bit of an odd manner. That's fine if it was for functionality for you, but for me, I'd be considering replacing the L-shape part with new (and more) cabinets.

I don't care for the pots-and-pans clutter under the island, so I'd want to put cabinets in there. The granite on the island would make me look at closing it in with shelving and doors instead of replacing it (don't want to throw away perfectly good granite).

So if there were granite on the L-shape, it would be psychologically harder for me to want to buy. Keep it something that's guilt-free to tear out.

And like others said, others may be perfectly fine with the setup, or just think "ok, I'll want to replace the tile with granite down the road."

Don't assume adding granite will raise the market price.

The OP in the original post asked an EITHER/OR question.

EITHER fix it up OR offer a $10K incentive.

I say neither.

Neither seems to be the popular non-answer to the question. lol

Sell what your house has, not what it hasn't. Never hint to people, including your agent, that something is amiss, not up to par, not trendy, etc., etc. Be realistic in pricing and assume the air of "It's fabulous and you'd be lucky to live here!" (Humbly, of course.) :-)

I agree -- make sure the grout is super clean and the tile in good condition, and sell it like it is. It is open and bright, The tile is a nice contrast to the wood -- a clean but rustic, warm and bright look. No kitchen is going to appeal to everyone, but this seems consistent with a home in the south on acreage.

Before you talk to the agents about discounting for the kitchen, get their pricing opinions. Sometimes we think things are an issue that won't be.