Browse Forums Kitchen Corner 1 Mar 19, 2013 1:06 pm Hello All I would really like stone benchtops. They are not in the building specs I am looking at so I will need to pay the builder more to upgrade them. Am I best to just go with laminate benchtops and then upgrade to stone myself after handover (I am assuming the builder will charge extra but I don't know how much extra). Has anyone looked into this in detail and done the sums? (I will do my own sums of course - just curious what others have found). Re: Upgrading to stone benchtops 2Mar 19, 2013 1:49 pm We had friends just redo to full kitchen - add overhead laminate cupboards, new splashback, sink and dishwasher - they left the old oven and base cupboards. They said it cost around $6K all up, I am pretty sure that the builders put the stone over the existing benchtop, meaning the used less stone = cheaper!!! I will try and contact them and confirm this info, don't want to send you down the wrong path. Re: Upgrading to stone benchtops 3Mar 19, 2013 1:53 pm Cheaper to just get stone from the start. Builder will generally get a trade price which you likely won't get plus you will get a credit back from the laminate that isn't used and are not paying for removal and 1* fitting (and taking the risk something is damaged). The above suggestion sounds like a granite transformation product which isn't "real" stone benchtops. Re: Upgrading to stone benchtops 4Mar 19, 2013 3:03 pm We bought an established house with the plan of changing laminate to stone. When it came to getting quotes, however, we found that installation was going to be a prohibitive cost because the gaps which would be left after removing the existing benches would not be the right size for the stone; plus the cost of hiring someone to remove the old benches in the first place as the stone people didn't provide carpentry. My two cents would be, if at all possible, to go with stone from the beginning, unless you're handy and can do some of the work yourself. Re: Upgrading to stone benchtops 5Mar 20, 2013 11:02 am Thank you! Excellent feedback I really appreciate it. As a first timer figuring out what to do myself and what to get the builder to do is unknown territory. Re: Upgrading to stone benchtops 6Mar 20, 2013 11:27 am travisaus Cheaper to just get stone from the start. Builder will generally get a trade price which you likely won't get plus you will get a credit back from the laminate that isn't used and are not paying for removal and 1* fitting (and taking the risk something is damaged). . You would think so but thats no quite right. I would be far cheaper to have the laminate tops left off, get the credit for them and organise your own stone. You wouldnt believe just how much extra the big builders charge on top of the stone masnons price. Mark ups can be upto 300%!!!! Cutting Edge Kitchens and Cabinet Making http://cuttingedgekitchens.net.au http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cutting-Edge-Kitchens/290484196676 Mobile : 0419 430 575 PH: 9452 4772 Fax :9452 4772 cuttingedgekitchens@outlook.com Re: Upgrading to stone benchtops 7Mar 20, 2013 11:52 am i would agree just leave the benchtops off and ask for a credit and arrange your own stone( remember you may need to work with builder to install as their tiler etc will still need the top in to finish their tiling) to give you an idea quoted $1850 to do stone benchtop for vanity in main bathroom. i went and got my own quote from a stone mason and bought a granite stone top ( an offcut) and charged installed $400. so a bit of research and see if there are stone masons ask about their off cuts and you will save Re: Upgrading to stone benchtops 8Mar 20, 2013 11:55 am What ever you do, just don't use that Granite laminate that they stick over your old bench top to "transform" it. This is what happens often apparently http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/6571 ... 4small.jpg and their answer is for you to make a claim on your insurance !!!! WIDE BERTH, tell your friends, WIDE BERTH Re: Upgrading to stone benchtops 9Apr 11, 2013 7:01 am Do it all at once so you can just move in and enjoy your new home we were thinking about doing it after handover the hassles were not worth it. It depends how big your bench is for price but we have quite alot of bench space to cover and ended up getting the 40mm instead of the 20mm and was approx $4k Build start April 2013 - Handover End July 2013. We are in love <3 - viewtopic.php?f=31&t=64062&p=1002912#p1002912 Re: Upgrading to stone benchtops 10Apr 11, 2013 7:15 am CuttingEdgeKitchens travisaus Cheaper to just get stone from the start. Builder will generally get a trade price which you likely won't get plus you will get a credit back from the laminate that isn't used and are not paying for removal and 1* fitting (and taking the risk something is damaged). . You would think so but thats no quite right. I would be far cheaper to have the laminate tops left off, get the credit for them and organise your own stone. You wouldnt believe just how much extra the big builders charge on top of the stone masnons price. Mark ups can be upto 300%!!!! The OP would also have to get the builder to not doing splashbacks either, as clearly the laminate would be 33mm and stone 20 or 40mm (sometimes 30 but rare). Anyway there would be far too big a gap. Also don't think many builders would come at leaving the bench tops off, they will either be pay the upgrade costs or have laminate and be done with it. Re: Upgrading to stone benchtops 11Apr 11, 2013 2:14 pm AJW [The OP would also have to get the builder to not doing splashbacks either, as clearly the laminate would be 33mm and stone 20 or 40mm (sometimes 30 but rare). Anyway there would be far too big a gap. Also don't think many builders would come at leaving the bench tops off, they will either be pay the upgrade costs or have laminate and be done with it. Correct! I had a spec builder leave out the entire internals in my house. I have also had clients have bench tops to full kitchens out and then do them later. Its not impossible and would save the OP alot of money in the long run! Cutting Edge Kitchens and Cabinet Making http://cuttingedgekitchens.net.au http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cutting-Edge-Kitchens/290484196676 Mobile : 0419 430 575 PH: 9452 4772 Fax :9452 4772 cuttingedgekitchens@outlook.com Dear Members I have to decide the Facade column size. 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