The Upgrades Homeowners Regret Not Adding During Their Countertop Install
After 30 years of installations in NH, we've heard the same regrets repeatedly. Here's what homeowners wish they'd added while the countertops were being replaced.
By Precision Granite Works Team · Precision Granite Works, Epsom NH
The Window You Only Get Once
Countertop replacement creates a window — sometimes days, sometimes just hours — when your kitchen is torn up, the cabinets are exposed, and everything is in flux. This is the ideal time to add features that would be difficult or impossible to add later. Homeowners who use this window well end up with kitchens they love more. The ones who rush through it often call us two years later wishing they'd done one more thing.
A Thicker Edge Profile
The most common regret: "I wish I'd gone with a laminated edge." The cost difference between a standard ¾" edge and a laminated 1½" edge is modest in the context of a full countertop project, but the visual difference is significant. Homeowners see photos of kitchens with substantial, weighty edges and realize their own countertops look thin in comparison. Do it during the original installation — not as a retrofit.
An Undermount Sink Upgrade
If you're replacing countertops with an existing drop-in sink, this is the moment to switch to an undermount. An undermount sink creates a seamless counter-to-sink transition that's easier to clean (no rim to trap debris) and looks significantly more finished. The cost of the sink upgrade and installation is reasonable relative to the overall project cost — and doing it during countertop replacement saves the labor of doing it separately.
Stone for the Backsplash
Full-height stone backsplash — extending the countertop material from the counter surface up to the underside of the upper cabinets — is one of the most dramatic upgrades in a kitchen renovation. It requires no grout, no tile work, and creates a clean, continuous surface that looks genuinely luxurious. Installing it during the countertop project is logical because the fabricator is already measuring, cutting, and working with your selected stone.
Better Edge at the Island
Homeowners often budget for a simple edge on the island and upgrade the perimeter later — then find there's no "later" because the work is done and the motivation has faded. If you've been considering a waterfall island or a dramatic thick edge profile on the island, the countertop replacement is the time to commit to it. You won't regret a bold island. Many homeowners regret not doing one.
If you're planning a countertop project, talk to our team about all the options before you finalize the scope. Visit us at 1022 Dover Road, Epsom, NH or call 603-736-0004.
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Contact Precision Granite Works for a free consultation and quote at our Epsom, NH showroom.
About the Author
Written by the team at Precision Granite Works — New Hampshire's family-owned countertop fabricators. Jillian and Shawn Woodward and their team serve homeowners and builders across all of NH from our Epsom showroom.