Rental Property Investor · Columbus, GA · Member since 2016 · 623 posts · 337 votes
What are you favorite countertops to use for B- rentals? Replacing 30 year old countertops and plan on raising rents. Break even time frame is 18 months.
Investor · Dallas, TX · Member since 2009 · 718 posts · 913 votes
6y
I generally go commercial quality granite (not that much more expensive than laminates and they last a very long time) Also, if you're refinancing in the near future, they give you a bang for the buck on the appraisal. (Assuming this is SFR and not multi)
Investor · Dallas, TX · Member since 2009 · 718 posts · 913 votes
6y
I generally go commercial quality granite (not that much more expensive than laminates and they last a very long time) Also, if you're refinancing in the near future, they give you a bang for the buck on the appraisal. (Assuming this is SFR and not multi)
Rental Property Investor · Charlotte · Member since 2019 · 70 posts · 34 votes
6y
@Jon Reed Do you have a photo of the concrete countertops, I thought of doing that too but can't decide between painting the existing ones or going concrete.
Rental Property Investor · Columbus, GA · Member since 2016 · 623 posts · 337 votes
6y
@Max T. & @Eric X.I will have to look again at granite versus laminate in durability and pricing. We’re doing a live in flip and have several properties that are frequently have some rehab. We’ve looked at granite but only at the big box stores, HD/LWs. I heard stone countertops require more upkeep too(?). Maybe durable but tenants would need to care for them. I don’t think my tenants would appropriately care for them.
@Eric X. Granite is a lot more expensive than laminate countertops. It’s not even close. What do you pay per square foot for granite?
Not by that much. Most rentals don't have the largest countertops either. It'll cost a few hundred dollars more but will be way more durable and last a much longer time.
I pay only about $10/SF more for 1.25" granite but it includes installation. Well worth it.
Granite also helps with appraisals and getting higher rent.
Anyone still using cheap countertops is pretty shortsighted and/or doesn't have access to good pricing.
@Eric X. Granite is a lot more expensive than laminate countertops. It’s not even close. What do you pay per square foot for granite?
It might be a little more expensive on the initial install, but it's going to last a lot longer, look better, and give the kitchen a higher end feel. And you'll have no worries that the tenant tried to cut someone on top of it or put a hot pan on it.
There are also many ways to offset a lot of the cost. They sell thinner slabs that cut the cost down about 20%. No need for special patterns in the slab, go for color and style something more generic and cheaper. No need for a fancy edge. Instead of buying a slab, there are lots of places that sell large pieces from other jobs and when properly installed you cannot easily see the seam. And there are also granite tiles that are sold.
Anyone looking to have granite installed, find the cutter/installer first. They likely have tons of pieces left over. My guy used to have so much left over that he didn't charge for it, only the cutting and install.
It's funny, there's guys here that do "free install", so that they're not so liable if its bad job. I've done a number of granite tile counters, but to be honest the slabs have gotten so cheap I don't know if I'll do another. It may pay for a tiny kitchen where they will still charge a lot of labor even when the sq footage is low. I found that years ago trying to get a marble slab for my 5' wide vanity I couldn't get it below like $800. Another potential upside of tiles in a B level place is being able to swap out a tile if they damage it, but my oldest is from 2005, and it's still perfect. But no laminate, not ever! Especially the cheap crap on particle board from the big boxes.
Personally I go about 50/50 quartz and laminate. I do suited houses so need to be conscious of sound transfer which is why I don’t always go quartz. Bathroom vanities get the good stuff for sure as it’s often even cheaper than laminate in that case. Remnants are practically free these days.
St Peters, MO · Member since 2017 · 8 posts · 4 votes
6y
@Bryan Mitchell I would use laminate... you’ll get the same appraisal that you would from granite so long as the lay out of the rest of your home looks good. Save granite/quartz for class A. (This is what I do for my market, I recommend looking at comps before making your ultimate decision).
Real Estate Agent · Tonawanda, NY · Member since 2019 · 9 posts · 7 votes
6y
We build out our countertops the same way as you would do with laminate. We first do a cement overlay. Then a second coat marble overlay. Some fanciness over that marbelized countertop statue with paint, then epoxy. These countertops are magical.
Rental Property Investor · Augusta, GA · Member since 2019 · 129 posts · 112 votes
6y
Granite. I've been making the swap, mostly for durability. Even took the risk in putting them in some C+ properties. However, we're in a market where granite is relatively inexpensive.