Avoid extremes.The exotic wood cabinetry, the $10,000 range, the separate refrigerator and freezer units — is it necessary or luxury? You decide. Don’t cheap out, but avoid the highest end items and features.

Open up the space. If you have a larger budget for your kitchen renovation and your floor plan is one that doesn’t allow the kitchen to “air out” to other spaces in the home, it could be worth your while to knock out some walls, Rady says. “Buyers really want that open floor plan,” she adds.

Add some ‘Wow!’ features. Convenience items impress homebuyers. Go for extra drawers, a pull-out pantry (tall or in a base cabinet), stone or stone composite countertops. Lighting, such as under-cabinet fixtures, will add ambiance and show off materials in the kitchen. (link to lighting article)

Go for granite.No matter the price range of your home, buyers want to see granite countertops. If you opt for solid surface such as pulverized quartz, choose a “pattern” that looks like granite, suggests Rady. Keep in mind the price tag when you choose granite: There’s no need to go for the most obscure, high-end slab. “Check around—there are some companies that offer great specials, especially on first tier granite,” Rady says. To the buyer: granite is granite—what tier that granite is rarely makes the to-buy-or-not-to-buy discussion.