6 Kitchen “Icks” That Instantly Turn Off Homebuyers, According to Real Estate Pros

The kitchen plays a pivotal role in winning over potential homebuyers. Considered the heart of the home, it’s typically the most important, family-centric room for buyers. Those touring for-sale properties will inevitably imagine themselves throwing dinner parties, simmering soup on a chilly day, or working their way through a favorite cookbook in this space. So, what does that mean for sellers who are hoping to net top dollar for their home? 

While savvy buyers won’t get too hung up on things they can easily change, like paint colors that don’t suit their own tastes or outdated cabinet hardware, there are some kitchen design features that they’ll have a much harder time looking past. I asked real estate and design pros what things in a kitchen immediately turn off homebuyers, and here’s what they had to say.

As beautiful as they can be, butcher blocks are cheaper than stone, which is why so many flippers use them in renovations, says Remington Rand, a real estate agent and president of Rand Properties. While these counters look great when new, they turn off buyers who know that they scar easily when you use them heavily, Rand says. “Around sinks, it can be challenging to seal and can allow water to creep in, causing rot,” he says. 

The exception here: When butcher blocks are used as actual cutting surfaces on a small section or island, it’s practical and develops a natural patina. If you do buy a home with butcher block counters, Rand recommends you make sure you know what kind of sealant was used on the wood so you can maintain it.

Sellers don’t need to have the trendiest kitchen appliances to win over buyers, but the large appliances in the kitchen should at least match, says Broker Sean Adu-Gyamfi of Coldwell Banker Warburg in NYC. A white refrigerator paired with a stainless steel oven or dishwasher may seem like a minor issue, he says, but buyers will perceive clashing appliances as an extra expense to achieve the cohesive and aesthetically pleasing kitchen that they expect.

Kitchen appliances have varying lifespans. So when a buyer notices a kitchen full of outdated appliances, they’ll immediately start seeing additional dollar signs, says Ebony Boudreaux, a kitchen and bath designer at NFM in Kansas City. “If there are old appliances in a home, chances are they either do not work or they are on their way to the appliance graveyard,” she says. “Appliances can be a big-ticket item in a home.” Also, if those appliances are built-in, buyers could be looking at a partial or complete kitchen remodel in the future.

“Many homebuyers prefer to have a kitchen with newer appliances — even if the appliances are not high-end,” Boudreaux says. “The peace of mind in knowing that they don’t ‘have’ to make this type of purchase after buying a home can be a major selling point.”

Mood lighting is among the top kitchen trends designers are betting on to be big in 2025. Buyers tend to prefer warm lighting and can be put off by the harsh institutional lighting of fluorescent box lights, which creates an unwelcoming atmosphere and casts unflattering shadows, says Anna Tatsioni, lead interior designer at Decorilla, an online interior design service. Layered lighting with recessed LEDs, statement pendant fixtures, and under-cabinet lighting are all trending for 2025, she says.

Popular in the 1990s, orange-tinted oak cabinets date a kitchen and can lead buyers to think the kitchen is in need of a renovation. The heavy grain and outdated color makes smaller kitchens feel cramped, Tatsioni says. Today’s buyers are gravitating towards cabinets that are warm white, greige, or sage green with clean lines and minimal graining, she says. “Buyers also appreciate soft-close hardware and organized storage solutions,” Tatsioni says.

A strongly themed or over-accessorized kitchen that seems too personal gives buyers the “ick” too, explains Elissa Hall, lead designer at Awning. “Most buyers go in expecting to find a blank canvas where they can picture their own family get-togethers, and excessive décor — like a brilliant red “diner-style” theme replete with fake neon signs — may destroy that idea before they’ve even had a chance to investigate the rest of the room,” she says. 

Hall once saw a kitchen that was outfitted with a colorful nautical theme, including fishnet stretched over the ceiling and faux portholes on the cabinets, which distracted from the high-end appliances. It’s fine to add personality to your space, but be sure to keep it more neutral when staging it for buyers — and consider following some of these expert tips.

Are any of these your kitchen “icks,” too? Let us know in the comments below!

This post originally appeared on The Kitchn. See it there: 6 Kitchen “Icks” That Instantly Turn Off Homebuyers, According to Real Estate Pros