HawthorneVillager.com

In phase 12, there didn't seem to be that big of a price difference between Granite and Corian (not sure if it's different now). We just liked Granite better than Corian, the price difference wasn't that big, so we went with the Granite. But it's really personal preference. For us it was either Laminate or Granite, we didn't see anything inter-between that we wanted.

We have Corian now. It is very nice. However with lots of research, granite seems to be the best choice for resale value as this is very popular now. ( Just my 2cents) The cost difference for us wasn't much. If I remember correctly when we chose our upgrades, the difference between corian and granite was about $400. This was with no changes to the layout of the kitchen. But there is an extra cost when keeping a piece of the counter for the slide in range (if this is the stove you choose). When upgrading your counter top from th standard laminate to corian or granite, the difference does not seem to be too much since you are already looking at a couple thousands for the initial upgrade.
Sorry for babling, chose the style you prefer. Enjoy

When we purchased, we were offered Zodiaq (I think this is quartz). It's in between Corian and Granite. It honestly looks exactly like granite but the difference is that it's man made so there aren't any pits like there are on granite surfaces for stuff to get into. Also it does not need to be sealed regularily like granite does.

Corian looks okay when new, but after a while they begin to get these swirl like scratches (see the demo counters at the Mattamy Decor Center).

Here's the site for more info on Zodiaq (if still offered by Mattamy): http://www2.dupont.com/Surfaces/en_US/products/zodiaq/index.html

Corian and Granite are almost the same price but Granite has more appeal from a re-sale perspective and is considered more "high end".

Cliff

_________________
Cliff Barron
Selling in Milton for over 14 years!
Sutton Group - Summit Realty Inc. Brokerage
#1, 07-18 company wide!

cbarron@sutton.com
http://www.callcliff.ca
905-286-5888