In addition to being beautiful, granite countertops offer an excellent return on investment. When you install the right countertops, you significantly improve the look of the entire room and keep it looking fabulous for years, if not decades. It’s no doubt granite is a significant investment and one you will be proud of for years.

The only catch is that you have to buy the right countertops and install them professionally. Luckily, you can do it using these tips:

Always view the entire granite slabs

When you visit the granite stores, the countertop company will show you countertop pieces. If you aren’t experienced, you will be satisfied with the pieces, which ends up being problematic.

Since granite is a natural stone, it varies widely in color, veining, and patterns. These variations don’t appear accurately on countertop pieces, so you might be mistaken about how the countertops will look upon installation.

To avoid surprises, ask the countertop company to show you the entire slab so you can be aware of the color variations and veins. Keenly inspect the slab keeping your eyes out for areas that show significant variations and where the contractors will place a seam between two slabs.

To reduce the number of seams that will be on your countertops, select the largest granite slab. Granite slabs are often available in sizes of up to 10 feet in length. You should note that while they significantly reduce the number of seams, they are often brittle and heavy to handle and transport. So you should be ready to make the sacrifice.

Strive to keep the countertop prices down

Due to the popularity of the countertops, some sellers tend to markup their prices to take advantage of unsuspecting homeowners. For you to avoid buying the countertops at extremely high prices, take time to do your research.

Visit different companies and see what they have in store. Expect the prices to vary depending on the location of the company and the quality of the stone.

Of course, avoid companies located in high-end areas as they will be more expensive due to the high rent. You also should avoid the big chain stores. In addition to selling countertop stones at high prices, they also don’t have variety, so you are stuck with only a few options.

While you should strive to keep the prices as low as possible, be cautious of a company selling the countertops at meager prices. The chances are that the slabs aren’t genuine and will come apart after a few months.

Take time and hire the right installation company

If you are like other homeowners, when you are looking for an installation company, you go online and key in your search term. You then proceed to contact the first company that shows up first in the search results. Don’t do this.

You are better off working with a contractor with a proven record. So the first thing you should do is to ask your friends and relatives that recently installed countertops about the contractor they used.

You also should visit the review sites and see some of the top-rated contractors in your area. Select a few and schedule an interview.

During the interview, ask them how they are going to install the countertops, how they are going to address the issues in your kitchen, and any other questions that will help you gauge their expertise.

Once you have found an ideal contractor, have a written quote. This will protect you from future attempts by the contractor to increase the price.

Go for a simple design

Although every homeowner wants a new look for their home, you shouldn’t go for an intricate countertop design that is not only expensive, but also hard to execute.

You should note that the countertop installation professional charges depending on several factors such as the size of the work surface, presence of matching backsplash, presence of cutouts for fixtures and plumbing, and other details.

A design doesn’t have to be complex to be elegant. Work with experienced granite countertop installers Rockville and install a simple design that will cost you less to install and last for a long time.

Parting shot

For you to install countertops, you will be proud of for years, buy a high-quality slab, and ensure an experienced contractor installs it.