I can't imagine it will have wide-spread appeal.

Butcher block is pricey but you can get real bamboo for very little. Less than laminate and it's a natural product. We bought preformed counters from Lowe's and did it ourselves; I would say average to good woodworking skills can handle it no problem.

More important is the question of can u live with them for as long as u live in the house. Then is it a selling feature that the buyers like...

They are not practical in my opinion. They show every water drop from a spilled drink to sweat off a cup. You also cannot put a YETI mug or any container that contains aluminum on them. The smallest movement will make the aluminum scratch and embed into the counters and you cant remove it.

Get a concrete look-alike in solid surface, please. The performance is not comparable.

I don't feel like they got very trendy for the reasons mentioned above. If you like them, go for it. Just make sure you know what they require before you do it. I agree they don't appeal to everyone, so if you are planning to move anytime soon, I would choose something else. IKEA has a solid oak butcherblock that is good quality and very well priced.

Concrete is a PITA and only suitable for photo shoots...much like white carpeting.

lol...chiflipper, don't hold back, tell us how you feel about concrete countertops :)

Agree with all of the above comments. Joseph Corlett has a good solution if you want that look.

http://www.corian.com/-colors-of-corian-r-

Is changing the counters going to be a DIY project?

You can buy smooth thick oak plywood intended to be used as a finished surface after a bit of sanding. In addition to cutting it to the right size (about 2' deep for a standard countertop), and after all the boards are sanded, you would need to use industrial glue to add a 4" wide oak board vertically to the back as a backsplash and a narrow 2" oak board vertically on the front to finish that edge. You'd then need to add several layers of clear polyurethane, properly applied, in order to finish it and make it waterproof. (You Tube vids can show you how.)

[You'd also need to resist the urge to use your finished countertop as a cutting board. Invest in a large glass microwave oven platter from Habitat for Humanity Restore Store or GoodWill or a thrift store for a truly cheap cutting board.]