When I was first shopping for our granite, I really had NO idea of what costs were and had very little idea of what questions I should ask or what I should be looking for in a fabricator. We started out going to the "discounted granite" place that I saw a billboard for that was advertising cheap granite. It was our starting place. And far, far, far away from what we wound up going with. It's hard to shop for things when you don't have any idea of what they *should* cost. Many things in life, you have at at least a rough approximation just because you hear and se pricing of items. If you're looking for a new car, you can find something in the 10K-ish range and you can (and usually do) go well up from that. You see ads for those things on tv, etc...so you already know that if you're going to a Lexus dealer, you're not gonna get a new one of them in the 10K range. With countertops...we aren't really bombarded with those ads so much. No ideas what costs are or should be. I think that it's a fair question to ask, "Is this a reasonable cost?" as long as you recognize that there are a lot of variables that go into it. Honestly, I don't know what the average is per sq. ft. of marble since it wasn't something that we were pricing. The OP wasn't saying that price was her only (or even primary) factor in picking her marble. She just wondered, is that a reasonable sounding cost based on others experiences. I agree that we probably needed more info...but if the OP is just starting into the kitchen reno realm and hasn't shopped for countertops before, it's tough to post on here what all the rest of us would want to know to help her in determining reasonable costs. Kate - definitely do some reading on here. It will help you to become more knowledgeable about countertops...and some of the trials and difficulties that some have faced. Hopefully you'll make a decision for your countertop fabricator that will include one that has a reasonable price and excellent reputation for providing quality work.

Check the roof and the plumbing! It looks like someone had grand plans and something happened. I'd live in it a while and figure out what need doing. Popcorn ceilings are EASY to get rid of. Don't panic at the doom-mongers and the asbestos. The wetting process takes care of the dust issue, and then you bundle it up in the plastic that's protecting the floors. If the kitchen is post-1980, so is the popcorn, and they required asbestos-free stuff starting in 1979. Check the building permits and ask the neighbors to see when the addition was made. Ah .. it's been painted over. Still not a problem: use one of the spiky wallpaper removal rollers to puncture the paint layer, and wet it with warm water that has a bit of detergent in it. You will wet the popcorn, it expands and the whole layer weakens and can be scraped off.

@autumnjohnson no, I really didn't notice until you said something. I think once all the planks are put down, it kind of blends in. I found the floors to be much more beautiful once they were installed versus the store samples. My mom installed Coretec Ravenswood Oak, and she didn't care for some of the distressing on hers, which come to found out, mine have to. Again, I didn't notice until she said something about it. Now if every plank had the same markings, that would be different. There are some planks that I love better than others, but overall, this flooring is beautiful, and I can't say enough about durability. No scratches or dents and we've been here for 8 months. My only complaint is that it was difficult for the installers because they said it was more rigid than standard LVP (not to mention heavy!). It is essential for the planks to be line up perfectly or there will be gaps. There were several gaps that they had to fix before moving in, and there are new ones that I will be having them address at our 1-year check-in. I would make sure whoever installs your floor is experienced and comfortable with this type of thick flooring and be sure to order extra. I don't think this is a flaw of the flooring, but rather the installation, and the nature of floating floor. Gaps will occasionally occur.

Thank you to everyone who posted pictures of their projects! We've looked at sooooo many different samples of SPC, WPC, Laminate flooring and the more you look, the more confused you get. We have FINALLY decided we like the Coretec Petronas Oak best of all and I loved being able to see what the floor will look like (and not just a sample board!). For those that have had this floor installed now for a while ... are you still happy with your choice? How hard is it to keep clean, is is slippery to walk on (the sample feels like it has some kind of coating on top that handles some of the slip hazards), and most importantly, how has it held up to scratches and spills? Thanks so much for all of your input!!!