Are you looking for a way to make your kitchen look great? Nothing adds more style and shine to your kitchen than your countertops. Great countertops have a way of really tying together the other elements, such as appliances, cabinets, cabinet hardware, and the tile work on your floor.
If you live in an older home, eventually you will likely consider replacing countertops. There are a number of good reasons for doing this, from functionality to appearance. Let’s take look at a few of the reasons you might want to consider updating the look of your kitchen with new countertops.
6 Signs Your Countertops Need to Be Replaced
Replacing countertops can be a pretty costly, labor-intensive task. But if you’ve owned your home for a long time, it may be time to pull the trigger. Here are 6 signs it’s probably time to replace your countertops.
1. Your Countertops Have Stains Or Burns
It’s fairly common for countertops to develop stains or burn marks, especially depending on age and the type of material. Many of these undesirable blemishes can be scrubbed away with enough effort and the right cleaning products, but some cannot.
Believe it or not, countertops covered in flaws like stains and burns will reflect poorly on other parts of the kitchen, making everything else look worn and shabby and in need of a facelift. Thus the simple act of making this one improvement can have a significant impact on the kitchen’s overall appearance.
There are products that can help improve the appearance of damaged countertops, yet ultimately there will come a time when replacement is the only reasonable choice.
2. Increasing the Value of Your Home
When it comes time to sell your home, there will likely be a number of repairs and improvements you’ll need to make in order to maximize it’s value to potential buyers. If your home is older, the countertops are probably dated, out of style, or are damaged enough that they will need to be replaced.
Kitchens are a very important factor to buyers, thus this is one area where you’ll want to make a good impression. Potential buyers will notice the quality and condition of the countertops first-thing, and if your countertops are an eyesore, this could be reason enough for a buyer to walk away or make a lower offer.
Good countertops are a way to make more money and to sell your house faster.
3. The Need to Expand as Your Kitchen and Family Grows
The need to replace your countertops might be a simple matter of keeping up with a kitchen renovation. There will be plenty of tearing out to do, and your countertops probably need to go as well. When you update your kitchen, it’s a smart idea to go ahead and include your countertops in the list of items needing an upgrade.
As your family grows, your home will need to expand to meet your needs. Children grow up and need more room, and as you renovate and expand, your countertops will need to grow with you in order to comfortably accommodate every member of the family.
And in many cases, it’s too much trouble or nearly impossible to try to match new materials to the existing countertops. In these cases, it’s best to simply throw out the old and start fresh.
4. Replace Due to Smoke Or Structural Damage
The reality of life is that there are things that happen that are out of your control. Such as kitchen fires or flooding. These types of unfortunate events can cause smoke or structural damage. And in many of these cases, the damage is beyond repair.
This means you’re going to need a complete replacement. While expensive, the good news is that the damage is typically covered by homeowners insurance. We suggest contacting your insurance agent to see what exactly is covered in your home policy.
5. The Desire to Update Your Kitchen Without Going Broke
When you are looking for creative ways to renovate your home, you’d be amazed at how new countertops can do wonders for the appearance of your kitchen. Even if you don’t touch anything else in the kitchen, a new set of countertops will give an entirely new look to an outdated space.
The process for removing old countertops is relatively simple, though they can be very heavy. So you might want to consider hiring someone with the expertise to know how to replace countertops. You also might be very pleasantly surprised at how affordable it can be to purchase granite countertops through various wholesalers.
6. Your Countertops Are Eroding or Cracked
If your kitchen has low-end countertops, eventually they will begin to show their age. Over the years you’ll begin noticing the typical wear and tear of a cheap product. In many cases, the surface will wear down to the point that you can actually see the material underneath, such as wood, pressboard, or fiberglass.
When low-end countertops begin exhibiting the signs of aging, there’s really nothing you can do to fix the problem, and thus the only reasonable solution is replacing them.
Once you’ve made the decision to replace cracked and eroding countertops, this is the perfect opportunity to upgrade to a more attractive, longer-lasting material, that will not only look better but add to the value of your home. Spending a little extra on granite or marble is a great investment.
Final Thoughts On Replacing Your Countertops
Replacing countertops in your kitchen is a way of making an investment in your home. Whether you are replacing damaged countertops or simply upgrading to a better material, you’ll be amazed at the difference.
Beautiful countertops made from high-quality materials will make everything else in the room look better than before. Keep in mind that the kitchen is the gathering place of the home, where everyone gathers to chat, eat together, or share special occasions. This is one of the rooms of the house where memories will be made that last a lifetime.
For more information, click here to see 5 unique ways to personalize your kitchen countertops.
