Granite depending on the stone is no more costly than some of the others, like Silesstone. A higher end granite with finding the right installer was cheaper for us than our original plan of Silesstone (I hated it when I got a big sample piece). You can also sometimes find prefab granite which may or may not be cheaper than regular granite.

Others have found countertops on Craig's list. Or, try Ikea, or tile (although with labor it might be the same as something more expensive).

I forget her name, but one of the women did an amazing job I think this summer redoing it herself and installed granite as it was only slightly more than an custom fit laminate. Some of it will depend on your kitchen size. We have a small kitchen, so cost wise, we could get a nicer stone and it not be terribly expensive.

We have a Galley kitchen. It's not to large. one side of the kitchen has about 7 1/2 feet long x 2 1/2 feet wide length of counter-top. The other side is about 6 1/2 feet long, same width as the other side but has my double sink cut out of that. Could Granite be a possibility? How do I find out how much something like that would be? And how much on top of the price will it be to have it installed? What is "not terribly expensive"? Everyone has a diffrent view of cost. Are we still talking thousands?

netshound,

Sounds like you are moving really sensibly. Don't feel like everyone has an unlimited budget. I think most people here do what they can afford and try to get the best quality within their respective budgets.

There are many laminates out there that look a lot like granites. I would start with the counter and then look for coordinating backsplash. Have the counter run straight to the wall- DO NOT have the laminate run up into a curved self backsplash. We are definitely DIY and have so far saved thousands of $$$, and when we get to the backsplash will do it ourselves- but I gather it can cost more for labour for tile than the tile itself- so you will really have to shop around to look for a good price if you are then paying someone else to install. I think the Subway type of tile is very up to date, looks nice, and can be found very reasonably- my sister bought some at HD (which she laid herself- bought a wet saw tile cutter for ~ $80) You may even want to look on Craig's List for tile to save even more.

Have fun- and FYI we waited and saved 12 years to renovate this kitchen that I HATED! :>)

I wouldn't exactly call your situation a big problem. I like the word "challenge" better!

Based on your numbers, you will need about 35 square feet of counters. There was a recent thread about counter costs but I can't seem to find it. If I remember correctly, $60 per square foot installed is probably a good starting place for a less expensive granite. If you live near a large city, it may be even less. So, your price would be around $2100. You might consider using granite tiles instead of purchasing slabs. You can get tiles for less than $10 per square foot plus installation (around $6 a square foot). The cost would be around $560.

Consider doing back splash tile only in your wet areas and painting the rest of the back splash. You can be really creative with tile and it can be really inexpensive.

Don't be discouraged. There are a lot of big spenders on this board with beautiful kitchens but you don't have to spend tons of money to get a nice kitchen.

If budget is a concern I would definitely look at laminate counters. There are so many choices - they're a great value - and an underrated option in my opinion. You shouldn't feel pressured to get granite if it's not in your budget. I recently installed some new laminate counters and the price was about half of the granite price quoted above. If you really want granite I think the granite tile option is an excellent choice. I've seen this in several friend's new homes - it was really lovely - very thin grout lines compared with tile counters of the past.

I appear to be Budget Girl on this board since like you my budget is comparatively teeny-tiny (and needs to incorporate structural work as well), so don't feel like you're alone!

Here is a link that might be useful: Thread

Post didn't include half of what I wrote!

Let's try that again... (the link above is correct, however)

I posted at lenght at how we're rehabbing on a very small budget in that thread I've linked - it may give you some ideas (or at least provide solidarity!)

For counters, I'd definitely check out Craigslist if you have an active one in your area. That's how I found my like-new Silestone Quartz for $600 (and it's actually more than I'll need, so I'll probably recoup some of that cost by selling the leftovers). I've seen granite listed, too - definitely worth checking.

For backsplash - if you like the stainless look - I know Ikea does some stainless that's pretty cheap.

HTH!

You may also consider doing a mix of countertops. Salvage butcher block combined with good looking laminate, for instance. Some months back, someone posted about using going to large stoneyards and asking if they had remnants they wanted to get rid of. She was a DIYer who did an enviable job on a strict budget. It was beautiful.

I want to second the notion of going to a granite guy and looking for remnants. I just did that with my bathrooms and got the price down from almost $4000 to $1800 for all three vanity tops installed. I first went to a granite yard and asked for names of really good granite guys. Chose one out of them, and then met him at the granite yard to look at stone. I was actually looking at prefabricated granite countertops (which could be another great less expensive way for you to go. When I couldn't find what I wanted for one of the bathrooms he told me he might have a remnant at his place that would work. So I followed him there, and lo and behold found enough 'remnants' for all three baths! Before you think, well, yeah, because bathrooms are small... let me explain. One of my bathroom vanities is 99 inches long, the other 73 inches, and the third just 31 inches. So remnants don't have to be 'small'. In all cases, he had half a slab left over from other jobs, and that's what we're using. That comes out to $50/square foot installed, and that includes everything, including all demo, underboards, sidesplashes, backsplash, etc. I don't know what your budget is of course, but if that works, it might be the way to go.
Lynn

Have you considered doing granite tile? I'm not sure of exact prices, but I think it can be done for around 20-30% of the cost of the slab granite. And IMHO, I think it looks about 80-90% as nice as slab granite. My neighbor has granite tile, with the same granite tile set diagonally for the backsplash. I think it looks really great. Most people, non-TKO people, just think "Wow, granite...how nice." They don't even register that it's tile. If I were on a shoestring budget, I would have definitely gone that direction.

Did someone suggest IKEA butcherblock?...Or stainless? A sheet metal fabricator is doing ours for $17/sq ft.

I asked our installer about granite for the basement and he said he could do an black (I forget which one - maybe absolute as we needed it to last) for $35 a foot.

If you have a Habitat for Humanity Re-store, you may find slabs of granite or actual granite countertops that have been donated by big box stores, and are *almost* new. You would need to find a fabricator if it's an actual slab.

At my re-store you can purchase brand new granite from one of the local businesses for almost half the price, carpeting too. Problem with that is I don't think you have the option of going to the granite yard and actually seeing your selection IRL, so you're kind of stuck with whatever you get. Differences in granites samples and what you actually end up with can be like night and day.

netshound

I know how you feel. You are not the only one doing a reno on a tight budget.
We are doing entire kitchen for under $10,000.
That includes new electrical, some new drywall, paint and plumbling.

Birch Aristokraft cabinets installed with Formica Labrador Granite looking counter. $4990.00
Gabrielle beige tile floor 12x12. Also using it for backsplash (on the advice of cabinet store)Just turning them on a 45 degree angle. $276.00
Lighting - 4 pots and hardware $100.00 Chandelier Costco $72.99

A hubby who does all the work himself .... Priceless.

Anyway, just wanted to share. You can have nice on a tight budget. And I feel that ANYTHING is an improvement compared to the very outdated and ugly kitchen I had before.

Hoping to be in it for Christmas!

I've seen prefab granite slabs for as little as $10/SF -- seriously. Now, you don't get all the color choices in the world, and it's a full bull-nose edge only. But if you've got straight counter runs of less than 10 feet, it's a very inexpensive way to go.

IKEA butcher block, like someone else mentioned, is great. Or if you've got some smaller sections of countertop, get a 'regular' thick butcher block, have your carpenter seal the top of your cabinet, and simply set it on top. Removable for easy cleaning.

If you're willing to try DIYing, concrete countertops aren't that difficult to do and look fabulous. Or wrap sheet metal around plain-old plywood. There's a poster on the MetalWorking forum who did that with copper sheeting and has drop-dead gorgeous results.

Backsplash options abound -- but wait until your countertops are in before deciding on a backsplash.

I'm planning glazed ceramic tiles for at least my backsplash. Pick a nice color and if you want to add pizzazz, just include a few decorative tiles at random intervals, or just behind the range. Adds a splash of interest but keeps the costs down.

I can get pre-fab granite slabs for $300 a slab. My friend just had hers done for less than $200 including fabrication.

I'm using granite tiles from Bedrock Creations.