(the stove is being upgraded to induction, couch is garbage etc)

I’ve had Cambria quartz countertops for years and it is basically maintenance free and very durable.

Natural stone, ie granite for durability. Many level 1 granites are cost friendly.

Granite hands down for sure for a rental. The floors are busy so look for one that is not too busy .

Granite is really durable for a rental. Quartz is a good option too. Cultred marble - please no.

Beige and brown feels really outdated and kinda blah. I'd go for white with brown instead. It will look and stay fresh. Hard to find white granite. Stay away from pattern.

Heck out the solid surface options. They come in solid colors and are durable. The challenge with granite is finding something that looks nice and isn’t too expensive.

Depending on your measurements, you might score a stunning remnant. It’s worth a drive to the stone yards in your area -WITH YOUR MEASUREMENTS - to see if you can get something more upgrade but not a lot of money. I got a small piece of a ridiculously expensive stone for an antique server when I bought my countertops because I needed such a small size.

☝️What Red said! I think Corian solid surface is a great option for renters. Unlike your other options you can repair solid surface (with a totally seamless, invisible, good as new repair) if you need to. I’d go for solid color surface if you want light counters, and a Virginia Mist granite if you want black counters.

It’s looking pretty good, but we have to discuss the location of the range. Right now you have the old one behind a door. I have no idea if that’s to code in OR, but there are safety concerns in general if you don’t want your ADU to go up in 🔥You have other options. Let us know if you want to hear them. Good luck!

@eam44 I'm open to your thoughts of course. I don't really have other options though as that's the only place power is available other than maybe to the left of the door. I know it's a poor layout but I was quite limited with power, plumbing as it was already setup as a shop and I don't have a huge budget to dig into the walls. That door will be extremely rarely used as it heads to the house (not a joined) and a useless backyard the adu won't have access to. The main entrance doors are eslewhere

@buehl yeah it's not ideal, but there's really no where else without really messing with kitchen flow or very costly rewiring and replumbing. May be possible to change the door to swing the other way. Yes, I plan to put a 36" hood over the 30" stove venting right out that wall.

The sink is center of the blue wall and anywhere else would mean no possibility of a venting hood.

What about a permanently attached door stop preventing the door from open far enough.

I think your best option would be to reverse the door swing.

FYI...I added more to my previous post - see the "Edited to add" text.

@Buehl I appreciate the heads-up. Never even thought of it considering the door will never be used, but it's good to consider. I will probably swap the door I guess as every other option involves ripping open walls of putting the stove far from countertops

Granite is probably your best bet in a rental. Jerry’s has decent granite for a reasonable price.

good advice so far, if it were me I would paint the door the wall color to help it recede

Or, butcherblock at a fraction of the price of alternatives, easy to cut and install, and finish it with polyurethane which is resistant to anything but hot pots.

@John Liu hot pans and knives. I like butcher block and would consider it if it were my spot but not for renters.

@la_la Girl that's the plan. Sounds like I need to flip the door around first though so all new door

Especially with renters, might want an inexpensive surface that can be refinished in a morning (belt sander, can of poly, brush).

^^

Or easily and cost effectively replaced for the next tenants.

Plus, I think butcher block would be a very nice look with your cabinet color and overall style of the space. I would definitely not do an, ’If I see just one more of them, I am jumping off of my second floor balcony’ plain white countertop. (Sorry... I digress... :)

Back on topic: I am just thinking that, in your space, a plain white countertop might be so ho-hum that prospective tenants might fall asleep while signing the lease.

Just to add: I just actually read through the list of what you are considering. I don’t really see marble, or any marble facsimile, looking right in your space, either.

Here’s another way to look at the cost - the granite will be less work for you since it’s the most durable. If you see one you like for your new rental kitchen go for it.

If not butcher block, granite.

@free bydomplace1 @RedRyder @John Liu

I'm

I'm not familiar with where to get butcher block counter tops. I know home Depot has some unfinished from Hampton Bay and IKEA (but they're laminate).

Any suggestions? Any suggested wood? Birch to keep it simple with the busy floor? Is it better to do a 45° to butt joint where the tops L

Home Depot is good... easy. Birch would be nice. I know John will have some good tips for you. He really is an expert on butcher block. :)

You‘ve done a great job with your space. It really looks fabulous!

I think birch butcherblock would look nice with the floors. I’d do simple rectangular pieces, easy to cut with that contractor’s table saw I see, easy to fit together. Yes there will be a visible seam where the grain changes direction, but it’s a rental. Use a fresh blade and if your saw tends to tear-out, put a sacrificial piece under the block while cutting. If you are super picky about seams you can undercut by a tiny bit (like tilt the saw blade the tinest possible amount).

45 degree cuts would be a PITA to cut accurately. Track saw and trignometry?

Home Depot has birch butcherblock up to 8 feet long. You might be able to cover all your counters with three pieces and spend less than $1K. If they are simple rectangular pieces, and you attach them to the cabinets without glue, then a couple tenants from now you may be able to remove the butcherblock pieces, flip them over, fill screw holes with dowels, and have in effect brand new counters. In that case don’t undercut.

If you want something nicer than the Home Depot block, you can order block cut to specification. I got mine here: Blockhead Blocktops www.blocktop.net It’s an old school kinda place, you look through their website, email or call them, then they want to talk to you on the phone to verify, and you send them a check. Surprisingly affordable, delivered to your door, takes a couple weeks. Really good quality. Mine are ”select maple”, 1.5” thick. Maybe too thick for the contractor’s saw, but they will cut to exact dimension for you.

Are you using an undermount sink? I’ve never cut a sink opening, but the Home Depot butcher block is cheap enough that you could try doing it with a good jigsaw blade and if you ruin a block, irritating but not a big deal. Or have a pro do it.

Leftover pieces - treat with mineral oil, screw rubber feet on them, and ask the tenants to cut on those cutting boards, not on the counter please.

For the counter finish - some options.

i) Flood with epoxy. Plenty of YouTube videos. As impervious as you can get wood to be - because it’s not a wood counter anymore, its an epoxy counter - but really hard to refinish, you have to sand all the epoxy away - and the underside may get drippy. I would not do this.

ii) Coat with a polyurethane. Ask store what they recommend. Not quite as impervious as epoxy, but plenty tough. However, refinishing still requires sanding all the polyurethane off, ”spot finishing” won’t look good. Also you have to hunt down bubbles with a torch or lighter, if you’re the picky sort.

iii) Wipe on two coats of Emmets Good Stuff. This is a urethane that you wipe on with a lint free cloth, let cure, then do it again. Super easy. Very water and stain resistant - if not quite at the level of polyurethane - and if a tenant does mark up a spot, you can spot sand and wipe on more Emmets, it blends in perfectly.

iv) Traditional mineral oil and beeswax like for a wood cutting board. Nope. Nope. Doesn’t work at all, stains get through like tissue paper. Fine for a cutting board, not a counter.

When the third tenant moves out and you want to freshen up the counters with a sanding and refinish, with Emmets you can use an orbital sander; with polyurethane or epoxy, you’ll wish you were using a belt sander.

I like wood counters. I like their warm look and soft feel. I can see why most people would not consider them, not if we’re going to freak out and seek therapy at the first scratch or nick. But if one has even a bit of DIY skill, it is easy to keep butcherblock looking good for many years - and you can replace it multiple times and still be ahead $ wise.

We have several rentals. We use quartz and granite. I would not get a solid white

it submitted before i finished . I wouldnt get a solid white. i would get something so if there is any marks made on the counter they blend in. We have only had just one time with a problem with the counter from a tenant.They left a wet piece of paper on the counter that had printing on it. The red dye went onto the counter. The paper was dried and on the counter so we know this is what happened. Most of it cleaned off its just slightly discolored in that spot. It isn’t a solid white counter it has grey and browns in it so you don’t see it.

Countertops: I would definitely go look at granites. You might spend a tad more than some of the other suggestions, but you will not be needing to replace them either.

Problematic door: Why not remove it entirely? Never used, and leads to an inaccessible to renter yard. Does it have to be there for some egress reason?

I‘ve had everything suggested here, granite, quartz, butcher block , marble & tile. Granite was, by far, the most ”bulletproof”. If not granite, I would probably just use formica, its come a long way.

Granite is always my personal preference for kitchen countertops. But I like butcherblock, also. And aesthetically speaking, I think butcherblock would work well in this design. And butcherblock also has advantages in terms of cost, ease of maintenance and/or replacement.

It would have to be the right granite to work - aesthetically - in this design.

I do agree that if not butcherblock, granite. And if not granite, laminate/Formica.

We've had good luck in our rentals with laminate. And no, tenants are not going to use a trivet.

I second the idea of closing off the door. You could seal up the outside door and just have some sheet rock work inside. Then you'd have more counter space. If code allows.

Circling back on the problematic range - do you need a full size range for the unit or could you get by with smaller appliances? wasnt sure if it was a short term rental or longer term

@la_la Girl I have a nice, used induction range for it. I thought about a 24" range but at this point, the price would be significantly more than just buying a door and throwing it in.

@aok27502 closing off the door would mean only one exit, which I think would be a bigger issue than the door opening to hit a hot pan. I would love to not have that door there though.

With an induction range, you need to leave instructions for your tenants. They require specific types of pots and pans. Is there a reason you want to go with that instead of a standard range that everyone will know how to use and take care of?

If the range must remain at its current location, consider adding door stoppers for added safety.