Will a quartz worktop add value before we move in five years?

[Throwawayquestioning]

Will a quartz worktop increase my house value?

We’re planning on moving in 5 years but I’ve always loved the idea of a quartz worktop! It could do with a refresh the kitchen is 13 years old and the laminate now has obvious marks in various places. We’ve been quoted £4.5k which is a big cost, but if it’ll increase house value then it’s worth it, right?

3 bed semi in West Yorkshire, we settled on a sale of £200k in 2024 but couldn’t find an onward so ultimately the sale fell through.

No. If you want it, have it. You can expect your dream quartz worktop to be the next persons nightmare and for it to end up in a skip. I also wouldn't put a £4.5k worktop on a 13 year old kitchen unless it was handmade high end, stick some new laminate on it and save the quartz for the new house.

I don't think it will tbh, especially if your kitchen cabinets are already 13 years old - any new owner might just think 'oh the cabinets are worn, better rip the full thing out'

If you can afford it, and it would increase your enjoyment of the kitchen, then go for it. Worth it for £2.50 a day for 5 years though?

No, that’s the sort of improvement which is very unlikely to add any value let alone cover the cost IME. Fwiw I’ve got quartz worktops which I do like but they’ve chipped a bit and also I’ve been plagued with those little abrasion holes in my T-shirts etc since we got it so they wouldn’t be a positive for me.

An overall high end kitchen - cabinetry, appliances and worktop - will increase saleability (desirability), but a worktop will not pay for itself.

It all comes down to a matter of taste around the colour you choose. White quartz seems to be the current favourite, but that may have changed in X years. It wasn't too long ago everyone was installing sparkly black/dark quartz, which I personally would hate.

No. They’d actively put me off tbh. One man’s trash is another’s treasure etc

A kitchen that someone would be happy to keep will add value but not just a new worktop. If the kitchen looks old and unfashionable people will budget to replace it. They probably wouldn’t specifically work out if they can keep the worktop.

No. It might make your house a little more desirable than Sue’s up the road with laminate surfaces but you aren’t going to add any value, and quartz has some health and safety issues in the manufacture that are coming to light (Australia has banned them outright) so will become less desirable.

Quartz is quite dated now. Go for Dekton.

But for me it would depend on the colour - if I was buying a house with black / grey worktops I would rip them out instantly. I hate dark worktops.

So the answer is no, it wouldn’t add value. Like another poster said, if the cabinets are 13 years old, a new owner would probably rip the whole lot out.

But I’d still go for it, especially if you don’t intend to move for another 5 years.

Yes, all my tops are ruined. Now I have to wear an apron like I'm cos-playing a cos-playing tradwife. My ego didn't take this hit with the MDF. The quartz is gorgeous though.

Photo for reference, was going to go for an off white to brighten the place up and neutralise it. I suppose laminate would do the same.

I definitely wouldn’t want pale quartz - mine has slight staining where I make the tea and we were told to never use bleach on it. I’d be a bit wary of any pale surface tbh if you want it looking pristine in a few years time.

I'm not sure the worktop alone would make much difference. Or were you thinking of getting the doors wrapped/sprayed too?

Sorry I tried to add an image but it doesn't seem to have worked.

I just take to it with power paste or bar keeper's friend. Six years in and we have never had a stain that wouldn't lift, even with an unfortunate accident with beetroot.

Much as I love the idea of rose quartz, especially with pale wood doors, I think it might clash quite uncomfortably with the colour of those doors.

Snd as PP have pointed out, there are downsides. Save your cash for a brilliant kitchen next time round.

There are massive health issues for the people cutting these quartz worktops. There are warnings all over the place. I wouldn’t touch these worktops with a barge pole.

No I wouldn't do this. Kitchens are a very personal choice, whilst you may like that style, others will hate it.

I would leave the worktops and paint those wooden cupboards. It will give an entirely new fresh modern look choose something like a pale olive. It will look really cool.

My view is that I would hate to live in a house constantly thinking about if my changes will add value if I sell it years down the line. Decide if it's worth to you for the pleasure you will take in it. That's the deciding factor.

I had similar and replaced worktops with quartz.

The material is fine for me, has lasted well and looks good.

But I don't think it has increased the value of the house and my guess is if someone else came in they would rip out the kitchen.

In retrospect I over bought on the worktops, which are much higher end now than the rest of the kitchen.

If I had my time again I would probably just replace like for like and then wait until I ripped out the whole kitchen to get premium worktops in.

Are you sure that £4.5k is the best price? It's not a particularly big kitchen so it seems pretty steep. We paid about that for two full slabs of 30mm quartz for our fairly large kitchen and utility room.

I do think a decent worktop gets a bit more longevity out of a kitchen but, equally, I wouldn't want to pay a premium for one when buying a house if there was a chance I was just going to rip out and replace the kitchen anyway.

If you love them then get one.

But it wont add value because everyone has completely different tastes and many people dont like quartz. If I was buying a house and the kitchen wasnt to my taste I'd rip it out and change it. If you are banking on this adding value then you are going to be disappointed

New buyers will want to rip the kitchen out probably. I think you either go for a full on new kitchen in a classic style (which would add to the saleability )or accept that 5 years worth of use is worth it to you and just have it done for your pleasure

I second @Upstartled on Bar Keepers Friend for any staining. It’s like a miracle! Not sure how it would be on ingrained stains though.

We got our quartz from Gemini worktops who were really competitive price wise although can’t remember how much.

No issues at all with ruining clothing 🤷‍♀️

I have white quartz and I love it. It looks nice and it’s so easy to get stains out of. I would definitely want it in my next house and all future houses too! My house is a new build and I have high-end appliances, although the cabinets are nothing fancy.

But … if I were you I’m not sure I’d bother, since you have a plan to move on in five years. It’s a lot of money to spend.