Increase Home Resale Value With Granite

Making improvements to your home sounds fabulous, but the projects are often more involved that we anticipate. When tackling a home improvement project, it’s best to focus on the areas of your home that see the most use. While all home improvements and upgrades may enhance your daily functionality and enjoyment, we want to focus on those that will also increase the market value of your home. This way you get to enjoy the updates and improvements and if you decide to sell, you have increased your home’s potential in a buyer’s eyes.

An outdated kitchen or bath can keep your home from reaching the highest market valuation. Something as simple as replacing your countertops with granite or another type of natural stone is an investment that will do more than just enhance the appearance. Granite continues to be the most popular countertop among homebuyers and it can boost your home’s value by up to 25%.

Birmingham Kitchen Transformation Fantasy Brown Quartzite

According to the Zillow Group Consumer Housing Trends Report 2021, 63 percent of buyers who purchased in the last 12 months said having their preferred style of kitchen was extremely or very important to their home-buying decision. With the current inventory shortage in the housing market, sellers may not feel they need to have the home that shows the best. However, the current climate is allowing sellers to demand top dollar for their homes. The better your home shows, the better the opportunity to command the price you desire.

A mid-range kitchen remodel carries an average cost of $75,000. This may not be in the budget, especially when the goal is to spruce up your home to place on the market. The ROI of a kitchen remodel is somewhere between 53.5% to 81.1% depending on the scope of the remodel and the region your home is in, according to the 2021 Remodeling magazine’s Cost vs. Value Report.

The key is to improve functionality and aesthetics while keeping your budget and ROI top of mind. We would all love to add chef-worthy appliances, new cabinets, and the perfect layout to our kitchen. Yet, there are ways to get the desired result without breaking the bank. In this article, we will explore the reasons adding a natural stone countertop such as granite may add resale value to your home.

Timeless Appeal

Granite has retained popularity and appeal for decades. There are plentiful options when it comes to natural stone and you can choose neutral colors that will blend with any cabinet color, paint color, and decor style. Natural stone countertops truly are a work of art by Mother Nature. The element and mineral composition of this igneous rock make it extremely dense and durable. No two rocks are exactly the same, each piece of stone is distinct in its own special way.

Granite comes in hundreds of patterns as well as colors. With so many to choose from, it becomes almost like choosing a piece of art. Your stone countertop can become the focal point of the room, or be chosen to blend in with your cabinets and let another feature be the star of the room. The possibilities truly are endless and unique.

Knowing that granite has stood the test of time when it comes to trends and styles, you can rest easily that you are making a good investment in your home by upgrading your countertop.

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Longevity and Strength

Granite is an extremely durable, hard stone, making it an ideal choice for many applications, not just countertops. Granite resists scratches and stains, and will withstand normal wear and tear with proper sealing and maintenance. Granite is also heat tolerant, suitable for installation near a range or cooktop, or in a bathroom where high-heat hair tools may be present.

While it is a good idea to wipe up stains as they happen, some materials are more forgiving to stains than others. Granite is a very low porous stone and resistant to staining, especially when compared to Marble. The biggest offenders when it comes to staining are oil-based products – such as cooking oils, butter, and fats. Don’t panic if you do see a stain on your natural stone, many times it can be removed with a DIY poultice. It is a good idea to have your stone sealed, or ensure this is done during the fabrication process prior to installation.

Granite isn’t the only natural or engineered stone you can choose for your countertops, there are pros and cons of the various stones we’ve explored in another article. One of the biggest things to remember is to remodel in a manner proportional to the home. If you are in a $200,000 home, and spend $50,000 on a kitchen remodel, you may be pricing yourself out of the market. Granite can range from $36 per square foot up to $75 or more depending on the slab. Knowing your budget when you visit the fabricator will help you to stay within budget while still selecting a beautiful stone.

Low Maintenance

Both for yourself as a homeowner, and for resale value, having something that is low maintenance will pay off. There are a variety of natural stone cleaners you can purchase to clean your granite or natural stone with a soft cloth. You can also use something as simple as a mild dish soap diluted with water in conjunction with a cotton cloth or soft sponge. After wiping your countertop, wiping down with a soft cloth will help to eliminate any streaks and leave the surface with a sparkling shine. You don’t want to use any abrasive scrubbers or harsh chemicals.

Many countertop materials such as marble, travertine, and soapstone are more difficult to maintain and require extra steps when it comes to daily cleaning and long term maintenance. Selecting a material you can enjoy and will be versatile and low maintenance in the eyes of a potential buyer are the smartest investment.

Return on Investment

The average return on a kitchen remodel varies greatly by region, local market and the level of renovation. Remodeling magazine’s Cost vs. Value Report 2021 breaks down the average home sale return by region and scope of project.

National midrange minor kitchen remodel ROI

ROI: 72.2 percent
Average cost: $26,214
Return: $18,926

National midrange major kitchen remodel ROI

ROI: 57.4 percent
Average cost: $75,571
Return: $43,364

National upscale major kitchen remodel ROI

ROI: 53.9 percent
Average cost: $149,079
Return: $80,284

When considering a kitchen remodel, it pays to know that you will gain functionality and satisfaction from the project. In addition, depending on the scope of your remodel, you should recoup over half and in some cases almost 75% of your investment.

The kitchen is the main focal point of the home in many cases and one area that is extremely important to potential buyers. They want to be able to visualize themselves in the space. Homebuyers know how costly kitchen remodels can be, not to mention the inconvenience factor. Having a ready-to-move-in-ready kitchen is a feature that could easily sway buyers your way.

If you know your kitchen could be spruced up, but don’t have the budget or the time to do a full renovation, there are many ways you can tackle a minor renovation that will pay dividends in function, style, and even resale value.

Painting or refacing your current kitchen cabinets to achieve an updated, neutral, and fresh look.
Replace the countertops with granite for an updated and luxurious look. In many cases, you can visit a large granite warehouse where you could select remnants (leftover slabs of granite) at a discounted price for your job. If you select a larger fabricator you will likely have a variety of stones to choose from. Updating your countertops can give your kitchen a fresh and modern look. When replacing the countertops you can often replace the sinks with an undermount sink for a sleek, clean appearance without adding much cost.
Add an island to enhance counter space and functionality to your kitchen. With the current trend of coordinating but not matching island colors you can easily select a neutral base and countertop that accentuates your existing cabinets and countertops.
Refresh the hardware on your cabinets with something more up to date such as matte black or antique brass which is making a comeback in 2021 kitchen design.
Replace or add a backsplash in your kitchen to spruce up the look. You can choose anything from tile to natural stone, or even more unique materials depending on your existing kitchen style. You can match your countertop or choose something that is coordinating. For backsplashes, the sky’s the limit, literally. You can choose to go 4” up from the countertop to all the way to the ceiling in some cases, depending on the layout of your space and your design style.

Beware that like all home improvement projects, things can quickly spiral. You update one thing and decide another component is looking tired and in need of a refresh. Before you know it, you are replacing light fixtures, the sink, faucets, appliances, and more. Be sure to set your scope and budget up front, especially if the goal is to refresh your space before putting your home on the market. Stay in scope and get creative to keep your costs low. Start by shopping remnant sales at large natural stone fabricators to select your countertop. You can shop sample sales, close-outs and clearance for other materials and accents to get a show stopping kitchen without a show stopping price tag.

Before you embark on your project, consult with a realtor in your area to confirm your plans from a return on investment perspective. The questions you may want to ask yourself, or a trusted realtor would be:

Do homes in my area have granite or other high-end countertops?
Are the current comps in my market outfitted with updated kitchens?
What is the condition of my current countertops? Do they warrant being replaced?
Based on my home value and desired price point, what type of budget should I consider for a facelift or renovation?

You want to stay competitive in your market, but you don’t want to put more in than you can reasonably get out of your home. The key is to make it comparable and desirable to a potential home buyer.

Not Just for Kitchens

We’ve focused on kitchens for much of our discussion, but when it comes to using natural stone such as granite to increase the value of your home, the projects go beyond the heart of the home. You can just as easily refresh a bathroom countertop with granite. This is another area where shopping at a large fabricator in their remnant section could really pay off. When you have a smaller countertop and will be cutting out for the sink or even dual sinks you have a lot of flexibility when it comes to slab selection.

Bar tops are another area granite can shine and give an updated look to your in-home wet bar or second kitchen.

Home offices with built-in countertops can get a fresh and modern look with a new granite topper and painted cabinets.

Bathrooms, Powder Rooms and Laundry rooms are yet another area you can refresh using a remnant or even a leftover piece from your kitchen project. With a coat of paint, a new countertop and fixtures you can give a powder room a luxurious upgrade at a minimal cost. Knowing that bath and kitchen remodels can be some of the most costly upgrades to a home, this type of update can make your home shine in a potential buyer’s eyes.

Working with the Right Fabricator

Once you’ve made the decision to update your countertops, or undertake a more involved renovation, you want to be sure you are working with the right team. Staying on budget and in your allotted time frame is key, especially if you are looking to put your home on the market at a specific time.

By selecting the right team with an experienced project manager, fabricator, and installation team, you will be able to navigate all aspects of your project, large and small. Selecting your materials and slab may seem like the difficult part, but there are many additional things to consider such as:

What type of edge would look best with your kitchen style and fit with your budget?
What type of finish will best accentuate your slab and design?
Visiting your fabricator in person to lay out the template on your slab so you ensure you are maximizing the use of the stone, while minimizing the appearance of seams. Having an experienced project manager is truly key in this area, especially when utilizing multiple slabs. You want to ensure the coloring, veining, and pattern flow in your overall room design and layout.
When you are in a time crunch (and really who isn’t if you are operating without a kitchen or bathroom countertop), you want to be sure you have a firm schedule and a team that is as motivated as you are to get the project done on time and without issues or unexpected costs.

While there is much to consider when you are thinking about increasing the value of your home, it is clear that updating your kitchen is one area you can count on to provide a return on investment. Depending on your budget, current home value and region, you may decide to do a small renovation or a major remodel. With statistics like those shared at the start of this article, enjoying an updated kitchen and recouping up to 75% of your investment is a WIN-WIN!