I really appreciate that you are thinking about this as a landlord because it is definitely something that, as an apartment hunter, I've had some pretty strong feelings about. The whole country seems to be extremely lacking in landlords who give two thoughts to kitchen construction.
First off, let me just say that it is NOT the *size* or "fanciness" of the kitchen that matters, it's the intelligence of its design. A tiny kitchen with maximal counter and cabinet space is ALWAYS better than a huge kitchen with one tiny granite counter top with a stainless steel fridge, and yet it almost always seems as if landlords renting apartments believe the opposite to be true based on what I see in the listings.
One thing that is often overlooked but makes a *huge* difference is lighting that points directly at the counter tops. I find it very difficult to cook in the dark or, as is the case in most apartment kitchens, in my own shadow (because there is one feeble light in the center of the kitchen). It's especially important that that light be pointed directly at the counter in a way that is never obstructed. If you Google "restaurant kitchen" you will see, in the very first picture that comes up, an example of a kitchen that has lights directly over the counter top. To put it bluntly, there is almost no such thing as "too much light" in a kitchen. It is very important (can you tell this is a sore spot? :-)).
Two other kitchen-related things that, when taken together and with good kitchen-counter lighting, are important enough so as to make me consider an otherwise unimpressive apartment even if it is very expensive: Lots of outlets above the counter (at least one per counter "section"), a gas stove, a dish washer (the kind with TWO rotors so that the dishes on the top ACTUALLY GET CLEAN), a garbage disposal, and a stove vent that actually vents to the outside.
Sometimes it seems like a lot of landlords regard these things as unreasonable capital expenses when refurbishing an otherwise modest apartment but, as a renter who cooks, I can tell you for sure that a) Apartments that have all of these things without being otherwise extremely "high-end" are extremely rare and way out of my price range and b) Because such apartments are so rare, they almost always make me re-think my original price cap. When I was hunting for my current apartment, I gave the realtor a limit of $1400 a month. I was shown several larger apartments for that price (with kitchens that were large, but severely lacking) before being shown my current place (for $1500) with a much nicer kitchen. Given the space difference, I think it's safe to assume that I paid about $150/month more for the nicer kitchen. Since it was such a rare find, I've stayed here for 3 years so far. That's an extra $5400 for my landlord over 3 years for amenities that almost certainly cost him less than half that amount.
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Date: 2010-12-19 02:51 am (UTC)First off, let me just say that it is NOT the *size* or "fanciness" of the kitchen that matters, it's the intelligence of its design. A tiny kitchen with maximal counter and cabinet space is ALWAYS better than a huge kitchen with one tiny granite counter top with a stainless steel fridge, and yet it almost always seems as if landlords renting apartments believe the opposite to be true based on what I see in the listings.
One thing that is often overlooked but makes a *huge* difference is lighting that points directly at the counter tops. I find it very difficult to cook in the dark or, as is the case in most apartment kitchens, in my own shadow (because there is one feeble light in the center of the kitchen). It's especially important that that light be pointed directly at the counter in a way that is never obstructed. If you Google "restaurant kitchen" you will see, in the very first picture that comes up, an example of a kitchen that has lights directly over the counter top. To put it bluntly, there is almost no such thing as "too much light" in a kitchen. It is very important (can you tell this is a sore spot? :-)).
Two other kitchen-related things that, when taken together and with good kitchen-counter lighting, are important enough so as to make me consider an otherwise unimpressive apartment even if it is very expensive: Lots of outlets above the counter (at least one per counter "section"), a gas stove, a dish washer (the kind with TWO rotors so that the dishes on the top ACTUALLY GET CLEAN), a garbage disposal, and a stove vent that actually vents to the outside.
Sometimes it seems like a lot of landlords regard these things as unreasonable capital expenses when refurbishing an otherwise modest apartment but, as a renter who cooks, I can tell you for sure that a) Apartments that have all of these things without being otherwise extremely "high-end" are extremely rare and way out of my price range and b) Because such apartments are so rare, they almost always make me re-think my original price cap. When I was hunting for my current apartment, I gave the realtor a limit of $1400 a month. I was shown several larger apartments for that price (with kitchens that were large, but severely lacking) before being shown my current place (for $1500) with a much nicer kitchen. Given the space difference, I think it's safe to assume that I paid about $150/month more for the nicer kitchen. Since it was such a rare find, I've stayed here for 3 years so far. That's an extra $5400 for my landlord over 3 years for amenities that almost certainly cost him less than half that amount.