My parent's have went with a granite tile countertop in their kitchen remodel about 8 years ago, and same with their basement bar. I like the look of it, but I'm not sure how it will fair re-sale wise. I have a small ranch home (~1300 sq ft), and it certainly won't be worth more than $200k after my remodel is over, so I am ruling out solid granite countertops. My debate is between granite tile vs. a laminate. I haven't found a laminate in a black "flake" pattern that I really like, and I'm worried that the "matte" finish of the Formica and Wilsonart's that I've found won't have a any shine to them to accent the under-cabinet lighting. However, with granite tile, I will of course have grout lines. I am not worried about the functionality of them, as I will do all cutting on a cutting board, but I'm worried about resale if this will be more of a turn off as opposed to a solid laminate. What do you guys think?
Price wise, they should be about the same, if not cheaper for the granite tile (Doing all the work myself).
I think they look nice as they are... If anything, change the kitchen top and leave the bar alone, basements are a bonus.
I would stay away from Formica though, Quartz and Granite are the deal sealers :clap:
How's about some basic faucet replacements?
Actually, the house pictured (my parents) is not the one I'm working on. I should have specified better, but I recently purchased my first home and it's a fixer upper. I have the cabinets in, and while I'm diving into the bathroom renovation I have time to decide on what route to go for the counter top.
I personally think 90% of tile countertops look like someone wanted solid slab but didn't/couldn't pay for it. You can get away with it for a bar, but I wouldn't do tile in a kitchen. My parents had a tile countertop, and it sucked to wipe down. Crumbs always get stuck in the grout lines, grout stains and discolors over time.
The worst is the cheap-look factor though. If you want to sell the house quick(er), get the real deal.
EDIT: one more thing. You won't find many gloss laminates because the glossier finish will show scratches/swirls much easier than the harder rock surfaces.
Just take off the top and replace it with a wood countertop. They are Super popular and hot right now and are a Huge upsell. Also mine was less than $28 a square foot because I got a "DIY" wood countertop. Don't waste your money getting a pre-fabricated one or even granite because everyone (even aparments) has granite. If you are going to do a granite you may as well leave what you have.
You can do a natural Tung Oil finish on it the wood and it will be waterproof, too. I use mine for chopping, serving, prep work, etc. Highly recommend it.
I actually had fun putting the oil on mine, too. Not a lot of work time, as long as you can let it dry between coats, you're all set.
:thumbsup:
ps. wood countertops are Super high end now (not your great grandparents unfinished maple whatever stuff). Look in home/kitchen magazines anywhere.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
DIY Home Improvement Forum
3.1M posts
319.6K members
Since 2003
A forum community dedicated to Do it yourself-ers and home improvement enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about tools, projects, builds, styles, scales, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more! Helping You to Do It Yourself!