The value of concrete counter tops modification increases visual appeal and 94716

The Value of Concrete Countertops: Customization Boosts Aesthetic Appeal and

The Value of Concrete Countertops: Modification Boosts Aesthetic Appeal and Property Financial investment for Homeowners

From top-dollar homes in the San Francisco Bay Location to stretching mountain homes in the Colorado Rockies, discriminating property owners are demanding custom styles and surfaces in their kitchen areas. In specific, they are seeking to reveal their individuality and unique style choices with the fast growing style material of option concrete.

In truth, concrete countertops have become somewhat of a status sign for kitchens, equaling granite and other high-end countertop surface area options. Consumer Reports Publication (August 2004) ranked concrete highest for its customization and exclusivity among high-end kitchen countertops.

As a custom item, the amount of time and craftsmanship needed to produce concrete counter tops places them as the most labor-intensive and most costly amongst leading countertop materials.

However, concrete countertops are becoming more accessible for those on a modest budget plan. The latest do-it-yourself (DIY) trend to captivate homeowners and contractors is developing your own concrete countertop. This phenomenon has gained appeal mostly due to Chengs very popular book Concrete Countertops: Style, Types, and Finishes for the New Kitchen Area and Bath (Taunton Press, 2002). According to Cheng, there is little financial financial investment in making concrete countertops, yet the innovative gains of dealing with concrete are plentiful.

THE SHOWSTOPPER

Increasingly, house owners are moving away from the tedious, manufactured look of traditional countertop surface areas and selecting concrete for its earthy, classic appeal. Plus, the choices for customizing concrete countertops are unlimited: one can color, polish, stamp and stain concrete or imbed personal things like stones, seashells and fossils into the counter tops surface, including belief and character. Functional features such as drain boards, soap meals, and trivets can likewise be incorporated to suit the homeowners own needs and lifestyle.

Concrete is gradually becoming debunked as typically cold and industrial. In contrary, this olden product is warm and remarkably tactile; individuals can not assist however touch their smooth, polished surfaces. Real estate representative Joy Rasmussen, who has actually just recently sold her mountain home a short-term financial investment property in Steamboat Springs, CO recounts her visitors experiences with concrete: When I had open homes, visitors gravitated to the concrete counter tops lots of people around here have never seen them.

Joys 2,265 sq. ft. mountain home was customized construct by her other half, Ken Otterman, together with KJ Otterman, president of Classic Unique Custom Houses. They developed pour-in-place concrete counters for the homes kitchen area and 3 bathrooms by using Concrete Countertops as their guide. The sand-colored concrete counter tops were polished smooth, then paired with natural slate of differing colors like charcoal, rust and gold tones that forms the backsplashes in the kitchen area and baths. As a design accent, small rectangle-shaped slate tiles were added to the rim of the restroom sinks, which offered a distinct information to the custom-made vanities.

When Joy and Ken decided to offer their house, their financial investment in concrete counter tops proved its value. We were able to note the house $20,000 over market value, and had no problems offering it, remarks Happiness, while discussing the long list of upgrades throughout their home, including knotty pine strong doors, natural slate wall accents and hardwood floors. The concrete counter tops were quickly the most unique and outstanding of all the surfaces. I believe they were a big part in including value to the home. Around here, all you see in homes are granite countertops and I truly think Baxter plumbing services property buyers are getting quite numb with granite.

Concrete countertops are an unique offering to property buyers who see the very same surfaces used in house after house they check out, describes Pleasure, using her observation as a seasoned real estate agent. Having concrete countertops almost gives you bragging rights you have something various from your neighbors.

BREAKING THE MOLD

Another advantage of concrete is its adaptability in either modern-day or standard settings, specifically when combined with other materials like varied metals, wood or stone. Concrete includes a lot of [possibilities] to stone, and the mix with slate, which is extremely popular here, gives the mountain homes a total warm, natural touch, says Pleasure.

Joy and Ken have because constructed a much larger home (4,000 sq. ft.) that provides expansive views of the Steamboat Ski Resort and is meant to work as a long-lasting financial investment for the couple. Theyve likewise expanded their list of custom-made finishes, consisting of hand-troweled walls, stylish oil-rubbed bronze hardware, knotty pine doors that arch at the top, cabinets in a natural, knotty alder, and their favorite concrete kitchen area countertops.

Unlike in their previous home, KJ and his specialty crew poured charcoal-colored counter tops using the pre-cast method in the unfinished basement of the brand-new home. Before putting the concrete, they sprinkled a selection of semi-precious stones in the mold consisting of Leopardskin, Moonstone, Mother-of-Pearl and Blue-green. After the surface area was ground and gently polished, the completed outcome was an impressive blend of colors, By far, the Mother-of-Pearl was the most amazing, states Pleasure.

The L-shaped concrete counter top has a rough, rustic stone appearance, complementing its rugged country environments. An integral drain board and trivets supplies function and included interest to the concrete countertop. Natural slate backsplashes, unique wall accents, and a butcher block countertop at the kitchen island all resonate with the conventional heat and earthiness of the concrete countertops.

Joy and Kens respective backgrounds in real estate and custom-made homebuilding, and as financial investment homebuyers, have assisted them understand that concrete countertops can add remarkable visual and monetary value to a home. Concretes personalization and show-stopping appeal resembles no other counter top surface. Cheng is a proponent of psychological aesthetic appeals and developing homes that catch these emotions, as in the case of Joy and Ken Otterman. Cheng concludes: People truly want distinction, something personal, something custom-made and concrete can do that for them.