Home Values and New Stone Countertops – is it Worth It?

by | Oct 16, 2008 | 19, 2, 3, Articles

<h2 style="margin: 10pt 0in 0pt"><font size="3" color="#990000">Home Values and New Stone Countertops – is it Worth It?</font></h2><p><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; letter-spacing: 1pt">The good news is that pricing of stone countertops have fallen because of their popularity.<span>  </span>You can now purchase these countertops for the same price as Corian or solid surface countertops.<span>   </span>Higher end customized countertops are entering the market allowing the prices to get even better for stone or engineered countertops.<span>  </span>The more customized countertop would be cement or stainless steel.</span></p><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; letter-spacing: 1pt"><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">You’ll need to do some shopping around first to find what would work best for you and your family’s needs.<span>  </span>For example, a marble countertop would not work well in most bathrooms or kitchens with a lot of traffic because of it getting scratched and stained easily.<span>  </span>But it would work very well for an area without much usage.</p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"> </p><div style="text-align: center"><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,29,0" width="425" height="282"><param name="movie" value="../images/banners/2b.swf" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="wmode" value="" /><embed src="../images/banners/2b.swf" wmode="" quality="high" menu="false" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="282"></embed></object></div>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">But there is a variety of countertops available that would look beautiful, are durable and at the same time, may boost the value or resell of your home.<span>  </span>You most likely will recover up to 74% of the cost of the countertops after the sale of your home.<span>  </span>It would be better if the return was higher on the cost of the stone countertops, but on the other hand, it might make for a quicker sale.<span>  </span>Another good reason would be that the buyer doesn’t have to spend money on updating the countertops and they may fall in love with the look of them. </p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">If you decide to install new stone countertops, you’ll need to plan on buying a new sink first, because under-mount sinks look the best with the stone countertops and must be installed beforehand.<span>   </span>When choosing colors for your countertops, staying with the more neutral colors would be best for resell.<span>  </span>Many prospective buyers may not like the dark green colored stone that you thought would be ideal.</p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">Outdated, scratched, damaged or stained countertops might turn off a potential buyer, especially when most new homes already have beautiful countertops.<span>  </span>Ceramic tile countertops used to be the most popular choice, but it had problems with chipping, cracking and stains in the grout.<span>  </span>Plus, it is difficult to find a matching ceramic stone to replace the damaged tiles.<span>  </span>Most home buyers automatically think that this style is outdated now, even if the tile is in good condition. </p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">But the decision ultimately is yours, but remember that the countertops are not the only improvement needed for a faster sale, new paint, landscaping and flooring are just some of the important things that also play a major part in the value and sale of your home.</p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"> </p><div style="text-align: center"><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,29,0" width="425" height="282"><param name="movie" value="../images/banners/2a.swf" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="wmode" value="" /><embed src="../images/banners/2a.swf" wmode="" quality="high" menu="false" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="282"></embed></object></div>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><strong>About the Author</strong></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">Verona Raymond knows custom countertops including engineered or natural surfaces. Learn more about the latest trends with various countertops available on the market today at: <a href="http://www.countertopviews.com/">http://www.countertopviews.com</a> </p>  <p><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; letter-spacing: 1pt">Article Source: <a href="http://www.articlesbase.com/kitchens-articles/home-values-and-new-stone-countertops-is-it-worth-it-714727.html">http://www.articlesbase.com/kitchens-articles/home-values-and-new-stone-countertops-is-it-worth-it-714727.html</a> </span></p></span>