The Old-School Kitchen Fixture That Immediately Adds Home Value

New trends in kitchen design can make people a little skeptical because you never know how enduring they really are. But if one can add value to your house, it's always worth considering. Some designs, like new granite or quartz countertops, can be practical for your own day-to-day use, so the extra sale value you get from them is a nice bonus. Others, such as backsplashes, are almost purely decorative and more subject to the whims of taste. But right now, one vintage kitchen feature is trending that tows the line between form and function: a pot filler.

Never heard of a pot filler? They went out of fashion for a while, but they are simply a separate faucet that gets mounted above your stove used specifically for, you guessed it, filling pots. The idea is that you can fill or add water right over the stove, saving you the labor of having to carry heavy pots filled with water from the sink, risking spills or worse. They originated in the early 20th century for more functional use in commercial kitchens but have since increasingly worked their way into home kitchens, especially more luxurious ones.

Pot fillers' appeal goes beyond the practical. They are often handsome metal fixtures made of brass or other materials that can add a touch of class to otherwise empty spaces on the backsplash above your stove. That combination of usefulness and aesthetic appeal has made them increasingly popular, enough to make homes even more valuable than before.

Like many fixtures, installing a pot filler can cover a range of costs, being as little as $50 to over $1,000, depending on the quality level. But that isn't the biggest consideration. If your home isn't set up for one, adding a pot filler can mean running additional plumbing, which can cost upwards of $1,200 to $3,000. That's a real investment, but it's one that can pay off big.

Over the last few years, interest in pot fillers has soared. They have been showing up in celebrity kitchens and in the set design of trendy TV shows and movies. Videos featuring them on TikTok are pulling in tens of millions of views, and professional designers say they are one of the most requested kitchen features. And because of the cost of installing them, homes that already have a pot filler are going at a premium. Research of home sales has shown they add up to 3% to the sale price of a home by themselves (via Angi). That's more than a fireplace or even an entire outdoor kitchen.

While no kitchen investment is a guarantee, that's a large payoff, even at the higher range of costs. For those who love to cook, pot fillers are a convenient tool, and everyone loves how they look. Right now, they're one of the most reasonable ways to add a little luxury appeal to your home.