Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

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Covering Unused Sink Holes In Granite Counters

Since “holes in granite slyly covered by soap & lotion dispenser plus a bottle of Ms. Meyers cleaner” doesn’t really belong on a For Sale listing…

New Sink After

…we finally took the time to solve our hidden hole issue in the kitchen.

Sink Hole Before

These two little buggers are leftover from when we swapped faucet fixtures and no longer needed all four holes (but we actually appreciate that they’re there because they keep things flexible for anyone who might want to switch out the fixture someday and accommodate an in-counter soap dispenser and a separate sprayer again). We’ve mentioned before how we’ve just been covering them with soap bottles and many of you have politely nudged us to seal them up more securely. And let’s just say the prospect of having a home inspector coming ’round was the final push we needed to abandon our current “out of sight, out of mind” approach.

Luckily the solution was a mere $4 thanks to these babies from Lowe’s (yup, they were less than two dollars a pop).

Sink Hole Repair Kit

It only took us about 5 minutes to screw these faucet hole covers into place (though it did require two sets of hands).

Sink Hole After Close

We especially like that it allows us to declutter the countertop even more whenever folks come over for showings. Sorry Ms. Meyers, but you’re officially banished back to your proper place under the sink. Although any new homeowner who wants to go back to storing their soap on the counter could easily hide the hole covers again if that’s more their style. We actually really like the more open look though.

Sink Hole Beauty Full

So yes, we’re kicking butt and taking names around here in the home improvement department. How you like me now?

I’m kidding. This was the easiest project ever, which required no tools. Yawn. Can’t wait to tackle big transformations again in that elusive future house of ours. In the good news department, we think we’re closing in on it. Counting down the minutes. (Note: This isn’t teasing. We can’t announce anything yet because nothing is really for sure. We’re just closing in. We hate that these things take time, but hey, they do).

Psst- We announced this week’s giveaway winners. Click here to see if you’re one of them!

Comments

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We’re happy to leave that behind and dig around places like Ebay, Overstock, and the Habitat For Humanity ReStore for something new. We really want to keep from cloning our current house and it feels nice to leave it as lovely as we remember it, you know so we’re not taking it apart and moving half of it. Of course a lot of our furniture will come with us (while things like the bedroom built-ins and even the bed frame in the master will stay behind along with most of the light fixtures, window treatments, and even the floating shelves in the dining area) but we definitely can’t wait to start over in a new place and hunt down lots of new things!

      xo,
      s

  2. Janice says

    Yeah! I am one of those who was troubled by the holes, so I am happy to see them filled. I know – I gotta get a life! Fingers crossed you find your new home sweet home soon. You’ll know it’s the one when you feel it. That’s my belief.

    Reply

  3. Cait @ Hernando House says

    I’m liking the more open look, too. :) Plus it shows a buyer they can change the faucet to something 4-holed if they want without making holes in the granite (although I’m sure everyone loves your touch faucet).

    Reply

  6. susan says

    When Jim and I start a DIY project many times we end up saying, “It’s never easy.” How nice that you had any easy project for a change! susan

    Reply

  9. Rebekah says

    Is you know what items your leaving and taking with you, does that mean you’ve sold the house?? Crossing my fingers for you guys! :)

    Reply

  10. Deanna Divino says

    Hi guys! I wanted to wish you the best on the sale of your home, we just went through the process of selling and buying recently- oy vey!

    QUESTION: What is your granite? I’m guessing Bianco Romano or Kashmir White. I can’t find the post where you revealed your kitchen completion and detailed the details. :)

    Thanks!

    Reply

  11. Katie says

    So…a home inspector eh? I’m thinking your house is on it’s way to being sold! :) Fingers crossed for you guys. Can’t wait to hear all about it!

    Reply

  14. Heather says

    Is it okay to be sad and happy for you all at the same time? I love the home you’ve made, but I’m so excited to see what’s next!

    Reply

  16. Kyle says

    If by “closing in on it” you mean “closing on it,” then I’m pretty darn excited. If by “closing in on it” you mean “closing in on it…” well, I’m not going to lie…I’m pretty excited either way :).

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hey Cindy,

      Nope, we love the double sink because we use one side to dry things like non-dishwashable pots and pans while the other side is still accessible for washing hands and rinsing things off. It’s definitely a subjective thing though, so that’s just one opinion.

      xo.
      s

  21. Dana @ House*Tweaking says

    Oooooh! You’ve got me hangin’ on the edge of my seat over here! Inspector, “closing in” and future “big transformations”? Can’t wait to see what happens.

    Oh, and those sink hole covers are pretty cool too. Didn’t even know they made such a thing.

    Reply

  22. Katie says

    PS…random question for you. The hubs and I have ordered the Pilar faucet for our soon to be ready house (and just now realized that that’s what you guys have…nice!). We keep wondering what temperature the faucet comes on at when you use the touch function to turn it on? Or is it pre-determined by which “on” position you leave the handle in? I’m thinking it’s going to be super handy with all of our reno-dust and paint everywhere, glad to hear you guys have liked it!

    Reply

  25. Katie says

    Thanks for the quick reply on the faucet…good to know!

    Also, I just found this online magazine (I don’t even think there’s a print version available yet because it’s so new) and when I looked through it, I couldn’t help but think you guys would enjoy it. I’ve loved perusing through all three issues! Check it out at: http://covetgarden.com/

    :)

    Reply

  27. leanne @ simplicitlee says

    I do the same thing as you guys… hum and haw about doing a project (thinking itll take so long and that I just dont have the time) and when I actually “tackle” whatever little project I have been avoiding…. it’s not so bad & I end up feeling so much better once I get it done!

    Reply

  30. Jenae says

    Funny how you go through all the tweaking when you’re selling, otherwise little things like that go unnoticed or ignored for one reason or another. Makes me want to go through my house as a buyer and see what little imperfections shout out at me. :)

    Reply

  32. Pamela says

    I’m sure you have a post about it, but where or who did your counters? I love the white marble look and it’s something we want to do in our new home we are moving into in two days!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We got them through the Home Depot (they’re permashield “Pashmina” counters, so they never need sealing and they hold up really well). Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  33. caligurl says

    ohhhhh… didn’t they give you the version of he faucet with the matching soap dispenser? that would take care of one of the holes!? we just love our pilar faucet!!!! and the soap dispenser, too… no leaks! works perfectly!

    i sorta hope you are closing on selling your house… but i’m sad, too…. good luck!!!!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hey Caligurl,

      They thoughtfully gave us the most basic model (which we love) and since it has a built in pull-down sprayer we would still have one of those two holes (even with the soap dispenser) so we’re happy to have learned about the hole covers and turned to them for a quick, easy, and inexpensive fix.

      xo,
      s

  34. RC says

    Do you get hard water stains on your granite? Any tips for cleaning these stains? Vinegar works pretty well on hard water stains in the bathroom but I’ve read things that say not to use vinegar on granite.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hey RC,

      We actually don’t get water stains on our granite. It came from Home Depot with “Permashield” technology, which means it’s sealed for life (so it doesn’t absorb water or other stains like other natural stone might). Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  37. Rebecca @ the lil house that could says

    We did the soap over the hole trick in our condo when we got rid of our sprayer! Man I thought we were original ;)

    Now we are once again looking for a faucet and I find myself counting holes required to not have the same issue. I really want the touch faucet from that commercial with the song that goes “Yooooour hands can do so many many things!” Is that the one you guys have??

    Reply

  38. Beth Griffin says

    I’m so glad to see that you use Mrs. Meyer’s products! Whenever I talk about the products, most people think I’m crazy. So…….maybe you can get a little excited with me that Thelma Meyer lives 9, yes NINE, houses away from me! She’s such a sweet lady who still lives in little ol’ Granger, Iowa in the same house she raised all nine of her children in. If you don’t have her book, I recommend it. I always do a little happy dance when I open my book, as it’s autographed by Thelma herself–and she did it when she was standing in my very kitchen!

    Thanks for your great site!
    ~Beth

    Reply

  39. heyruthie says

    the more stuff you leave behind, the more stuff your sponsors (and Lowe’s and Home Depot and….) can give you for your next place! –Not that they give you everything, but why take stuff with you, when you get the chance to start fresh again!

    “Closing in” and “prospect of a home inspector” are sounding VERY promising, indeed!!!!!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hey Heyruthie,

      We’ve actually made a decision that we will no longer accept free swag for the new house. Even if we’re giving it away to our lovely readers, it still feels kind of unfair to accept free stuff when the average DIYer out there doesn’t get the same opportunities. We always try to get good deals and hunt around for the best prices, and since we plan to pay for every last item in the new house it’ll keep us honest and cheap.

      xo,
      s

  40. Heidi H. says

    There is nothing more pleasing to the eye than a clean kitchen sink area. I’ve always really liked your set up, even with the Mrs. M. bottle sitting out there, but now!!!! It got so much better. You’ve done the impossible again! Lol.

    Reply

  41. Miki says

    I didn’t even know those hole covers existed. What a great idea. Did you ponder putting the soap dispenser back in for the “future homeowners” before decided to cover the rest of the holes?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hey Miki,

      We’ve been showing the house with the touch faucet as an included perk (so since the old soap dispenser matches the finish of the old faucet and wouldn’t go with the new one we figured the hole covers along with the touch faucet were the way to go). Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  42. bungalowbliss says

    Woo-hoo! Exciting stuff!

    And who doesn’t love inexpensive, easy fixes like this one? I think it makes a big difference and really makes it look clean and finished.

    Again, woo-hoo! Soo excited to see what you’ve found!

    Reply

  44. Amy says

    I had no idea these covers existed. We have a hole next to our kitchen sink also and we are always spilling water down it and then having to crawl under the cabinet to clean it up. Thanks for enlightening me.

    Reply

  45. Paula/adhocmom says

    We redid our kitchen last year. We LOVE it, and believe it or not, one of my favorite things is THE SOAP DISPENSER. It was a last minute decision. . and I’m so happy with it. Ah, it’s the little things isn’t it??

    Reply

  46. hjc says

    “Beware of Sink Holes” – totally a John title. No doubt. Sorry you didn’t even get to break out your tools for this one. But it does look nice. And it’s safe for potential homebuyers as well.

    Reply

  47. Tracy says

    So this might be a silly question, but how do you guys find out these kinds of solutions are out there? Just Google sink holes or something? I never knew these existed either, and I would have just thought that I had to get a faucet that fit 4 holes each time I wanted to upgrade. I think that there’s a lot of projects that homeowners leave undone because they just aren’t aware that a simple solution exists. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hey Tracy,

      Actually a few of our readers tipped us off about them, and we later noticed them at Lowe’s! But we’re definitely not shy when it comes to asking for help at our local home improvement stores or googling around for solutions- even posting things on message boards or emailing friends and family members is nothing beyond our “research” scope. Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  48. Dusa says

    OMDog! This morning on the way into work, I was TOTALLY thinking about the sink holes and how you were going to deal with them while showing the house.

    I’m a little freaked out now…

    Reply

  49. Misty says

    I really love that you guys wont be accepting freebies. I never put quite as much weight into a review or blog post when they rave about a free item.

    Reply

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