Designing Kitchens and Bathrooms - Tile or laminate counter tops?

I am interested in re-doing my kitchen countertops. I am going to be putting my house on the market in the next couple of months and I want to know what would be more attractive to a prospective buyer, tile or laminate countertops.

I personally would like tile but stuff can get into the grout. Laminate looks cheap to me.

I think color not material will be the biggest turn off/turn on to a buyer. I don't like the grout lines of tile because if it's old and gets dirty it looks bad. My wife who is a trained chef also doesn't like it for the clean up. But, I think a nice tasteful color of tile that is new and kept clean probably looks more expensive than laminate to most buyers. However, if the tile you pick is a stong color it is going to look worse to lots of buyers, if they don't like the color, especially a DIYer that knows removing tile is a pain. Laminate isn't as hard to change. Either way I say go with a neutral tone solid color. The guy who sold me my house went with laminate faux grey granite. His work was good, but obviously it doesn't look like granite, it is dark and hard to see things on it, and it looks too busy with all the different white, grey, and black dots. I bought anyway knowing I would change them soon, but a nice neutral counter would have been more of a selling point. I can easily paint or put up curtains for color. Counter tops are much harder to change if its a color you don't like. A nice tan color laminate would have been a selling point for us rather than a "oh well, we will want to redesign the kitchen eventually anyway."

Your realtor would be able to advise you on local preferences. They would know what sells best.

Tile for me or stone. Counter top junction seems to have a good selection of advertisers
Stone Countertops,Counter Tops,Avanza Countertops Bathroom Countertops,Butcher Block Counter Top,Cement Countertops,Ceramic Tile Countertops,Concrete Countertops
Corian Counter Top,Countertops,Custom Countertop (http://www.countertopjunction.com)

From a selling standpoint, I agree with wirepuller. Don't waste your money on things the prospective buyer may not even want. Listen to the realtor.