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Health & Fitness

The Best Kitchen Countertop Choices for Resilience and Resale

Choose the right countertop material to maximize enjoyment and resale value.

From concrete to stainless steel to quartz and laminate in every color under the sun, there are so many choices for kitchen countertops that making a selection can be overwhelming.

There are a multitude of factors that play into this choice, including aesthetics, durability, price and ultimately, which kitchen countertops are the best option for resale value.

If you’re considering replacing kitchen countertops, read on. We’ve outlined the various materials on the market along with their prices, characteristics and our top picks for resale.

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Material: Granite

Cost: $80 plus per square foot.

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Pros: Heat resistant, durable, wide variety of colors and finishes, the top choice for buyers.

Cons: Price, can stain, chip or crack.

Material: Soapstone

Cost: $60 plus per square foot.

Pros: Chemically inert, attractive patina, won’t stain below surface.

Cons: Soft, no color variety, can chip, smaller slabs mean there may be seams

Material: Concrete

Cost: $75 plus per square foot.

Pros: Trendy, durable.

Cons: Heavy, difficult to fabricate, can crack.

Material: Marble

Cost: $200 plus per square foot.

Pros: Waterproof, heatproof, wide variety of colors and patterns.

Cons: Stains easily, requires constant sealing, very high price.

Material: Wood

Cost: $100 plus per square foot.

Pros: Warm, can be used for cutting.

Cons: High maintenance, soft, can stratch.

Material: Quartz

Cost: $60 plus per square foot.

Pros: Wide variety of colors, durable, resists scratches & stains, as popular as granite in terms of resale.

Cons: Price, not as much depth of color as natural stone.

Material: Stainless Steel

Cost: $100 plus per square foot.

Pros: Modern, attractive look, heat resistant, seamless.

Cons: Price, can scratch and dent.

Material: Ceramic Tile

Cost: As low as $1 per square foot for DIY.

Pros: Cheap, durable, heat resistant, wide variety of colors and styles.

Cons: Grout stains and is difficult to clean, can chip, uneven surface, can be detrimental to resale.

Material: Laminate

Cost: $15 plus per square foot.

Pros: Affordable, wide range of colors and patterns.

Cons: No longer trendy, seen as “cheap”, scratches easily, prone to heat damage, has visible seams.

Material: Solid Surface

Cost: $40 plus per square foot.

Pros: seamless, affordable, variety of styles, stain resistant.

Cons: Not heat resistant, scratches, not as desirable to home buyers as natural stone.

But, the top picks for the best resale value and resilience are granite and quartz.

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