In late April, The Washington Post posted an article about which home remodeling projects pay you back the most. A midrange kitchen remodel tops the list, including updating laminate, optimizing layout, and getting stainless steel appliances. Though that article looks at the big picture, we wanted to look at the payback of updating countertops to natural or manufactured stone.
Granite
Homeowners often have natural stone countertops at the tops of their lists of must-haves. It is known that, in general, a kitchen remodel or update adds about 80-100% of the renovation cost to the resell value. Along with that, homes with natural stone countertops tend to sell faster and for higher prices than comparable homes.
When granite became popular in the 80’s, it was reserved for those who could afford the luxury. In the 90’s, when more countries started quarrying natural stone, increased production drove down the price. This made the “luxury” product more accessible, in turn, gaining popularity.
As with everything, nothing is guaranteed. When choosing natural stone with resale value in mind, try leaning towards neutral and classic styles. It is important to do research on homes in your area, if they have natural stone, you might want to consider it!
Quartz
Recently quartz or manufactured stone beat out granite as the most popular kitchen countertop material. While on the surface, natural stone may seem to offer more resale value, that might be changing! As of right now, granite, marble, travertine, soapstone, and so on will typically give you bigger resale value. But as we have been seeing, quartz is ready to take over!
Quartz gained its popularity by being more durable, requiring less maintenance, more customizable, a bit less expensive, and is just as beautiful!
Either way, doing updates or a remodel you love will always bring more value to your home. Whether that value be in resale or increasing your love for your home! If you are considering renovating or updating your countertops, contact us.
