will new counter and backsplash help sell? and cost?

thinking of jazzing up our kitchen before listing it by putting in a granite counter top and new backsplash.

Our cabinets are decent. the counter and backsplash are formica...ugly formica.

is it worth it to upgrade it? we have a hi ranch so when you walk up our stairs the kitchen is the first thing you see.

and how much did everyone spend on it? i really dont want to spend more than $2000. i have a small kitchen with a tiny island. \

eta we have think we have someone to install it. just have to convince them to help!!

Message edited 10/6/2014 2:50:42 PM.

will new counter and backsplash help sell? and cost?

Honestly, as the buyer, I would be more likely to buy without the upgrade because chances are it wouldn't be what I wanted. But that's just me & DH... we purposely went out looking for less expensive houses that needed updates because we weren't liking the updated houses we were seeing.

Re: will new counter and backsplash help sell? and cost?

You're not going to get the return on the granite. If you really want to jazz up the kitchen counters, maybe price out what nicer formica would be to install.

We're listing our townhouse in the spring and we renovated all 3 bathrooms but we did not replace our formica kitchen counter tops. We would have spent several thousand on granite and would not have gotten enough return to make it worth it.

Re: will new counter and backsplash help sell? and cost?

When I was looking in Florida I found WAY too many houses that had new granite over old cabinets. A lot of homes built in the late 90s weren't old enough for a complete gut, so they wanted to do something.

No thanks. This would annoy me as the seller I am sure would be looking to get money back (raising the price) and I would see no value in that. I would rather rip out completely than do a patch job.

Message edited 10/6/2014 4:28:38 PM.

Re: will new counter and backsplash help sell? and cost?

will new counter and backsplash help sell? and cost?

post a pic of your kitchen and see what everyone says.

I've looked at a lot of houses that added granite to older cabinets that look like they should have taken out the dated cabinets rather than putting granite in. On the other hand, I've seen some kitchens from the 90s that still look good, but have formica.

will new counter and backsplash help sell? and cost?

I'd never put granite with older cabinets. If the counters in bad shape do a laminate or Formica just go freshen up a bit

Re: will new counter and backsplash help sell? and cost?

I would sell it "as is." You don't get full return on investment, even with kitchens. And just adding granite counters alone isn't really going to add significant value the way a totally renovated kitchen would.

Plus, as others have said, the problem with renovating before selling is that you may not choose what a particular buyer would like. So if you put in dark granite and someone is envisioning white marble counters in their kitchen, then you've just wasted the money (and the buyer will probably re-do the counters anyway).

Also, new high end counters against old cabinets, appliances, etc. can look jarring and out of place. It's the old "lipstick on a pig" thing. Most people -- myself included -- don't like to upgrade kitchens piecemeal, but would rather do it all at once so it's a cohesive design aesthetic, and they are getting exactly what they want.

You are better off spending your time preparing the home for market by decluttering and depersonalizing it, having it deep cleaned, making sure everything is repaired and in good working order. If you have something that could really turn buyers off (like dingy paint or a jarring color that you could paint over, or old stained carpet that has hardwood underneath that can be ripped up), I would do those things, as they are more work than money, and it may help your home sell faster.

But my rule of thumb is - you generally don't want to do renovations (big or small) on a house you are selling.

Re: will new counter and backsplash help sell? and cost?

i agree that it may not be worth it to do new granite if the cabinets are old

when we got our counters last year, the cheapest pricing was about $69 per sq foot

will new counter and backsplash help sell? and cost?

My parents just had an appraisal and he said kitchens and baths sell houses. So my opinion is if you are not going all the way..cabinets and countertops..sell as is.

will new counter and backsplash help sell? and cost?

I would skip a counter upgrade. When we were looking I actually skipped a lot of upgraded houses. I want things my way. I wanted a kitchen that was livable but I want to renovate after a few years and figuring where I want things. Even after we do finally redo the kitchen, I don't want granite countertops, so that would not appeal to me as a buyer. It's money that could be better spent other ways.

will new counter and backsplash help sell? and cost?

What everyone else has said. The most I would maybe do is change to different, nicer formica - it would be so much cheaper.

Re: will new counter and backsplash help sell? and cost?

Re: will new counter and backsplash help sell? and cost?

Re: will new counter and backsplash help sell? and cost?

I wouldnt put in the money on new granite. Like the others said, you probably wont get your money back especially if the rest of the kitchen isnt ideal. I would have rather chosen my own than paid a premium for new granite the seller just put in. We didnt see any kitchens we liked when we were looking and bought a house that needed to be redone with plans to gut renovate. The layout of our kitchen was bad so even if there was new granite we would have ripped it out. new hardware, new faucet, etc may be more worth your while to give an updated look.

Re: will new counter and backsplash help sell? and cost?

As someone who just looked at plenty of houses and ultimately bought a new house, I wouldn't bother. It is doubtful that a potential buyer is going to like what you did/have similar style and they will more likely just redo an entire kitchen in their own time. I would save your money.

Re: will new counter and backsplash help sell? and cost?

I wouldn't bother and save your $.

Re: will new counter and backsplash help sell? and cost?

Re: will new counter and backsplash help sell? and cost?

I wouldn't spend the money on it - they might change it anyway.

A backsplash or counter wouldn't sway me either way.

Re: will new counter and backsplash help sell? and cost?

Fresh paint, clutter removal and clean will help you sell .