Even if you’re not the next Mario Batali, the kitchen in your luxury Chicago home better be up-to-snuff with today’s modern conveniences and technologies. Whether cooking or not, people spend a lot of time in the kitchen. This room is the home’s major gathering area, where people can socialize and/or cook all at the same time. The kitchen can dramatically affect your Chicago home’s resale value, so you better make sure yours is up-to-date.

Here are some suggestions for bringing your kitchen into the 21st century:

• Ultra-elegant knives are a must-have item for any luxury kitchen. World-renowned French chef Michel Bras developed his own line of sophisticated cutting utensils in conjunction with Japanese knife manufacturer KAI (Japanese knives are known for being very light, thin and agile). A 10-piece set costs approximately $2,700 at Williams-Sonoma. Even if you don’t use them often, make sure these works of art are displayed prominently within your kitchen.

• A built-in cappuccino maker, such as a built-in Miele, preserves counter space without the hassle of storage. If you’re selling your Chicago home, keep in mind that no one enjoys looking at a cluttered counter. These systems cost roughly $3,000, but they fit seamlessly into a custom-built kitchen. Most machines only have the ability to brew one cup at a time, which is their only downside.

• A Sub-Zero refrigerator will no doubt set your Chicago home a part from all the others. Sub-Zero refrigerators contain an air purification system that continuously rids your fridge of odors, bacteria, ethylene gas and contaminants to keep food fresh. Even if you’re not a serious cooker, the Pro 48 will have you looking like one. Made entirely of stainless steel, this fridge looks like you bought it straight from an industrial kitchen. From $6,000.

• Wolf cooktops are every designer’s dream. They are functional, yet look so darn good. With customizable parts such as a steamer or fryer, Wolf’s integrated module cooktops make it hard to leave the kitchen. They even allow you to have an electric cooktop directly next to a gas one. Wolf cooktops, which are manufactured by the same company as Sub-Zero, cost from $1,000.

• A smart, high-tech oven like the TMIO Intelligent Oven is the next wave in cooking technology. This oven let’s you refrigerate your food prior to cooking, and allows you to start the cooking process remotely via the telephone or Internet. A single oven costs $6,000, a double oven costs $7,500.

• A high-end dishwasher, such as Bosch, can sense how dirty your dishes are and automatically adjusts the wash temperature to accommodate. The company’s Evolution 800 Series dishwasher even has a “party” mode that cleans lightly soiled dishes in just 30 minutes. According to the company, “It’s perfect for times when you need to keep your party going.” From $1,200.

• A wine cooler is the new gotta-have item for your kitchen. The Electrolux Icon Designer Series 48-bottle wine cooler has thermal-tempered glass door that protects your wine from harmful UV light rays. This model is approximately the size of a dishwasher and costs $1,900.

Bottom line: Make sure everything is modern and high-end, or at least high-end-looking. In luxury Chicago homes, there should be nothing kitschy about the kitchens.

That said, there are plenty of ways beyond simply keeping your place that will appeal to potential buyers. You want to make sure your place seems like a comfortable home, but also like a place they could put their own signature stamp on; for instance, prospective owners should be able to feel like your place could be their home. Therefore, it is best to give your space a neutral feeling – if you have walls or carpets that are unusual or bold colors, it is probably best to change them before you attempt to sell your property. In addition, “statement” pieces of furniture or artwork can distract buyers from the “bones” of the place and the potential it holds for them.

Moreover, the way you stage your home should show off its structural features, especially any unique elements like bay windows, unusual layouts, decorative moldings, or any other reasons that make your Chicago condo stand out from the masses. It is important to remember that most buyers are looking at lots of different homes during their property search, so yours needs to be memorable – in a positive way – if you want to sell your home successfully.

Last but certainly not least, if you are selling your Chicago home, you should talk to your real estate agent about the best possible way to stage your property – an experienced agent will know the best possible way to present it to prospective buyers.

Check back tomorrow for the top ten staging tips from a Chicago real estate agent.

Yes, for maximim exposure of your property, the web is the place to be. According to the National Association of Realtors’ Profile of Buyers and Sellers study done in 2006, 83% of first-time buyers and 78% of repeat buyers used the internet to search for a home….isn’t that an amazing number. And although most people believe the internet audience is in the 21 to 35 age category I am finding the demographic for use of my site has included people 45 to over 60 years of age.

And this past year, my 45 to 60 year old clients have bought properties in the $700,000 all the way up to $1,150,000. In fact, 90% of my business was web initiated. So if you think the internet advertising is not important, think otherwise. And there is currently a large array of sites to consider.

Mls.com, Mapmls.com, realtor.com, chicagotribune.com, trulia.com, luxuryrealestate.com, zillow.com, searchchicago.suntimes.com, chicagojournal.com, relohomesearch.com, homeseekers.com, dailyherald.com and homes.com are some of the sites you should consider advertising on. And finally, don’t forget the individual realtor’s site and his/her company site.

Remember, when selecting a realtor with the thought of getting maximum exposure on the internet, check out the key words people will Google, like Chicago Condo, Chicago Townhomes, Chicago New Construction, Chicago Condos. If the realtor’s site appears on the first page, you will know that his/her site is getting maximum exposure, both for the individual realtor and your home when you put it on the market The more exposure, the higher the probabilty you will sell your home faster especially when the property is priced right.

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