Homes with Gourmet Kitchens Sell Faster

Emily Zhu 7/21/2020

Homes with Gourmet Kitchens Sell Faster Than Those Without:

The Truth is Worth It.

Kitchens are the new live-work space whether you are an aspiring chef. The humble kitchen is taking its place at the center of modern design and is quickly establishing itself as a clutch play for selling a home. With family life today emphasizing the sociability of cooking and dining, a fully appointed professional-grade chef’s kitchen is becoming a standard feature in modern homes. Realtor.com suggested that a “killer kitchen” sells almost 10% faster than similar-sized homes in the same zip code. But, what qualifies a kitchen as “gourmet”? Across the board, gourmet kitchens have a few common features: top-of-the-line appliances, custom cabinetry with storage solutions for days, and miles of shining stone countertops. Here are 4 features that make homes with gourmet kitchens desirable.

1. Functionality Theory – ‘The Golden Triangle’

This 90-year old concept has stuck due to the multitude of benefits including convenience, proper counter space, minimizing food traffic and increasing productivity.Developed in the early twentieth century, the working triangle also known as ‘the golden triangle’ is a theory that states a kitchen’s three main work areas should from the sink, the refrigerator, and the stove. The theory gained its popularity in the mid-twentieth century and applies until today. According to Architectural Digest, each leg of the triangle formed should be between four and nine feet each, and the sum distance of the triangle should not be less than 13 or more than 26 feet. Thus, neither too far apart nor too compact.

The segments of the triangle represent traffic flow within a kitchen, ideally creating a rotational movement between the tasks of cooking, chopping/peeling, and storage such as refrigerator. While this theory may sound limiting, large open kitchens with islands can carry out the triangle as seen in a new development project at 424 west 52nd street, along with U-shaped, L-shaped , and closed off gallery kitchens.

409 45th Street U-shaped Kitchen

2128 Ocean Ave L-shaped Kitchen

2. A Spacious Island

The contemporary kitchen is a multipurpose space, and one piece of furniture in it can make a big difference: the island. Kitchen islands became increasingly popular because they allowed for more communication and movement between the kitchen and other parts of the home. An island is a great place to congregate for casual brunches and make drinks.

People started focusing on the kitchen and began to put in high-end appliances and looking at backsplashes as art pieces as opposed to utilitarian surfaces. Choosing premium materials and sturdy surfaces for countertops and island is important. Quartz or marble surfaces, as seen at 567 Ocean Avenue , do not require sealing and less pours than natural stones like granite, and therefore have better stain-resistance, lower maintenance and durability.

567 Ocean Ave Marble Countertop

3. Start-of-the-Art Appliances

·Gas range. Not everyone prefers them, but by and large, a gourmet kitchen typically uses gas to heat the oven and cooktop, as gas has a reputation of cooking more evenly, without ‘hot spots’ on the stove. It allows for an infinite number of adjustments, and you get the heat level you want instantly.

·High-performance refrigerator and freezer. The optics of high-end appliances will vary, but the functionality requirements are consistent. Choose a sleek built-in fridge offers the ultimate in style, function, and creative customization. While there is no standard definition of what a ‘chef’s kitchen’ includes, it is frequently associated with an oversized fridge and a separate freezer.

The Neighborly LIC Built-in Fridge·

Heavy-duty dishwasher. If you find yourself entertaining a lot, it’s worth investing a little more to get a model that’s quiet, reliable, and easy to load. This lockdown made many people spend lots of time in the kitchen, trying out new recipes. A nice dishwasher became kitchen companion in cleaning dishes after those yummy meals, and cleaning became more enjoyable.

·Ventilation. The stovetop range hood may be the most undervalued thing in the kitchen. We listen to the kitchen when they say a heavy duty range hood is a must in any foodie’s kitchen. Whenever food is heated in a pan, particles of grease, water, smoke and food are sent into the air, and they land everywhere, which explains the grime that accumulates on furniture, fabrics, and floors, damaging finishes and surfaces. The best way to vent a stove is going to sufficiently exhaust it right out of the home.

The Neighborly LIC Cooktop

4. Lighting

Natural light is, of course, the most desirable of all lighting sources in a kitchen, but cooking and entertaining still happen after sundown. With adjustable pendants, and monorail fixtures at the tip of the lighting, the design options are endless. And don’t forget the under-cabinet light. Running LED light strips on the bottom of your upper cabinets is the easiest way to create an evenly lighted counter space for food prep and cooking. This model unit at the Neighborly Long Island City show that by combining the right color scheme, you can create the kitchen workplace or entertaining ambiance you need at any time of day.

High-end brokers like to say that the kitchen is the jewelry of a place, it may be more accurate to say that the kitchen has replaced the art wall for self-expression. In the kitchen, we are creating little moments, and the kitchen has to look like furniture.