just gotta try to find an economic sollution, may be smth like http://www.livingstonesurfaces.com/

Rob.
I used to be in the Kitchen Bis. It is all about competition. Hire a Realtor, check out your competition(houses). Then make your decision. Oh, by the way, it is what is done in S.F. that only counts. $6-8k for counters seems way high, you are on the coast, get on the phone/internet and find someone who will do it for $40-60 a square foot. The Chinease produce a 3/4 product with a full bullnose, some colors are quite reasonable. Buy a current popular color. Think about refacing in a current popular wood and stlye. A guy working on his own, not Sears or Home Depot. Check web sites. It is not a good idea to do improvements that buyers will have to change or fix. It will be reflected in the offer.
P.S. Bamboo floors are green, it is all down hill from there. New product, the jury is out.

Mission Barganista, congratulations on finding and buying a place! Whether Mission-proper or Mission/Castro, it's a great area to live and buy in - and great weather to boot.

I'm happy to hear you are indeed making your living by your pen. Your angel of death comment was too good; I figured you had to be a pro - and/or have a very active imagination. Great visual imagery!

I did end up finding a place but my budget was very, very low. One income, first-time buyer, you know the drill. It basically came down to two options: 1. Place in/near the city that was crappy but great location. 2. Place not in/near the city but great living space/neighborhood with the trade-off of a craptastic commute.

Of course, I ended up choosing the latter and purchased the lower unit of a duplex near the Grand Lake Theatre in Oakland/a block from Piedmont. Built in 1914, Craftsman/Prairie style, box beam ceilings, beautiful garden, huge backyard for my yellow Lab, two bedrooms, and a sunroom.

Good luck on your new place! Have you closed yet?

I guess I'm an annoying superficial buyer, but I definitely knew the types of countertops in each of the homes I was considering. I have a theory that buyers need one "wow" to take away from your home - maybe it's that sunroom you added, or the amazing master bathroom or the stone fireplace ... but I cared about kitchens (size, countertops, counter space, light), and I think most buyers do care. I'd probably suggest doing something with your countertops, not necessarily granite, and do what you can with the cabinets (paint and new hardware - the hardware is one of those easy investments that can make buyers stop and look).

There are actually laminates now that look like granite. If I was keeping my house, I'd install them. See link below.

Jackalope,
I do indeed make a living by my pen. And I did just find a place, actually! I leveraged some long-term relational goodwill (i.e. got my parents to buy with me) and landed a triplex that was in forclosure. Sadly, though, it's not exactly in the Mission - more along the Mission/Castro border. Maybe I gotta change my name now!
What about you? I remember answering your Q about finding a first-time homebuyer agent a few months ago. Any luck?

Mission Bargainista, you are my new hero. Your answer cracked me up, and finally, finally!!, someone who also feels that granite is less than inspiring.

Angel of death?! I hope you are a writer; you crack me up.

Thanks for the laugh, and good luck finding your place - have you located anything yet?

Unless you have really really really nice up to date appliances, cabinets, and floors, I would skip the granite. I cringe when I do a home evaluation and the homeowner says "we updated the kitchen" and there's granite over older cabinets, repainted or not. Either update both or neither and adjust the price. And remember if the house isn't the best buy at the price you put on it, it isn't going to sell.

Please please please no more granite. No more cherry cabinets! Please! Don't do this to yourself and to us - the potential buyers. If you want your house to stand out DONT put the same lame-ass kitchen in it that everyone else just had put in. It will instantly date your kitchen, and any smart buyer will know that.

Now sky blue counters, however, sounds about as attractive as having the angel of death taking a nap in the master suite during an open house. I'd keep the cabinets - sure, change the color if you want (sanding and staining would be nicer than just painting over good wood) and put in a neutral counter. I like the suggestions you've already got - bamboo, concrete - something will work with the rest of your house. I personally long for a corian worksurface and perk right up when I see a house with one, but I have no idea if it's worth the $$$.

Jackalope -- you really are the exception, and THAT's the reason HGTV exists. It's to showcase people who can envision the new kitchen to the mass population who can't. If those skills were common, no one would bother watching!

I recently worked with buyers who wanted a fixer, and like you were sick to death of granite. They kept losing bids not to other buyers, but to contractors, flippers, and developers. Most individual buyers really can't see the potential, or really don't want the headache.

P.S. to Janine - Laminates just don't cut it in San Francisco. An alternative, green surface like Richlite is going to go over much better.

To keep your investment down consider a laminate in a neutral tone.

I'm in agreement with Jed and Cheryl. As a buyer, if I see one more granite countertop I'm going to puke. It's like having avocado green appliances that scream "70s!!".

My strong preference would be to have a slightly lower price so I could do the kitchen the way that I wanted it done, as someone who would live there long term, instead of a 'slap it on and sell' quick fix job. What's to say buyers don't walk in and hate the color/finish of the countertop you've chosen? Or leave it open for negotiation.

I realize agents are saying most people can't imagine what a house would look like other than what's there, but I don't agree with that. If true, entire channels like HGTV wouldn't exist. ;)

Maybe people don't want to change things, but is there really anyone who moves in and keeps everything the same?

Sorry for the strong feelings on granite, but I'm over it.

Tman is correct... 99% of the buyers cannot picture anything in a house other than what's there. If the trend in your area is granite counters in earthy colors and yours is skyblue laminate, then you could very likely lose some buyers because of the condition of the kitchen. They'll take one look and walk out, assuming that replacing the kitchen would be too costly and time-consuming.

However, if many of the homes in your area still have these original counters, then you can likely leave them as-is and still sell. If the trend in your area is to move towards granite counters, you'll need to be willing to sell at "fixer" pricing if you want to avoid the out-of-pocket costs of new counters as well as the mess.

The oak cabinets aren't necessarily bad... you can refinish them to an updated color and add new hardware, and they'll probably be just fine.

Rob all you need to do is go to open houses in your area and look at the competition. That's what other open houses are when you're selling. Your goal in apperance, from the curb to the backyard, is to show value when compared to the listed price. You want the potential buyers to see your property as the best of the lot and the first to go off the for sale shelf.
You mention you have a 90's kitchen I'm seeing that there is a change afoot from the 00 (aught) kitchens of granite and cherry wood. The future will be more focused on green, cement counters made from ash, bamboo cabinrts. This will be the 10 kitchen.
Instead of being au courant be competative. If you feel you need to tart up the kitchen look at the details of your competition. I've taken a 20's kitchen and by adding new pulls on the cabinets and a new faucet in the sink made it look retro. Called "updated original".

When putting your home on the market you want it to look its very best, minimize distractions -- such as your dated kitchen, and outshine the competition. Buyers expectations are of a "model" home. You have control over the condition of your property and the price, not the market. When I put my last home on the market I had a designer/stager do a complimentary walk through the home with me and then got to work with her suggestions which included a granite counter top. I'd say that a granite counter top and refreshed cabinets will help your home show better and get buyers excited.

Another suggestion is to consider eco-friendly counters such as Richlite or Bamboo. If you're handy, you can install either material since they're easier to work with then stone & also less expensive then stone.

http://www.plyboo.com/

Hi Rob,

The $6-8K is a small, worthwhile investment for these upgrades. The ideal is that a property appeals to the largest number & variety of buyers. If you think your kitchen is such a downer, very likely there will be buyers out there who feel the same way. Some first time buyers are overwhelmed with the buying process let alone having the possibility of immediately having to do a kitchen remodel.

I say go for it!

Rob,

Countertops can make all the difference in the world ... your biggest issue is that 99% of the buyers (California or Florida) can't get a mental picture and envision what a kitchen, bathroom, etc will look like if something is added - or subtracted ..

The very first thing on *their* mind .. "yikes, I hate the blue countertops, so lets move on.." .. it doesn't make them bad buyers, it just makes them normal buyers .. plus, like Jim mentioned, buyers want it now .. it starts out being a negative for you as the seller, because most buyers can only imagine 22 days of pain, dust and flying scraps of metal while they're being installed - instead of the normal 4/6ish hours. .l.o.l..

Forget the cabinets, just use very light colors on the tops .. I've installed granite tops in 7 of the last 12 homes I've purchased and the result and the comments have always been the same:

-- "Wow, those countertops are fantastic, plus you added brand new cabinets..." (nope, those are the original cabinets from 8 years ago) .. "Wow, those countertops are fantastic, and you installed brand new appliances..." (nope, thats the same refrigerator and stove that was here 3 days ago) .. "Wow, those countertops are fantastic, plus you had the room painted.." (nope, thats the same white paint you spattered your spaghetti on 2 years ago)

-- "Wow, those countertops are fantastic, plus you had a new sink and faucet installed ..." (oop's, they got me on that one ...)

In most parts of the country, granite prices have dropped by 30 or 40%, this last kitchen was 65 sq ft and was done for less than $3,000 .. my neighbor just paid $10,200 for Corium and new cabinets, it looks like the kitchen we just threw out - so shop, shop long and shop hard ... if needed, wait until the late fall or winter to get better prices on the material and the labor.

Ideas if nothing else...

http://www.atlantaintowngranite.com/?gclid=CNXBmOX8gpQCFQYds…
http://www.slabcomg.com/

-

To me, the answer is in the last sentence of your description. Given that the rest of the home is updated, it probably makes sense to update the kitchen. The way you described sounds about perfect -- keep it as inexpensive as possible.

The reasoning behind my answer is that it seems like the majority of buyers at the moment are looking for a home that is in move-in condition. If the kitchen is that much of a downer, then you're not going to attract these types of buyers.

If you would like any other tips, I'd be happy to talk to you, and even visit your home -- no strings or expectations.

Good luck!