For many people, their New Year Resolution is to refit the kitchen in their home. Now they won’t all do it. Some of them will have been making that resolution for years. It’s a fact that the majority of people who make New Year Resolutions have forgotten about them by Valentine’s Day – February 14th.

Just take a look at any gym. The vast majority of gyms have a special offer in early January – six months for the price of three, or whatever else they dream up – knowing full well that most of those people who take advantage of the offer will turn up for a week or two and then never be seen again. As one regular gym member said only a couple of days ago, he was quite happy about that because for the other 50 weeks of the year he doesn’t have to wait to get on the treadmill.

So if you are one of those who has vowed to have the kitchen refitted this year, and actually does it, then congratulations! You are one of the few!

A kitchen refit can encompass as little or as much as you want to achieve, depending on your aspirations and also your budget. It is probably the most expensive room in the house. You have all sorts of expensive equipment in there, and then there is the cabinetry, the floor, and of course the kitchen worktops.

If you want to go the whole hog and rip out everything and start again, you can be looking at spending as much as £25,000. You might want to move everything around, which means changing all the plumbing, which in turn means ripping up the floor. You might even want to extend your kitchen out into the garden, which more and more homeowners are doing today. This is because of the trend towards entertaining family and friends to dinner in the kitchen.

In the past, you wouldn’t have dreamt of entertaining guests in the kitchen, but that has all changed. TV’s have been installed there and that means that you don’t want to go and eat in the dining room because there is no TV and, of course, it is impossible to miss EastEnders or Coronation Street. So today, the family not only cooks in the kitchen but eats there also. That has become stretched to the point where people now routinely entertain guests in the kitchen. The problem in many homes has been that the kitchen is not all that big, and so people have been extending the kitchen in order to accommodate everything.

Even if you don’t go that far, what you do will depend on your budget as well. So you need to prioritise. Not only does the kitchen now have to be practical, but it also needs to look appealing. This is why many people now hide washing machines, dishwashers, freezers, and so on behind doors which match the rest of the cabinetry. You don’t really want your guests sitting eating dinner next to what is obviously a washing machine!

One of the most important factors is the worktops. This is because they stand out a mile and they need to look like the bees’ knees. Indeed, you may have an island which is used as a dining table, so the worksurface has to look great.

Now there are many different materials that you can use for a worktop. What it boils down to for most people is that worktops have to be not only practical but look stunning at the same time.

One of the most practical materials that also looks great is granite worktops in Berkhamsted. It is a natural stone and comes in a wide range of colours and patterns. In fact, every piece is unique. It is extremely hard-wearing, and provided it is sealed properly, it won’t absorb stains from spills such as red wine, lemon juice, vinegar, and more.

Granite worktops in Berkhamsted are also virtually impervious to scratches and heat, although in common with other materials you shouldn’t put hot pans down on it, nor chop foods directly on it. That said, it is ideal for rolling out pastry and that sort of thing, and all it needs is a wipe over with a damp cloth and possibly a little detergent.

What could be better? Granite looks great and can take all the knocks that it is ever likely to get.