Author Topic: Are granite counter tops worth the money?  (Read 29611 times)

SpaghettiMonster

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Are granite counter tops worth the money?
« on: April 10, 2013, 07:17:51 AM »
We are buying a brand new condo that is currently being built. We are paying for upgrades such as hardwood floors and stainless steel appliances, should we pay the extra for granite counter tops? If we pay the builder to do them, it's another $5,000. Is granite a fad or does it really raise the value? We plan to live in this place for 5 years, pay it off and then rent it out. Then, if we did granite in the kitchen, wouldn't we have to do granite in the 2 bathrooms as well so they matched? This is our first time buying and we want to put money into the place to make it a desirable place for future renters, and we've already added $10,000 in other updates so not sure we want to put out more on counter tops, what do you think?

tuyop

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Re: Are granite counter tops worth the money?
« Reply #1 on: April 10, 2013, 07:25:50 AM »
Are you sure you're reading the same blog as us?

SpaghettiMonster

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Re: Are granite counter tops worth the money?
« Reply #2 on: April 10, 2013, 07:43:21 AM »
I'm sorry, I don't know what you mean. Are you saying that we should never pay for any type of update on our home and only live in the bare minimum? I'm trying to understand from others more experienced in buying property, if something like that would add value to a home because I honestly don't know. I don't really want to be ridiculed because my question is considered foolish by you. Please just give me your opinion.

August West

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Re: Are granite counter tops worth the money?
« Reply #3 on: April 10, 2013, 07:45:15 AM »
You can save a lot by not paying for upgrades and then doing them yourself.  Granite tile countertops are less expensive than solid and some people don't understand the difference.  I don't think the bathroom counters would have to match.

arebelspy

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Re: Are granite counter tops worth the money?
« Reply #4 on: April 10, 2013, 08:33:08 AM »
If it's just based on the rental aspect, and not any emotional for yourself, it's pretty simple.  You need to evaluate your market.  What is your competition, what sort of rent upgrade would you expect, and do a cost analysis and calculate the ROI on it.
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chicagomeg

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Re: Are granite counter tops worth the money?
« Reply #5 on: April 10, 2013, 08:47:09 AM »
I've had granite countertops in a rental and I love them, but if I were a landlord, I'd never put them in because they do require at least some degree of special care that no tenant is ever going to bother with.

SunshineGirl

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Re: Are granite counter tops worth the money?
« Reply #6 on: April 10, 2013, 08:57:03 AM »
I also think they will appear dated in five years.

RoseRelish

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Re: Are granite counter tops worth the money?
« Reply #7 on: April 10, 2013, 09:59:06 AM »
I would say granite is an upgrade that I'd say doesn't add value, but makes renting/selling easier and faster by being something that potential tenants/buyers say "ooooh!" about. If you do end up going the granite route, the bathrooms wouldn't have to match. Also, be sure to pick something that is neutral in color and markings that can stay in the home as cabinets and other decor change.

I Love Cake

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Re: Are granite counter tops worth the money?
« Reply #8 on: April 10, 2013, 10:29:41 AM »
I agree that if your rental was one of two you would probably win out because of the granite. But I think they require maintenance which is something I wouldn't want to do (especially if I rented) And if you decide you certainly don't need them in the bathroom-unless your bathroom counters are attached to your kitchen counter

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Another Reader

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Re: Are granite counter tops worth the money?
« Reply #9 on: April 10, 2013, 10:36:41 AM »
Granite countertops might be worth the investment when you sell, if they are still popular then.  I would never put granite in a rental.  Granite requires a lot of maintenance, which tenants usually won't do.  You will end up with stains or worse.  Put in the standard countertops and live with them for the time you live there.  If you end up staying and not renting out the property, then consider the upgtade.

Spork

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Re: Are granite counter tops worth the money?
« Reply #10 on: April 10, 2013, 12:48:16 PM »
Not to throw an extra twist in there... but I suspect stainless steel appliances are more of a fad than granite.  The basic white has not necessarily ever been "top end" but it's been in style forever.  I foresee stainless steel as being the equivalent of the 70's pastel colors.

As far as granite goes: I like natural rock of all sorts (though I didn't like it enough to pay for it in my current kitchen.)  If it's your own place and its something you feel strongly about, you can go with granite tiles or go fishing in the remnant bin at your local granite store.  The remnants won't cover a whole kitchen... but they'd easily do an island or a small bathroom. 

BayIslandSaver

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Re: Are granite counter tops worth the money?
« Reply #11 on: April 10, 2013, 01:10:52 PM »
What are the other options, if any?  I personally like quartz...it tends to be cheaper, less maintenance, and less radiation fears ;)

Jane

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Re: Are granite counter tops worth the money?
« Reply #12 on: April 10, 2013, 01:16:47 PM »
Granite counters are not worth $5000 extra, that's for sure. I like granite and we used it in our own kitchen renovation, but I shopped around and ours was less than a third of that price. Have them put in the standard laminate then shop around on your own if you think it will help rent it for a higher amount, but ONLY do it if you are confident you could rent it for more than enough to make up for the cost. . I doubt you would ever earn an extra $5K on rent for having granite counters.

You might also want to check out some of the high definition laminates if you want more of a high end look for much less. IMO your bathrooms don't have to match. Do what looks good in each space.

I'd also reconsider paying for ANY of the upgrades. You can likely find better deals, pay cash, and not pay years of interest on appliances and floors, and what you buy on your own would likely be nicer. Hardwood floors are about the worst kind of flooring you could put in a rental. They will get ruined, I guarantee it. I'd go with a nice looking laminate over hardwoods any day for a rental. Laminates have come a long way and some look really realistic.

Also, I think the granite upkeep thing is way overblown. The "maintenance" is simply spraying on some sealer once or twice a year, then wiping it off after a few minutes. You don't really even need to do it on dark granite, since it is dark it won't show stains (do this at your own risk, but that's what a couple granite places told us). You would need to plan on making a trip out to the property to seal it if you wanted it done, which you could easily do on one of your trips to change out the air filters (never depend on tenants to do this, either).

Undecided

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Re: Are granite counter tops worth the money?
« Reply #13 on: April 10, 2013, 02:00:54 PM »
Granite counters are not worth $5000 extra, that's for sure. I like granite and we used it in our own kitchen renovation, but I shopped around and ours was less than a third of that price. Have them put in the standard laminate then shop around on your own if you think it will help rent it for a higher amount, but ONLY do it if you are confident you could rent it for more than enough to make up for the cost.

[snip]

I'd also reconsider paying for ANY of the upgrades. You can likely find better deals, pay cash, and not pay years of interest on appliances and floors, and what you buy on your own would likely be nicer. Hardwood floors are about the worst kind of flooring you could put in a rental. They will get ruined, I guarantee it. I'd go with a nice looking laminate over hardwoods any day for a rental. Laminates have come a long way and some look really realistic.

[snip]


Also consider pricing granite counter tops now and using the info in a negotiation with the builder.
As far as resisting the upgrades altogether, that somewhat depends on the specific market, doesn't it? I have lived in a couple of places where I'd expect you'd have a much tougher time renting to a good tenant (or would give up enough rent that you would have recovered the $5,000 fairly quickly) if the unit wasn't of a certain quality.


rockstache

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Re: Are granite counter tops worth the money?
« Reply #14 on: April 10, 2013, 02:05:24 PM »
Not to throw an extra twist in there... but I suspect stainless steel appliances are more of a fad than granite.  The basic white has not necessarily ever been "top end" but it's been in style forever.  I foresee stainless steel as being the equivalent of the 70's pastel colors.


FWIW (probably not much) I totally agree with this. Stainless steel also smudges and gets terrible fingerprints. If they aren't perfectly new and clean, they look awful.

dragoncar

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Re: Are granite counter tops worth the money?
« Reply #15 on: April 10, 2013, 02:50:26 PM »
Are you sure you're reading the same blog as us?

Lol, I wondered the same thing.  I personally don't think that a neutral granite will ever really go out o style.  From a purely practical standpoint, it's probably not worth it.  However I subscribe to the "if it makes you happy" philosophy of frugality, so from an aesthetic standpoint, nobody can answer for you.   I would not call granite a huge financial mistake, as long as you get a good price (cheap granite has been flooding the market for a while - so consider if $5k is competitive).  I also don't think bathrooms need to match kitchen.

Edit: the surprise about this post isn't so much about granite as the fact that buying a condo direct fr a builder IS often considered a terrible financial move.   I'm not saying this transaction in particular, just in general.
« Last Edit: April 10, 2013, 02:54:25 PM by dragoncar »

Kazimieras

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Re: Are granite counter tops worth the money?
« Reply #16 on: April 10, 2013, 02:54:31 PM »
What are the other options, if any?  I personally like quartz...it tends to be cheaper, less maintenance, and less radiation fears ;)
Laminate is excellent. It is super cheap and you can get a vaiety of finishes for it. Since it is so cheap, it can be replaced if it is ever damaged.
If you were keeping the place I'd say butcher block, but that's what I like since I've seen too many people break stuff on granite counters

James

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Re: Are granite counter tops worth the money?
« Reply #17 on: April 10, 2013, 03:11:07 PM »
I don't think you will get $5000 back out of the granite counter tops when you rent or sell.  If you spend the $5000 do so because it is worth $5000 to you, otherwise skip it.

Spork

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Re: Are granite counter tops worth the money?
« Reply #18 on: April 10, 2013, 03:12:09 PM »
What are the other options, if any?  I personally like quartz...it tends to be cheaper, less maintenance, and less radiation fears ;)
Laminate is excellent. It is super cheap and you can get a vaiety of finishes for it. Since it is so cheap, it can be replaced if it is ever damaged.
If you were keeping the place I'd say butcher block, but that's what I like since I've seen too many people break stuff on granite counters

...and laminate lasts FOREVER.  My parents and in-laws have laminate from the early 60s.  I wouldn't say either looks like it was installed yesterday.  But both have worn well and both look fine.

If I remember correctly (and I'm awful with numbers... I may not be correct) we spent $300 to do an entire kitchen plus a laundry room in laminate.... and we went with a little bit pricier laminate. 

We put one very fancy granite counter in a small bath -- picked from the remnant pile.  It was $300 as well. 

Dicey

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Re: Are granite counter tops worth the money?
« Reply #19 on: April 10, 2013, 03:39:23 PM »
When I bought my house, I did a kitchen facelift using laminate counters, because I don't really care for granite. Fast forward eleven years. Prior to selling the house, we added granite countertops and a beautiful glass backsplash. It cost about 1K total for both, and my husband did the labour. We sold in three days for 15% over asking with multiple offers. Everybody raved about the kitchen. So, select the best looking laminate the builder has available now and hold off on the granite until you're ready to sell.

SpaghettiMonster

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Re: Are granite counter tops worth the money?
« Reply #20 on: April 11, 2013, 07:58:24 AM »
Are you sure you're reading the same blog as us?
[/quote]

Lol, I wondered the same thing.  I personally don't think that a neutral granite will ever really go out o style.  From a purely practical standpoint, it's probably not worth it.  However I subscribe to the "if it makes you happy" philosophy of frugality, so from an aesthetic standpoint, nobody can answer for you.   I would not call granite a huge financial mistake, as long as you get a good price (cheap granite has been flooding the market for a while - so consider if $5k is competitive).  I also don't think bathrooms need to match kitchen.

Edit: the surprise about this post isn't so much about granite as the fact that buying a condo direct fr a builder IS often considered a terrible financial move.   I'm not saying this transaction in particular, just in general.
[/quote]

Okay, now I understand the first comment. Thanks for your thoughts. Why is it normally a bad financial move to buy a condo from a builder? I am not disagreeing in any way, I honestly want to know. We looked at older condos for the same price range and they looked like crap compared to this one.

I guess I haven't read the blog long enough to know that this is the general consensus. The reason that we chose a condo is because we're moving to a more expensive area where we could not find any house that we could afford. But, we can easily afford this smaller (1200 sq ft) brand new condo in a wonderful area in walking distance to everything. I understand that people don't like the condo fees that never go away, is that the main reason? The fees here are low, $200/month, and I'm glad I don't have to buy a lawn mower or deal with anything outside like a house.

What other things do others not like about condos? We want to move to this area because we can walk everywhere and it is very close to a very large university and many large companies, that I think we would not have any trouble finders renters later on and the people who would rent in that area would be educated and hopefully more responsible than other areas and they would pay a higher amount for rent in that area.

Thank you for any of your thoughts and opinions!

Oh, by the way, we already decided to NOT upgrade the counter tops. The standard counters will be Wilson Art's high definition line. I'm just learning about these things, so I don't know if those are good, but they looked just fine to me :)
« Last Edit: April 11, 2013, 08:01:12 AM by SpaghettiMonster »

SpaghettiMonster

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Re: Are granite counter tops worth the money?
« Reply #21 on: April 11, 2013, 08:04:20 AM »
What are the other options, if any?  I personally like quartz...it tends to be cheaper, less maintenance, and less radiation fears ;)

The standard is called WilsonArt high definition, which looks fine to me, so we're sticking with that.

chicagomeg

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Re: Are granite counter tops worth the money?
« Reply #22 on: April 11, 2013, 08:31:34 AM »
The fees here are low, $200/month.


You said it yourself why buying a condo from a builder is a risky idea. Developers have every incentive to keep condo fees artificially low to encourage buyers, but they can skyrocket once the developer pulls out.

ChicagoGirl

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Re: Are granite counter tops worth the money?
« Reply #23 on: April 11, 2013, 11:04:29 AM »
If your plan is to rent this unit out in 5 years, I would suggest reading the condo bylaws very closely as to the rules on renting.  Some associations do not allow it at all or they only allow a certain percentage of units to be rented out at a time.  Since these units are new, bylaws can change over the first few years as condo board members/owners vote on issues that were not included in the initial bylaws. If your association votes to not allow renting units and you try to do it anyway, there would be significant fines imposed. Just do your homework on this one.

Also, monthly associations fees can go up as the board may find the allotted $200 month the builder suggested simply isn't enough to maintain the building and units as they get used to the new costs the first few years...be prepared for this.

The Wilson Art countertops are great choice over the granite. Just keep your choices medium grade and neutral as possible if your plan is to make your unit a rental in the future. You can always decorate around the neutral choices to your liking. I don't know if you mentioned where you are getting your appliances from, but I would suggest price shopping at other places before buying from the builder.  If you are buying several appliances at once, you are in a position to bargain with appliance stores and could possibly do much better than the builder price.


ChicagoGirl

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Re: Are granite counter tops worth the money?
« Reply #24 on: April 11, 2013, 11:18:40 AM »
Just one more thought...I'm not sure how far you are in this transaction of purchasing this new condo so what I am about to say may not be possible.  You mentioned that the other condos you looked at were the same price and were kind of crappy. Which I am assuming means not as "updated" as a brand new condo.  This would be a great bargaining tool in price on one the older condos. You could just say 'hey, I could go down the street and buy myself a brand new condo for the same price, I think we need to seriously negotiate the price on this condo because of that.' 

If one of these old condos is in an area you like and the building is well maintained, all you would have to do is update yourselves.  The pro would be a potentially much lower mortgage, the con would be a little sweat equity on your part to update the unit. Also, older units/condo associations should have a decent money reserves built up for emergencies to avoid special assessments and their bylaws are pretty clear cut at that point as to the issue of renting.

I know the appeal of a new unit is very enticing, but if your plan is to maybe stay 5 years consider all options. Good luck! :)

MrsPete

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Re: Are granite counter tops worth the money?
« Reply #25 on: May 03, 2013, 08:26:30 AM »
I'd go with granite.  If you stick with a low-priced, basic  granite, it isn't all that expensive -- at the other end of the spectrum, it's outrageous.  Positives:  It's become "the new standard", and it lasts and lasts. 

I put high-end laminate in my kitchen maybe 8 years ago, and I am sorry I did it.  Perhaps laminate "in the good old days" lasted and lasted, but this WilsonArt stuff is garbage.  I have LOADS of tiny scratches, and the seams are coming apart (especially above the diswasher, where the steam hits it).  I regret this purchase.  When we sell the house in a couple years, we'll have to re-do the countetops, which will be more expensive than if we'd done a quality product up front.  Note:  It's a dark color with a mottled appearance, so you do have to look to see the scratches, but a buyer would see them. 

The other lesson learned:  A large kitchen isn't all it's cracked up to be.  I have 35 linear feet of countertop (and since it's 24" deep, 38" on the penninsula, I needed over 70 square feet of countertop), but it's all so poorly lighted and poorly laid-out that I do most of my work in the same little 4' spot.  Once our kids are out of school and we can move, we're going to build a retirement house . . . and it will have a SMALL kitchen with high-end finishes and an efficient lay-out, accompanied by a MONSTER-SIZED pantry that'll hide all our stuff. 

SpaghettiMonster

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Re: Are granite counter tops worth the money?
« Reply #26 on: May 03, 2013, 01:33:04 PM »
The fees here are low, $200/month.


You said it yourself why buying a condo from a builder is a risky idea. Developers have every incentive to keep condo fees artificially low to encourage buyers, but they can skyrocket once the developer pulls out.

Thanks. We've looked at all the condo buildings in the area, there are hundreds of them, and not one of them has fees over $300. So, this is fine, if it eventually goes from $200 to $300, so are there any other risky things with a condo?

SpaghettiMonster

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Re: Are granite counter tops worth the money?
« Reply #27 on: May 03, 2013, 01:39:05 PM »
I'd go with granite.  If you stick with a low-priced, basic  granite, it isn't all that expensive -- at the other end of the spectrum, it's outrageous.  Positives:  It's become "the new standard", and it lasts and lasts. 

I put high-end laminate in my kitchen maybe 8 years ago, and I am sorry I did it.  Perhaps laminate "in the good old days" lasted and lasted, but this WilsonArt stuff is garbage.  I have LOADS of tiny scratches, and the seams are coming apart (especially above the diswasher, where the steam hits it).  I regret this purchase.  When we sell the house in a couple years, we'll have to re-do the countetops, which will be more expensive than if we'd done a quality product up front.  Note:  It's a dark color with a mottled appearance, so you do have to look to see the scratches, but a buyer would see them. 

The other lesson learned:  A large kitchen isn't all it's cracked up to be.  I have 35 linear feet of countertop (and since it's 24" deep, 38" on the penninsula, I needed over 70 square feet of countertop), but it's all so poorly lighted and poorly laid-out that I do most of my work in the same little 4' spot.  Once our kids are out of school and we can move, we're going to build a retirement house . . . and it will have a SMALL kitchen with high-end finishes and an efficient lay-out, accompanied by a MONSTER-SIZED pantry that'll hide all our stuff.

Thanks, good information! We decided to stay with the WilsonArt, so I hope it's not crap like your experience but we'll see. The granite seems too expensive for us right now. We'll consider the granite perhaps when we find a more permanent house.

MrsPete

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Re: Are granite counter tops worth the money?
« Reply #28 on: May 03, 2013, 06:09:16 PM »
SpaghettiMonstere,  ours is Wilson Art Mesa Verde pattn.

I think laminate used to be better.  Our laminate in our starter house wasn't pretty (fake butcher block), but after 11 years of heavy use, it was still in perfect condition.  I think it's the newer stuff that's junk.

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Re: Are granite counter tops worth the money?
« Reply #29 on: May 09, 2013, 10:42:20 AM »
Thanks. We've looked at all the condo buildings in the area, there are hundreds of them, and not one of them has fees over $300. So, this is fine, if it eventually goes from $200 to $300, so are there any other risky things with a condo?

That's not necessarily the case.  My friend moved in at $150, and four years later they are $500.  The jumps can be dramatic.

Mr Mark

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Re: Are granite counter tops worth the money?
« Reply #30 on: May 10, 2013, 09:15:34 AM »
In general, these upgrade deals are usually cheaper if done afterwards, weirdly. Because the builder uses them to get more cash, and people are spending 'the mortgage' so who cares right?

At minimum, see what it costs after market, and negotiate with the builder to beat.

Granite is nice, but not 5k nice!

Mr Mark

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Re: Are granite counter tops worth the money?
« Reply #31 on: May 10, 2013, 04:14:32 PM »
... going to build a retirement house . . . and it will have a SMALL kitchen with high-end finishes and an efficient lay-out, accompanied by a MONSTER-SIZED pantry that'll hide all our stuff.

That's a great observation. I'm already thinking of a walk-in cooler next to the monster pantry.

And yes, get something solid, like granite, but don't spend a lot. It apparently has become the new standard.

amicableskeptic

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Re: Are granite counter tops worth the money?
« Reply #32 on: May 14, 2013, 01:08:52 PM »
A few thoughts on this.

1. I agree that tenants won't care about the granite and you may find they mess it up.  I knew someone who cleaned the granite counter top in his rental apartment with lemon juice and totally ruined it.  He lost his security deposit, but that was way less than $5k.

2. I agree that $5k likely won't pay itself back.  If you assume that the granite will last 30 years then you need to get an extra 30/month every single month for 30 years to pay back your 5K and the 7% interest it could have earned.  Upping rent by 30/month just for granite is tough to do most places.

3. If you really want to invest in getting more out of your rental property and it's a small condo I would recommend spending money to furnish it.  A fully furnished rental condo can easily add $100-$500 in monthly rent.  You have to be in the right area to rent fully furnished and you'll have more turn-over than unfurnished (because people are renting your furnished place cause they don't plan on being there that long) but with careful selection of used furniture you can probably furnish the whole place for $5000 and get a way better return.  Best bet is to slowly buy nice/cheap used pieces while you live there and build up the set of furniture you'll leave behind when you leave to rent it out.

4.  One of the main reasons to be careful about buying from a builder is there can be big issues with the final building that don't come out till after the builder is gone.  Check out this This American Life piece for one such horror story http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/377/transcript .  That is unlikely to happen but possible.  The more likely scenario is that the builder leaves a very unfunded condo board.  Here's a piece that discusses how much your condo board should have in reserves http://finance.yahoo.com/news/first-person-much-cash-condominium-association-174300679--finance.html .  Reading it you can see other problems with buying from a builder.  Will one of the people who fills a vacant condo be a deadbeat on his condo fee?  Will the board be fiscally responsible and not just burn money and then levee special assessments?  These are things you can look into the history of with existing condos, but with new condos you are rolling the dice.

It sounds like you're pretty much set on this condo so if you're already locked in then don't be totally dismayed, but hopefully my words of caution will lead you to take some action.  Join your condo board, keep the condo's fiscal health together by actually working on it :)

Dicey

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Re: Are granite counter tops worth the money?
« Reply #33 on: September 18, 2013, 11:54:56 PM »
Late note to Spaghetti Monster: If you want your dues to stay low, get yourself on the Board of Directors. Takes little time, but keeps you completely in the loop. I once owned a condo. When it was time to re-roof, there was going to be an assessment of $1500 (1.5+ months' mortgage payment-gasp!) to do all six buildings. I asked of we needed to do all six roofs at once. The answer (complete with photos) from the roofing company was "NO". We ended up doing them two at a time over three years and avoided the special assement completely.
I then moved to a townhouse. The board was very cost-conscious. We kept the dues the same for three years and then lowered them by $15 for the next three years. Over a span of eleven years, dues went from $249 to $263. We had fully funded reserves and beautifully landscaped grounds. Yes, you can make a difference.

nz

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Re: Are granite counter tops worth the money?
« Reply #34 on: September 19, 2013, 01:00:09 AM »
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ritchie70

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Re: Are granite counter tops worth the money?
« Reply #35 on: September 19, 2013, 10:07:22 PM »
I would say granite is an upgrade that I'd say doesn't add value, but makes renting/selling easier and faster by being something that potential tenants/buyers say "ooooh!" about. If you do end up going the granite route, the bathrooms wouldn't have to match. Also, be sure to pick something that is neutral in color and markings that can stay in the home as cabinets and other decor change.

We had a vacation rental about a year ago that had what we thought were granite countertops from the photos, but turned out to be a really good looking laminate. I had to look semi-close to tell the difference, and you certainly couldn't tell from a photo or even from across the room.

I think if I were building to rent, I'd go with that instead of granite. It's fairly cheap and doesn't require any maintenance to speak of, but it looks modern and high end at a glance.

Simple Abundant Living

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Re: Are granite counter tops worth the money?
« Reply #36 on: September 20, 2013, 09:39:06 AM »
We have "Baltic Brown" granite Countertops in our kitchen.  I haven't had any problems with staining, and we let cut lemons sit on the counters all morning sometimes.  Maybe because it it a dark granite?  I've had tile, laminate and solid surface (corian) before.  Our favorite was the corian with integrated sink.  No seams and everything wipes right into the sink.  Now that I've had granite, I like the ability to put hot things on it and using it for baking.  I would probably choose quartz in a new home because I like the look, the lack of pores, and the functionality of stone.  I agree $5000 is a lot for a probably small kitchen.  If you ever choose to upgrade the laminate, shop around for a better deal.

greenmimama

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Re: Are granite counter tops worth the money?
« Reply #37 on: October 02, 2013, 03:17:48 PM »
I realize you already went with a laminate, but just in case anyone else is wondering.

A rule of thumb is if the home is worth 500k or more. Obviously anyone can put them in any home, but for you to get your money back out, plus at that price buyers are just expecting those upgrades.

We put granite in last year and I think it cost around 6k, but this is a huge amount of granite and yes our house fits the parameters.

I was also told it is sealed at the factory and shouldn't need to be resealed for 10-15 years.

When we move and need to redo another kitchen, I am going to look into the other options, only because I like change, I love the fact I can put hot pans on in and all the crumbs wipe so easily into the undermount sink.


Deano

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Re: Are granite counter tops worth the money?
« Reply #38 on: October 06, 2013, 09:47:03 AM »
If this post is about a little more than granite counter tops, but perhaps also about the important points of buying a condo directly from a developer, I would have to ask, in what city is the condo located? That might come into play, even when it comes to the counter top choice (which imo should be man-made stone at most...granite needs care, renters seldom care).