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I actually think today's "real" buyer, not an HGTV buyer is not that concerned with counter tops. Once you find the area you like and the price that can fit your budget and lifestyle, the counter tops suddenly don't become as important as you think....I rather my children in a good school districts than care about SS appliances, which i can buy myself and pick the ones I want out.
because the location doesn't change ,but the counter tops can be changed.
don't get me wrong. I COMPLETELY agree with you. That doesn't mean that there aren't TONS of people out there who don't have that level-headed mindset unfortunately.
There are stainless steel appliances that are "fingerprint proof" and that don't smudge easily - not sure how they make that finish but it works GREAT and has a sort of buffed look. I love it and have not regretted my stainless steel appliances for one minute. I don't care whether they are "in style" or not - and by the way, stainless appliances have been around a very, very long time.
However, when we bought our house, it already had granite countertops in it. I don't care for them but they're in good shape so I haven't replaced them yet. That day is coming, however. When we replace them, it will probably be with a more neutral quartz.
Granite is still and will be the standard into the future. Bang for the buck, the basic granites are priced so well, they beat synthetics or quartz in price and are very durable and seemless. Laminates still hold to much of a stygma, I would never do laminate or cultured marble. I love Carrara marble, but it scratches easily (doesnt stop me). Soapstone is ok too.
Appliances are trivia in the price ranges most of these shows feature. Countertops almost so. The cabinets themselves are much more important, much harder to replace, and much more expensive than the countertops. Location (thrice :-) ) and layout are a lot more important. Condition of roof and HVAC and windows are important but IMO are more factors in price negotiation than reasons to reject a house outright, unless you're blessed with a lot of good houses to choose from. Structural issues, foundation issues, termites, drainage, these are good reasons to reject a house.
Still, it beats people who complain about the wall or carpeting color, I guess.
We loved our current home the very first time we saw it...it had great bones....we overlooked a number of issues including old pink laminate kichen counters. We replaced the counters and several other odd things and now have a house we love. We are really happy the previous owners didn't update the kitchen in anticipation of selling the house....our taste is very different.
The thing is, home buyers are expecting at least granite/stainless in most homes these days, even in the smaller homes and townhouses. They want move-in ready too, so the older style laminate counter-tops and press-wood cabinets are going to be a hard sale, even with an update allowance.
My personal opinion of why folks are obsessed with granite is because it's a durable surface that requires little to no maintenance. With proper care and common sense, it will last decades and with a buff-job can look like new.
As far as stainless, I see that being more of a passing fad. We bought all new stainless appliances last year and I'm not particularly fond of them, but felt like they were the best choice for my home. Have used lemon furniture polish, which I think was recommended here, to clean them and they look good for maybe a couple weeks. One of my kids put a small dent in one of the refrigerator doors already and the stove has a scratch from lifting up the iron grating to clean underneath. Stainless appliances seem more fragile from a cosmetic perspective. I expect ours to get dinged up and scratched over the next 5 years with 2 young boys in the house.
The thing is, home buyers are expecting at least granite/stainless in most homes these days, even in the smaller homes and townhouses. They want move-in ready too, so the older style laminate counter-tops and press-wood cabinets are going to be a hard sale, even with an update allowance.
My personal opinion of why folks are obsessed with granite is because it's a durable surface that requires little to no maintenance. With proper care and common sense, it will last decades and with a buff-job can look like new.
As far as stainless, I see that being more of a passing fad. We bought all new stainless appliances last year and I'm not particularly fond of them, but felt like they were the best choice for my home. Have used lemon furniture polish, which I think was recommended here, to clean them and they look good for maybe a couple weeks. One of my kids put a small dent in one of the refrigerator doors already and the stove has a scratch from lifting up the iron grating to clean underneath. Stainless appliances seem more fragile from a cosmetic perspective. I expect ours to get dinged up and scratched over the next 5 years with 2 young boys in the house.
I think you will find many here who would not be "expecting at least granite/stainless" if they were to buy a home. People who can't see how simple and easy it is to update a basically good kitchen are without experience and perhaps imagination. I'm not talking about a tear-down kitchen - but one like ours with great cabinets, wonderful design and size but just crappy counters and outdated appliances and hardware. To update our kitchen we spent a pittance of what it would cost to gut the kitchen and start over....and had the owners "updated" to their taste, it might have been a deal breaker. I got to choose exactly what I wanted not live with someone else's choices.
Those who are keeping up with what is going on with kitchen design know that there are many wonderful options for counters besides granite....appliance choice not so much but enough.
I think you will find many here who would not be "expecting at least granite/stainless" if they were to buy a home. People who can't see how simple and easy it is to update a basically good kitchen are without experience and perhaps imagination. I'm not talking about a tear-down kitchen - but one like ours with great cabinets, wonderful design and size but just crappy counters and outdated appliances and hardware. To update our kitchen we spent a pittance of what it would cost to gut the kitchen and start over....and had the owners "updated" to their taste, it might have been a deal breaker. I got to choose exactly what I wanted not live with someone else's choices.
Those who are keeping up with what is going on with kitchen design know that there are many wonderful options for counters besides granite....appliance choice not so much but enough.
Totally agree that there are buyers for homes that need updating, but in most large metro areas, these type of homes will need to be heavily discounted or the owner's will need to plan on the house being on the market for a long time.
Personally, I would prefer to do updates on my own, but can also appreciate that folks don't want to go through the headache of a big tear-out remodel job. Think the best scenario for those that want to personalize a home is to just build new.
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