Why Real Estate Agents Dread Seeing White Kitchen Cabinets

by LAUREN WELLBANK

Image Credit: Margaret Rajic | Stocksy

Image Credit: Rob and Julia Campbell/Stocksy

Five realtors dished about why they dread seeing white kitchen cabinets in a listing, and why you should probably dread seeing them too.

Yawar Charlie, director of the estates division at Aaron Kirman Group with Compass, says that people aren’t looking for neutral kitchens as much anymore. “Right now we are seeing a trend towards darker and bolder cabinets,” Charlie says.

They’re falling out of style

Image Credit: Live Eat Learn

Michael Sadis, the founder of IN•HOUSE Real Estate Group, says, “What I hate about them is [they’re] all buyers want.” Many buyers will simply write an otherwise perfect home off if they have natural or stained wood cabinets.

They create expectations that traditional wooden cabinets can’t meet

“Depending on the white material utilized for the kitchen cabinet, white will discolor, show dirt, spills, and scratches,” says agent Karen Kostiw of Warburg Realty. If the maintenance doesn’t scare them away, the lack of a cozy, homey feel might.

Their upkeep can
scare buyers away

Every kitchen Yashmin Lloyds, a licensed real estate salesperson with Compass, shows her clients these days is a “turnkey” model with white cabinets, stainless steel appliances, and Carrara white marble countertops. “It’s so boring and unmemorable,” she says.

Image Credit: Boglárka Nagy

They don’t make a
home stand out

“In my experience, the only people that dislike the white cabinets are the ones that have a super specific vision about how they want their kitchen to look,” explains Tom Meaney, a broker associate with Compass. 

Image Credit: Melanie Greene

They’re not what a
buyer has in mind

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