When you are looking to buy kitchen countertops, there are plenty of things you need to consider to buy the right units. These things include:

Your lifestyle

Different countertop materials are ideal for various applications. If you have small children, so you cook a lot, chances are your home has plenty of spills and accidents. In such a scenario, you should avoid marble or white granite countertops as it will just be a matter of time before the countertops develop ugly stains giving your kitchen an ugly, unappealing look.

Here, you need tough but easy-to-maintain countertop materials.

If, on the other hand, you live alone and rarely use the kitchen, marble or white granite countertop surfaces are an excellent choice as you won’t worry about them developing ugly stains.

If you aren’t sure about the right material for your lifestyle, get the input of a professional.

Ease of maintenance

How much care do the countertops need? You should ask this question before you make the purchase.

Of course, to have an easy time, you should buy countertop materials that are easy to maintain.

As much as granite and marble surfaces are excellent, they need regular sealing to prevent stains from developing. Is this something you are comfortable doing at least once or twice a year? You should think about this.

If you aren’t comfortable with this, you are better with quartz countertops or other materials that don’t need sealing.

Remember that even if you go for easy-to-maintain countertops, you need to protect them from damage so they can last for a long time. This calls for you to avoid cutting directly on them.

You also should avoid standing or sitting on the countertops as you can easily break them.

Your preferred look

How do you want your kitchen to look? We all have a preferred look, and you should consider this when purchasing.

Some countertops can give your kitchen a traditional look, while others give it a contemporary vibe. Give your kitchen the look you want.

If you aren’t sure about the right countertops you should go for, get the input of an expert.

Your preferred sink mounting

Over-mounted and under-mounted sinks are two popular ways to mount your sink to your kitchen countertops. You should note that the style of sink you install will influence the size and style of countertops you choose.

Here is more about the mounting sink types:

Under-mounted sinks: With under-mounted sinks, the sink’s edge lip is mounted below the countertop. This sink mounting style creates a continuous flow, making it easy to clean up crumbs when a mess comes about.

Some of the best materials for under-mounted sinks are granite, marble, concrete, and quartz.

Don’t try to install under-mounted sinks on other materials, as there is the risk that the materials won’t be well suited for these sinks. In most cases, there are risks of having too many seams and grout lines.

Over-mounted sinks: Also known as drop-in sinks, these sinks involve dropping off the sink into the countertop. Unlike the under-mounted sinks, this style has edges over the kitchen countertop giving it a traditional look.

Your home layout

The kitchen is the heart of every home and should tie the entire house together. As a rule of thumb, ensure that the style and layout of the house flows throughout the house.

For example, choose countertop materials that maintain the look if your house has an open concept. In such a case, keep a simple color palette that looks good on the open layout.

Your budget

As you can tell, this influences everything from the store you buy the countertops to the contractor your hire.

Many people make the mistake of rushing to the stores with little money. You should note that quality comes at a price, so there is no way you will get quality granite or marble countertops Durham on a small budget.

Instead of being in a hurry, always take your time and save some money until it’s enough for your desired countertops.