Let's Go Get Stoned or Granite is a Girl's Best Friend!
When I started selling real estate 14 years ago, granite countertops were fairly rare. They could only be found in newly built houses; never in older homes. How that has changed! Today granite countertops are everywhere! All new construction has granite countertops in the kitchens and often in the bathrooms too. And, the majority of older homes that have been updated since 1995 also have granite countertops, at least in the kitchen.
This is a good thing because a vast number of buyers moan and groan if there aren't granite countertops in the kitchens of their future homes. Corian is second best. Tile is passe. Formica signifies old and outdated. Granite is the countertop of choice!
But, sometimes I think, "When will granite go out of style? Will it go out of style in my lifetime? What will take its place?" I chuckle when I ponder these questions. I chuckle because of all the buyers who turned to me and sneered, "What, this kitchen doesn't have granite????" right before they announce, "We don't like this house." I hold my tongue on these occasions but I so want to yell from the rafters, "Don't be fooled by granite! Granite too will become outdated! Granite will go the way of avocado refrigerators, flowery wallpaper and shag carpets! And then what will you think of your kitchen countertops!!!!! You who can't live without granite countertops! What will you think then????"
Real Estate Hint #7 - When looking at a home to purchase, it is most important to separate the cosmetic problems from the structural defects. Don't confuse the two! Wallpaper, carpet, paint, cabinets, countertops, appliances are cosmetic and can be changed according to the buyers' taste. An old furnace, exterior wood rot, fogged windows, termite damage can also be fixed but are structural, not cosmetic, and more often can be assumed to be the responsibility of the seller.
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