Would a quartz overlay kitchen worktop add value?

[ohsheglows]

Hi all, we've just had a quote for quartz overlays for the kitchen - £2.4k for around 4m2! It's including the splash back.

I was wondering if this was about the right kind of price and whether anyone felt it would add value? We currently have wooden worktops which are really stained next to the sink. We moved in a year ago and tried to sand it out but it's too ingrained into the wood.

Thanks for any advice!

kitchens never add value - taste in them is very personal. Yes, get rid of the impractical wood but don't expect to recoup any money on that.

laminate is great stuff...and do check that the quartz is practical. Some of it scratches at the drop of a set of keys.

If you live in a £1 million + house in a desirable affluent area then high end kitchen fittings would generally be expected as standard to some extent by buyers. In a standard house / flat or a normal area, not so much. It’s best just to buy what you really like and which is practical and will wear well.

Previous poster is right that fittings and fixtures don’t add value per se, except in the sense that a house which looks really good sells a lifestyle and can increase offer prices that way.

@murbblurb

kitchens never add value - taste in them is very personal. Yes, get rid of the impractical wood but don't expect to recoup any money on that.

laminate is great stuff...and do check that the quartz is practical. Some of it scratches at the drop of a set of keys.

I beg to differ. Kitchens and bathrooms can be a selling point, particularly for smaller properties. Personally, my offer price would reflect this (in terms of whether kitchen/bathroom need replacing), and I'd be impressed if the kitchen had quartz. Indeed if I loved the bathroom/kitchen, this too would be reflected in my offer.

Possibly they might add a bit but the chances they will add more than you paid are small. As others say, go for what suits your preferences and your budget. We have laminate. Could have splashed out on quartz but decided we'd rather buy new sofas with the change.

Kitchens and bathrooms are a huge plus when selling if they are good. Who wants to go to the bother of ripping them out if they are lovely? It’s why the best houses always have their kitchens and bathrooms in the photos!

As for a quartz overlay - I wouldn’t. I have a quartz worktop in a flat and it’s a replacement one. Around 3m for £1800. How thick would an overlay be? The standard depth is 2/3cm so how much quartz is this for? It must raise the worktop so it’s too high surely? I would go for solid and it’s perfectly useable if it’s kitchen quality. Just don’t use it as a chopping board and don’t put oven ware on it straight from the oven. Be sensible and it’s fine!

No it certainly would make your house more desirable but unless it's to the buyers taste they will not paid extra.
Walked away for a house idea for us but been completely refurb to high standard but wouldn't pay top price for something full of quality expensive fitting that I didn't like .

Sounds expensive to me, I've just had a quartz worktop fitted 2.4m breakfast bar and approx 3m normal worktop and upstands £1800

My 3m quartz worktop came in at £2k and that's in London.

If you drop a casserole dish on it at just the right angle, it'll most likely chip and cost a fortune to replace. No way would I go with a stone surface in a kitchen or want one. Cheaper surfaces might melt with the odd rogue hot thing but not as expensive to fix.

A lot of the cost for stone/quartz is in the templating, cutting, finishing and fitting. So overlays don’t generally save that much money over a straight replacement.

Also, what happens if your wood is slightly warped? Or gets damp and rots under the add-on? I think you’re as well saving and buying the new top of you really want it.

Quartz is pretty robust and so is granite. I’ve never chipped them or damaged them in any way. Don’t drop things either.

If your kitchen is just ok but not a great one, why not get replacement laminate?

Thank you everyone! I'm now starting to think that the quote we've been given is rather expensive and I'll definitely be in contact with a few other companies. I've never even considered laminate so I might look into that too. Our worktops are soo grotty now, I just can't wait to get replace them! I'm hoping it will add some value to the property once down

A worktop is not going to add value! the only thing that generally adds value is additional space and even then if not an individual property that will depend on the ceiling price of the area as you can overextend. Your worktop will just possibly make it more saleable that’s all, but even if you get quartz or granite a potential purchaser might hate the colour you have chosen. Just get a decent quality work surface you like.

It won’t devalue it. If the kitchen units are good, a new laminate worktop will make the kitchen look a whole lot better. It could make a buyer think you’ve cared for it. Don’t spend £2000. You can get laminate for way less than that. However if your units are in their last legs, ripping off the worktop might cause problems and it won’t be worth the effort or expense. So be honest!

Why not think about replacing the worktop rather than overlaying it - especially if you are having new splash backs too, as they will hide any decor damage.

The quartz worktops at Ikea are £300-£400 per m2 so £1600max plus fitting. Why don’t you ask Ikea to quote.

Overlay always seems like a bit of a half-hearted job to me - to be used when you can’t decorate.

I'm hoping it will add some value to the property once down

Sorry but imo, a worktop, even a high end one is not going to add value to a property

But a rotting worktop will devalue a house so it is worth doing. I also think change it to a reasonably priced laminate to freshen it up and stop the current one losing you money.

Totally misread your OP - sorry. You are not trying to sell your house. In that case get something you like and can afford but don't view it in terms of adding value.

It's not going to add value in the sense that if your house is priced at £200,000 today it won't be worth £200,240 when you fit the worktops. It doesn't work like that. But it will make your house more sellable to have nice worktops rather than ratty mouldy ones which might put someone off.

If you are selling soon, go cheap - make a cosmetic change.
If you are staying - put what is going to make you happiest in.

Although I agree with a pp that the cost of stone is in the template and fitting and don't quite understand why an overlay would be cheaper. Mine was around 2k for granite and I have a mahoosive island as well as two worktop runs.

Talk to a french polisher re the stains as they have some very strong stains that could possibly hide it or consider Bar top lacquer as this give a high gloss very durable finish

How much is your house worth?

It's just one element of a kitchen. Alone it won't make a difference. An impressive kitchen (all features not just one) might make it more saleable (ie sell more quickly) and might boost the price a bit, but probably not as much as it costs, in a standard type of house.

Often, the things people do just before selling are pretty cosmetic and to get rid of a hideously old fashioned bathroom or kitchen. They don't need to be top quality to do this. Unless it is very high end generally and so the finishes need to be top notch, it's not worth installing top quality unless it's for your own benefit to enjoy first.