Adding custom countertops is a popular option for those looking to increase the value of their home, and here’s why. Kitchen renovation is the interior project that is most likely to increase a home’s resale value and appeal to buyers, according to a 2019 report from the National Association of REALTORS® Research Group. Yet a full kitchen remodel comes with a big sticker price that is hard to recoup. If you want to increase your home’s value through kitchen renovation without breaking the bank, adding custom countertops can be the most strategic option. Here are five tips for investing in custom quartz, granite, marble, or laminate countertops.

Keep It Neutral

When choosing custom countertops to add resale value to your home, plan to keep it neutral. Shades of white, gray, brown, or black that match the rest of your kitchen are smart options, especially if you’re not planning to make other updates. Whether you’re looking to sell this year or decades from now, you don’t know the aesthetic preferences of potential buyers, so these popular, neutral tones are a safe bet.

Make It Consistent

Take a look around your kitchen and determine what other upgrades you want or need to make when you add new countertops. This is the ideal time to swap out sinks or change up the color palette of your cabinets. Your new countertops should pop when someone enters your kitchen, but if they are couched between outdated features, they might draw attention to the things you left as-is.

Don’t Forget About Maintenance

Granite, marble, quartz, laminate—each type of custom countertops can add value to your home, but it is important to consider the maintenance required for each. Granite and marble are naturally porous, for example, so they require regular resealing to keep them stain resistant and free from moisture. Quartz and laminate on the other hand are nonporous materials that require no maintenance. This is something to keep in mind when you’re upgrading your kitchen—do I want something maintenance-free or am I willing to put in a little extra work to achieve a certain aesthetic? Which do I think will appeal more to buyers in my area?

Consider the Competition

If your goal for this renovation is to flip your home fast, it is a good idea to check out what other houses on the market have to offer. Are granite countertops standard for the homes in your area, and if so, do you need to renovate in order to compete with other listings? Or will adding this feature make your house stand out from the rest? Consider also whether the added value keeps your home within the range of others in your area. The key is to add value and appeal to your home without pricing yourself out of the surrounding market.

Spend Proportional to Your Home’s Value

If your home is valued at $200,000, spending $50,000 on a kitchen renovation will likely have a low ROI. Plan out your renovations proportional to the current value of your home and the value you hope to add to the listing. New countertops can range greatly in price, depending on the material and thickness you choose, so be strategic when selecting one for your home. Whichever you choose, custom countertops are still among the most strategic home improvement projects—they cost a fraction of the price of a full kitchen renovation, while giving the kitchen modern, lasting appeal.

Ready to add value to your home with custom countertops? Contact Phoenix Stone and Laminate by calling 512-629-7918 today for a free on-site estimate for homes in Austin and the surrounding cities!