On Dec 11, 3:19�pm, Janet Baraclough >
wrote:
> The message >
> from Goomba38 > contains these words:
>
> > Janet Baraclough wrote:
> > >> I'll second that. �We're building in Texas and if I put in Formica, I'd
> > >> never be able to re-sell.
>
> > > � �That doesn't say much for the rest of the house.
>
> > > � �I think you will find, that �"most homes built today" �outside Texas,
> > > do not slavishly ape Texas (hard as that may be, for Texans to imagine).
>
> > > � �Janet.
> > Perhaps not but I can't think of any decorating or home repair show that
> > goes out of their way to ever use Formica anymore? They all talk about
> > ripping out substandard styled kitchen counters and getting granite or
> > whatever.....?
>
> � �In this country, nobody regards those shows as representative of �how
> people actually live; they are almost invariably demonstrating �a cheap
> quick fix.
>
> �REAL business, such as kitchen showrooms, builders yards, DIY sheds
> etc, still sell a huge amount of plastic worktop, still fit it, and
> still have demo-kitchens made up with it. The vast majority of �builders
> putting up new housing developments,, install plastic worktop and ss
> sinks as standard.

Don't let anyone BS you, the vast majority of new housing in the US is
built with plastic laminate counters too, that's the standard...
anyone who want's something more costly pays extra for custom made...
it costs less to take the builder's standard and upgrade later on your
own, builders here take buyers to the cleaners with upgrades... it
costs less to do most fixture upgrades on your own, and you will have
more time to do research to find out what you really want then to
settle for what the builder can supply quickly through their
contacts. It costs less to let the builder add extra electricals and
plumbing while the house is being built, especially outdoor wiring and
plumbing, but not things like countertops, lighting fixtures,
flooring, and such... anything that can be added after the house is
finished without having to tear stuff apart will cost less doing your
own contracting later, you'll get a better job too. Builders take
advantage knowing thst most people having new construction also have
little patience, by the time they get to teh finishing they have zero
patience... and by then the builder knows you and your wallet better
than you do.

> >Supposedly almost every penny put into a good kitchen
> > makeover will come back to you, perhaps 1.5 to 2 times so even.
>
> � �Not necessarily. It depends on what you spend on the kitchen
> proportional to the value of �the building and similar ones nearby..
> Installing a luxury kitchen costing 100,000 into one small cheap house
> in a development of identical small cheap houses, �will not increase the
> �market value of that house by 200,000.
>
> � �Janet.

Used kitchens don't increase selling price regardless how much one
spends on upgrades... the best price one can hope for is the price
comparable houses in thast area sold for recently... you're selling
the entire house as a package, you're not selling the kitchen counters
separately... you have as much chance or recouping the money you spent
on granite counters after using them for a few years as you do with
your expensive shoes after wearing them for a few years... there is
nothing rare about granite (it is not a gemstone), granite counters
depreciate with use... when ten years later they go out of fashion
they're worth no more than patio blocks... and if you happen to
accidently drop a pot and crack the slab of granite it's then worth
less than plastic laminate with burn mark... Formica can get you a
brand new section from the same lot, can't do that with natural stone.

SHELDON