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If you were selling your home would you upgrade your retro 50's yellow formica countertops to granite?

13 Comments

I’ve heard that there’s a 99% return on investment but I’m thinking that granite countertops might sway a potential buyer in our direction that otherwise would have passed up our property. What do you think?


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This entry was posted on June 24, 2010 at 6:29 pm. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Posted in Stone Countertops by admin 13 Comments

13 Responses to "If you were selling your home would you upgrade your retro 50's yellow formica countertops to granite?"

  • kyle.keyes says:
    June 24, 2010 at 6:29 pm

    Granite is a good choice. It’s cheaper
    than quartz and better than coriam.
    And, it really could sell the house.
    You never know what little detail
    triggers the sale.

  • kaminskisb says:
    June 24, 2010 at 6:29 pm

    yes, kitchen is huge- we all know that. But I think that you should look at all avenues. Stamped concrete is a new trend and they can do a lot of beautiful stuff and its usually cheaper. If you really want granite and your flexible on color look at leftover/mess up pieces, or tile. personally, i dont like tile. there are a lot of choices when upgrading from 50′s yellow…

  • kmoc123 says:
    June 24, 2010 at 6:29 pm

    I don’t like granite. I would do concrete and have it stained to go with the rest of the kitchen…I want to do that to MY kitchen! Good Luck

  • badbill1941 says:
    June 24, 2010 at 6:29 pm

    Probably. Granite is more eye appealing than Formica.

  • Gertie says:
    June 24, 2010 at 6:29 pm

    Absolutely most people dont want to buy something that is outdated.

  • CHERI S says:
    June 24, 2010 at 6:29 pm

    It depends on the neighborhood. What do other homes in the area have? What kind of home is it? Are you going to update anything else or will these countertops just emphasize the fact that everything else is still outdated? Also too, Corian counter tops can look just as good, are really popular, are nearly indestructible (unlike granite) and come in all colors and are cheaper than granite. Look into them. I would update them, but not necessarily with granite.

  • tgfann says:
    June 24, 2010 at 6:29 pm

    Absolutely!

  • kitty says:
    June 24, 2010 at 6:29 pm

    if you can hold on to the house summer would be the best time to sell you house you will get more money yes you want it to look really good and get top dollar and if you secied to keep it that’s evey better you can enjoy it

  • k_hart100 says:
    June 24, 2010 at 6:29 pm

    Definitely. Kitchens are one of the biggest selling points of a house and having it really modernized and upgraded will really attract potential buyers to your home. Granite counter tops are also a really hot item right now too so I think you will definitely get your money back from them, if not more.

  • ynra says:
    June 24, 2010 at 6:29 pm

    i’m always watching hgtv and it’s always been said that granite countertops it’s a great upgrade. your chances of getting people that don’t like granite countertops is very slim but in the other hand the chance of getting people that like retro countertops are much higher!!!
    good luck!!!!

  • rebelld says:
    June 24, 2010 at 6:29 pm

    i think it depends on how properties are selling in your area, and what the Realtor said about your house…Remember, you will still get the price, whether or not you put in new counter tops…that can be expensive

  • ISOintelligentlife says:
    June 24, 2010 at 6:29 pm

    I’d upgrade to almost anything else but what’s there.

    Granite may or may not be the right choice based on the price of the granite and whether it’s the right kind of house for that kind of upgrade. (For instance, I wouldn’t upgrade to granite in a modest neighborhood; you’re more likely to just price yourself out of the market.)

  • John says:
    June 24, 2010 at 6:29 pm

    1. Is it likely that other properties that people would consider in the price range have granite? Granite might be right or it might be too high of a spec.

    2. You want a wow factor. Maybe it is the kitchen or maybe it is something else about the property.

    3. Are the present countertops too odd for most people? If so then you are losing money and losing buyers with them. How much it matters is to be determined.

    4. How does the rest of the kitchen look? Do you need to make other changes?

    5. What about the rest of the home? Kitchens and bathrooms are very important to buyers (more female than male actually). If the kitchen is great but the bathroom are a mess then you need to put some money into the bathroom.

    6. Your budget. If you have limited capital then a fresh coat of paint normally has the best return. It costs very little and if you are good (careful) you can do the work yourself. Some think of paint as being work 100 times what it costs in terms of a value increase. Also a real professional clean can go a long way.

    I suggest you do a bit of a tour. Go visit some homes that are already on the market that would be comparable to your home. An agent can produce a list. See what they have and how they compare. Also look a homes that are a bit higher priced. What do they have that you do not have? Can you change something or is it more fundamental (location, school district)?

    You may not get 100% back on what you spend when doing a kitchen or bathroom. Some folks spend more than the improvement is worth. You might get more viewing, more offers but not more money.

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