3 Reasons You Should Never Go Cheap on Kitchen Counters
The kitchen is the heart and soul of any home. Even if you don’t cook, you’ll find people gravitate toward the kitchen when you’re entertaining. Whether the kids are doing their homework at the bar or you are sitting around having a glass of wine and good conversation with a friend, the kitchen is where you go. It’s where memories are made, laughter occurs, and really good food is consumed. If your kitchen is ugly, you probably don’t love spending time in there. That’s what most people spend the most money upgrading and updating their kitchen. When it’s time to remodel the kitchen in your home, be sure you understand going cheap when you buy your countertops is a bad idea.
It’s Not As Durable as High-End Countertops
High-end counters are a much better option when you are upgrading your kitchen, and there are so many reasons. The most common reason you certainly do not want to go cheap in the kitchen with a laminate or other cheap surface is durability. You might spend a lot less now, but you’ll end up spending a lot more later as you realize how fragile a cheap countertop really is. Your cheap counters cannot be utilized the way you’d like to see them utilized.
You cannot put your hot pots and pans on them without burning them or staining them with burn marks. You cannot cut anything on your counter or you will cut the counter. You cannot maintain a beautiful seamless line in the kitchen. Cheap counters simply aren’t seamless. A solid surface counter such as granite is a better option because you can put your hot pots and pans on it, you can cut on it, and you never see the seams.
Upscale, expensive countertops last years longer than cheap ones. They’re tough, easy to maintain, and they don’t look as cheap. They’re also going to outlast your kids, your mistakes, and your spills. That’s what you want in a kitchen.
Cheap Counters Do Not Add Value
If you’re remodeling your home, you’re not going to add value using materials that aren’t in style. No one wants a cheap counter, and no one is willing to pay more for a kitchen that doesn’t come with all the high-end upgrades. If you are in the market to add value to your home before you sell it, you won’t get that kind of value with a cheap countertop. It doesn’t matter how nice the rest of your house is, you will not get any money back for the counters you’re putting in unless they are high-end countertops. People pay more for granite, quartz, and marble countertops. They don’t pay more for Corian or Laminate.
Cheap Counters Can Cause Your Home to Sit on the Market
Are you looking to sell your home? Whether you plan on selling it soon or you plan on listing it in a few years, you’re going to find you cannot sell your home as quickly if you have cheap countertops in your kitchen. Kitchens and baths sell homes, and countertop replacement is not often a DIY job. Buyers can’t replace them on their own, and they can’t replace them on a small budget. No matter how gorgeous the rest of your house is, most buyers will forgo buying a home that doesn’t have the right kind of upgrades in it. You don’t want to live here forever, take a lower price for it, or watch buyers head to other homes with less appeal but nicer countertops.
Your home is your home. You should love it, but you should always consider it the investment it is. If you’re going to invest in a home, you need to do it with a very specific thing in mind. That thing is value. Never add something to your home that doesn’t add value. Cheap counters do not add value. They take money, they require frequent replacement, and they aren’t going to allow you to sell your home for more. Make wise decisions when you upgrade your kitchen. You don’t have to spend a lot, but you do need to consider investing so you make more money over time.
