Countertop shopping in Orlando area

[gwyn]

Bought a house last month and the kitchen looks dated af. Friend said stone counters make the biggest visual difference in a renovation. Prices I've seen online vary wildly so not sure who to trust. Anyone in Central Florida gone through this recently and can point me somewhere legit?

[Rappar]

Bought my place two years ago and the kitchen was stuck in 2003 - dark laminate, ugly trim, the works. Swapped out the countertops before doing anything else and the whole space looked completely different overnight. It genuinely felt like a new house. Online pricing is all over the place because it rarely includes templating, fabrication and install separately so comparing is a nightmare. Best thing to do is just go somewhere in person and get an actual quote. Checked out a few spots in Orlando and ended up going with Edstone family run shop that's been operating since 2006, the owner handles everything himself from measuring to install which keeps things straightforward. No surprise markups or confusing packages. They've got a huge slab selection on site so you pick what you actually want rather than guessing from a tiny sample. For a first time homeowner in Central Florida trying to figure out where to start, that kind of no-pressure experience makes a real difference.

[gwyn]

Okay the templating vs fabrication vs install pricing breakdown just explained why every quote I got felt like a different language. Going in person suddenly makes way more sense. Really appreciate the heads up about edstoneinc.com specifically, a no-pressure owner-run shop sounds like exactly what I need right now as a total first-timer. Bookmarked it already, thank you!