I'd love to see pix of this kitchen...can you post them?

We need pictures!

Are the walls white, too?

Check on this forum for a recent thread titled along the lines of "what makes white work" or "what makes white right". I'll do a quick search and repost if I can find it.

Anita

Can you post pictures? People here might have some suggestions on things you can do to warm it up. That said, assuming the kitchen is clean, in good shape, etc., your realtor needs to do a better job of selling your kitchen. When they walk in the realtor should be saying what you said, why the kitchen is superior to the kitchens in comparable properties. Lots of people like white kitchens.

I personally prefer stained cabinets. But if I otherwise liked a house and it had white painted cabinets I'd probably just plan to paint them sage or buttercream, or redo the kitchen.

Well, without pictures, we're forced to imagine what your white kitchen looks like. We once had a white kitchen: brite white cabs (the kind that have a foil coating over MDF), plain white appliances (glass top oven, etc), plain white 4x4 back splash tiles, light colored floor tile and laminate counters. Nice when we built it in 1997, but I find it bland by today's standards.

-Gorilla

Do you have any photos of your kitchen? There are many on this forum that would have great ideas for updates that might improve the white kitchen

I love a white kitchen myself. But there are certain elements that can give it the "WOW" factor.

In our area wood rules in kitchens which is why I have been hesitant to do mine in white. Sounds similar to yours most have laminate with some solid surface and very few have granite.

There may be some simple things you can do to warm things up for a quick sale.

Check this out:

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg101040455377.html

Anita

I had the same idea, Thought I would post that link as it had so much helpful advice about what makes a white kitchen really look great. So check out this link for ideas on things that can improve a white kitchen. I think the right white kitchen would sell a house in a heartbeat.

Here is a link that might be useful: What makes a white kitchen right?

the post mentioned by nomorebluekitchen:

RE: White Kitchens.....what makes it right? (Follow-Up #1)
posted by: segbrown on 10.19.2008 at 11:04 am in Kitchens Forum
I saved this page in an issue of "Kitchens and Baths" specifically to address this question. Here are parts of the text:

-Material variation breaks up large banks of cabinets
-Large rectangles of contrasting color, including ss appliances, white cabinets, black countertops
-Switching from solid to glass-front cabinets
-Shallow cupboard over the hood more valuable as a visual bridge than storage
-Open shelves break up solid white

Funny b/c I would have trouble buying a house with a kitchen with stained cabinets. I just prefer painted (preferably white!). Pictures would be great. If this kitchen really keeps your house from selling, it might be worth investing in some SS appliances. Not sure on that, but it could be something to consider. Do post some pictures. Maybe people will have some suggestions. Would new pulls help? A new "Restoration Hardware" paint color? White kitchens and white vanities are fairly prevalent in Pottery Barn and RH catalogs. I wonder if redoing the countertop on the island would help? Anyway, if you post pics we can all discuss!

How many buyers actually looked at it?

I actually prefer stained cabinetry in the kitchen, but one of our 6 previous homes had white kitchen cabinets. We bought that home because the house was otherwise perfect and was a great location and price. I think that in a buyers market like today buyers can be picky and they are. A friend of mine had white cabinets and when she went to list her home her realtor told her that white cabinets were dated!!! I've seen lots of white kitchens on this forum that I don't consider dated, it's just a matter of taste and you haven't yet found the buyer that likes white cabinets.

if you post some pics you will definitely get some good honest feedback and also some pretty great ideas about things to tweak here or there..

but.. i wouldn't put too much into a few buyers comments in a market like this.. people are asked for reason they aren't interested and gotta pick something.. I would be very surprised if it really was preventing and serious interest..

post some pics thou.. lets see..

I am wondering if it is the white appliances. Would it be worth it to you to switch them out for stainless? not sure what you are looking for in terms of a final sales price so maybe it isn't worth it... or maybe you could try to pick up some cheap used stainless appliances on Craigslist to update that aspect. Like you said, it might just be TOO much white and if you can change things where economically feasible, it might be worth considering.

it is such a tough market. it must be so frustrating for you particularly since your kitchen sounds so nice.

Yes I would love to share pictures with you. I have four great pictures that the realtor took but they won't upload to photobucket. I think they must be copyrighted or something. Unfortunately I can't take pictures myself because we've moved two hours away. However please keep me in mind and when I do get down there I will take pictures and bring the post back up to the top. Actually I had already read the above posted links. The how to do white right was partially why I decided to post. Although my kitchen doesn't meet every requirement, it does hit quite a few quite well.

To answer some of the other questions: the walls are painted a golden yellow. The accent colors are mostly blue with a little pale red. I cringe at the thought of redoing the countertops because we have close to 100 feet of counter. To redo the cabinets because of the very odd custom sizes would cost upwards of $50,000. We have considered changing out the appliances, but I think that would be pretty cost prohibitive too. The dishwasher and double ovens are brand new and there's absolutely nothing wrong the rest.

I'm thinking that maybe the custom nature of the kitchen may be what is detracting buyers. It's pretty obvious that if they did want to change anything it won't be a simple job. There are a lot of odd angles and storage created in out of the way places.

It hasn't shown a whole lot maybe 12 times in 7 months, but that's about par for the course in our neighborhood. It's just a really bad time to have to sell. There's almost 21 months worth of inventory in our neighborhood and we've already dropped the price $55,000. Everyone is advising us not to drop it any lower.

I can't wait to show you pictures. I too had thought that maybe new pulls might help. I am eager to see what advice you might give me. I just hate to spend thousands of dollars on a house I'll never live in again. And then the new buyers might not like it anyway.

Are there photos online? Maybe you can provide a link so we can get an idea.

I'm sure someone here will have some advice on how you can spruce it up!!!

Is there a real estate listing online?

With 21 months of inventory in your area, it's not surprising your house hasn't sold. The competition must be ferocious! I wouldn't beat yourself up too much about the kitchen; it's really too late to do much except maybe paint. There may be a lesson here about over-improving the kitchen, but it's hard to say for sure. Heck, we over-improved our entire house, LOL. We know we'll never really get all the money back, but that's okay, we've gotten a lot of enjoyment out of everything we did.

It's a rough time to be selling anyway. The loan declination rate is well over 50% - many people are trying to buy but just can't get approved.

Might be fine for others to say, "don't drop the price," but they're not the ones under the financial burden. If you have to sell it, cut the price.

I have to say that if I walked into a kitchen that was all white - I would probably pass on it too. A kitchen with so many white surfaces suggests non-stop cleaning. While it sounds like a well designed kitchen that would be a pleasure to work in, it also sounds like it would take way too much time to keep it looking clean.

Stained wood cabinets are very forgiving, and medium or dark or multicolored counters(like my Baltic brown granite or my sister's Blue Sahara Silestone) hide a multitude of sins like a missed spill or some crumbs.

I'm sure, soon, someone who will love having a white kitchen will see it as you see it and will enjoy it for years to come.

Good luck.

I can't wait to see photos either, and if you have an online real estate listing, as others have asked, it's easier than posting your own pics. I'm not a white kitchen person, but wouldn't pass on the right house because of it. I could even learn to enjoy it quite quickly if it was done with a certain look and style in which the white worked. (I've seen plenty posted here I would never turn down...or change.) The bones of the kitchen (functional layout, quality cabinets, and decent appliances) would matter to me much more than color. Without seeing photos, it's tough to say, but I think the right discriminating buyer just hasn't seen it yet.

Once you get your photos up I'd post them over in the buying and selling homes forum too. I think it will be good to get opinions from people who are not TKO. I love the kitchen forum but I don't think it is the best representation of the average Joe looking for a house.

Twelve showings is a small sample, especially in this market.

When the right person comes along, a superb kitchen should help. On the other hand, maybe you could throw in some incentives for those who are white-kitchen shy, like $5k for new appliances or paint.

It's probably less because of the cabinets and more because the right person hasn't found your house yet. When people aren't in "the house" everything they don't like is a problem, when they are in "the house" it's a possibility. We are selling our house, which has white cabinets and tile backsplash done 15 years ago (we didn't do it). While the look of this small kitchen is not perfectly up to date, the prior owners (PO? sorry, not so hot at the shortenings) did an amazing job laying it out so it's a pleasure to cook in and is the real heart of the house. We currently have a contract on our house (keep your fingers crossed for us!) and a contract on another house (that needs a new kitchen, why I'm here) but it was tough getting there. Right now, the people who normally would be keeping an eye out (looking at "house p*rn" a friend says- sorry for that, but I love it!) just aren't because of the market- but there will be a real cook that loves your kitchen that will make the plunge. One of the big ways for us was to price our house just below what other houses around us were on the market for (even though ours was a bit nicer).

Help us with our kitchen fix and post your old, and I personally would love to see the new one too! Good luck!

Ginnie

Three years ago we finished a big white kitchen a la 'Something's Gotta Give'- please don't tell me these are 'out' already.

I will bet you a dollar that it's not the white, but that it's the 'naked' white that bothers people. A naked white kitchen looks like a sterile white cave. You say you've moved out- that's it. Stage it a bit and see if the reactions aren't different.

Put down warm persian runners (inexpensive on eBay), place colorful bar stools at the island. Put pots of hardy ivy around, place canisters on the counters. Stacks of cookbooks strategically placed will provide color as well as texture. If you have white knobs and pulls, for heavens' sake, replace them.

Give them something to look at besides the white!

When our kitchen was first finished (creamy white inset shaker cabs, soapstone countertops, custom creamy tile backsplash and hardwood floors) I absolutely hated it. It was everything I had wanted but it had no personality. Once I got my 'stuff' in there, it was warm, it was colorful and it was home.

You can change the gut reaction people have to your kitchen if you warm it up!

I have to agree with pecanpie, you need someone to go in and make that kitchen look lived in. The colors will make a huge difference. You can probably do it yourself, and it shouldn't cost much - you can probably get perfectly serviceable items from the nearest Walmart or Target.

Good luck.

I'm not saying this to be hurtful, but a white kitchen would be a tear out for me. Any offer I put on a house that has one would reflect the need for new cabinetry.

I could live with painted cabs in a different color, and that might be something to think about if you are certain that the white is a problem. Give it some time, though: as others have said, its a slow market.

The cheapest thing you can do is paint. Why not replace the yellow with a sage green, or apple green? Just last night I was watching a HGTV show (sorry I can't remember which one) and the dean of an interior design school said that yellow was a bad choice for a kitchen and green was a good one. Again, I can't remember why but since paint is dirt cheap why not give it a try? I agree that 100 feet of counterspace would be quite expensive to replace!

Neesie, if you remember "why" yellow is a bad choice for a kitchen, please let us know. I'm thinking of painting my kitchen yellow....

Are you priced higher than the houses with the builder grade kitchens? If so, it is probably the price. Putting in a high end kitchen and expecting a return on investment is always risky. Some buyers (probably everyone who posts here!) would rather buy the cheaper house and put in their own kitchen. Not to mention, the kitchen is 10 years old, as much as we like to talk about forever kitchens, it is probably a little dated. If you post pictures, there are some real experts here and on the home decorating board who can help tweak it.

Psychology of Color: Yellow

Cheerful yellow the color of the sun, associated with laughter, happiness and good times. A person surrounded by yellow feels optimistic because the brain actually releases more seratonin (feel good chemical in the brain) when around this color. It is the color associated with optimism but be careful with yellow, when intense, it is the color of flames and studies show babies cry more in (bright) yellow rooms and tempers flare more around that color too. It has the power to speed up our metabolism and bring out some creative thoughts (legal tablets are yellow for good reason!). Yellow can be quickly overpowering if over-used, but used sparingly in the just the right place it can be an effective tool in marketing to greater sales. Some shades of yellow are associated with cowardice; but the more golden shades with the promise of better times.

Most of my kitchens have been painted yellow, the right shade is actually warm and welcoming and a kitchen painted yellow would never deter me from buying a home.

My kitchen is wheat yellow, my dining room is blue, and my son's bedroom is red. They are all no-no's. But we love them. I guess we're weird.

Sorry for the hijack.

My last kitchen had cream cabinets with a golden glaze, yellow walls and denim blue countertops. Everyone who visited that house remarked on how cheerful and pleasant the kitchen was. I'd reproduce it exactly in the new house if I could get the same cabinets and countertop -- but they're either not available or not available here.

Pecanpie and others had good ideas about adding accessories to show how nicely white can play with others. I think it's just a tough time to be selling a house, unfortunately. Good luck!!

As suggested you need to add accessories. Maybe some striped runners on the floor. if it has a window some flower pots with colorful flowers and herbs growing, and some wicker baskets. If you have room and nice cookware maybe a wrought iron, or antique brass pot rack with baskets and cookware hanging over an island. Maybe add a few copper pieces. A large butcherblock cutting board will add warmth and interest to the counter. Some colorful pottery or dishes behind the glass cabinets. Some blue and white pottery on the counter, and plates mounted with removeable self stick hangers on the backsplash. I think you need to add some color and personality to warm it up a bit. It will make all the difference.

No pictures yet - or did I miss it? I myself am not a big fan of white cabinets but I wouldn't necessarily pass up a high quality white kitchen for the typical cheap stained cabinets I've seen in newer homes recently. The thing I often don't like about white kitchens is that they're cold and stark. The ones I've liked managed to somehow have a warm inviting feeling about them. Need to see some pics.

A white kitchen accented for sale with red, black and maybe a touch of primary yellow, is a real eye catcher. All you need are a couple of towels, a tray with a tea set maybe, a small appliance or two in an accent color, a nice rug and you're set. Don't forget the fresh flowers. Lemons in a pretty crystal bowl would be fabulous.

What color are the counters. I have to admit, I can't picture white cabinets, yellow walls with red and blue accents.

Can you post a picture to the real estate listing? That must have a picture of the kitchen, right? Another trick to get around the issue if the photos is to put them up on your screen and then click "print screen" (on my computer that's the fn key plus the print screen button. Then you can same them to whatever format you want and post them online.

I agree with PecanPie - I don't believe for a nano second that a white kitchen is dated when it's outfitted correctly. You still see many white kitchens in the high fashion design magazines but as everyone here mentions, you need to add decor to keep it from looking stark white. The appeal of a white kitchen is that it shows clean and bright - just don't want it to appear like it's a hospital lab.
I saw this quote from uber designer Christopher Peacock recently: "I still love and champion white kitchens, but it doesn't have to be all white. I think a room needs a balance of elements. "

I doubt that white cabinets will prevent a home from selling. They are very popular. I am wondeing about the white tile and counters, the white appliances and the "custom nature" or the cabinets -- lots of angles and such. That could look choppy or busy rather than calm and clean.

The yellow walls and touches of blue and red could play well (warm, homey, French influences) or spotty, circus-like or anything in between.

A link to the real estate listing and some photos would be helpful. I'm sure we all have different metal images of the possibilities and it is hard to offer suggestions without seeing what you have to work with. Get your realtor or a friend to send you photos if you need to.

BTW, we had a house with white cabinets, counters, tile floors and yellow walls. The white kitchen wasn't helping the sale -- but it was the tile floor more than anything and we weren't going to replace it becaue it led to other things. We painted the walls sage green. Changed the windiw valance to a navy background print with some warm colrs -- I think they were fruit print napkins, Everyone loved it. Small changes and a little staging can make a big difference, especially in a vacant home -- which tends to look cold and stark -- white even more so.

Everybody is different and the fact that you are competing with so much makes it difficult. You really just have to find the right buyer. We had gray walls in an old house that we were ready to paint when the right buyer came along and we didn't have to.

I was hoping to see an update or pictures or a link from ncamy. Hope we didn't scare her off!

I wonder whatever happened to ncamy ...

Wish the pictures would show up. I'm not a fan of an all white kitchen. To sterile and cold for me. I'd think constant cleaning needed so the cabinets would either be refinished or removed and that would be money I would be deducting from the asking price. A white laminate counter is also a negative for me. Again, taking off money from the asking price to have it replaced. You say your kitchen is 10 years old. In kitchen years that tends to be about the time when people start remodeling to update their old appliances, counters, etc., to make the kitchen look current. The pictures would sure help to see what you are talking about. NancyLouise

The thread migrated to one with photos: The white kitchen that won't sell..pictures.

-Lena

Thanks Lena, didn't see that post. NancyLouise

I did not have time to read all of the replies but to offer a bit of friendly support from someone who has recently been there and done that...we fnally sold our house about 9 months ago after a year on the market.

Prospective buyers, especially in today's market, are just very fickle sometimes and trying to predict what they will go for is beyond me. We had redone our kitchen with Wolf/SZ etc (all top end appliances) nice granite etc so it was very updated (and the house was only 7 years old anyway). In the beginning everyone said "That kitchen will sell your house in a minute and bring a premium. Well, as the market tanked, the most common comment was "Nice kitchen but we really don't cook that much" or..."Kitchens are not our thing" etc. Another dig was the wall color in one small room. Many people did not like it at all. Hello! It was one room...2 gallons of paint at most...paint it whatever floats your boat for about $200. I even stipulated in the fact/seller allowance sheet that we would repaint rooms for an allowance up to $1,000. My point is that in such a down market, people focus on what is wrong or they don't like (not what is right or they do like) to negotiate the price down even further. What a difference 24 months makes!

Anyway, good luck. I know selling right now is stressful at best. FWIW, when you least expect it, someone will walk in and say, "I love it!".

Here is another link about white kitchens:

Here is a link that might be useful: more white kitchens