When you are remodeling your home there is no doubt about it that flooring will soak up a huge part of your budget but regular cheap flooring like cheap carpet is not always the look you want for your home. It’s generally best to stay away from very cheap products. A floor takes so much wear and tear that lack of quality quickly shows. But you can still save the day with cheap floors. If you want something that looks good but leaves you money for furniture and curtains, here are a few ideas
1. Take a fresh look at laminate
Although quality laminate and cheap wood flooring are around the same price if you include fitting costs you will get a better looking floor with the quality laminate and it will be easier to care for and harder wearing too. Just don’t choose cheap laminate flooring which can end up looking like a very cheap floor indeed. It rarely looks like the real thing, wears out quickly and can bend, buckle and peel.
2. Cheap Hardwood Flooring
If you insist on hardwood, shop around locally to get the best possible deal. You can often get a bargain at the end of the season when a store is selling off its stock. Some stores operate a stock ‘em high, sell ‘em cheap policy all year round. If you have one of these in your local area see what they have to offer. I have even seen oak hardwood flooring in Costco but not much choice – it was medium oak or medium oak – but good quality nevertheless. If you don’t have much choice locally take a look online. (Do that anyway to compare prices).
3. Vinyl Flooring
If you can’t afford tile in your kitchen or bathroom consider vinyl flooring as an interim measure (which you will probably stay happy with long term!) If you buy good quality rather than cheap vinyl flooring you will enjoy a warm, cushioned floor which often resembles tile but does not shatter everything which is dropped on it. A similar (slightly more expensive) type of flooring is linoleum which will give you additional choice in texture and patterns.
4. Sanded Floorboards
If you have an old house you may have lovely old floorboards which can be sanded, repaired and polished to give a beautiful surface – almost a shame to cover them up. If you want to give your home a cozier feel add a few area rugs to your floor. You can hire a sander and do the work yourself or hire a company to do the sanding for you (my preferred option – this is a messy job!)
5. Cheap Carpets
Carpets are generally not a way to get a cheap floor which looks good but there are ways to get quality carpets at a discount. How about shopping online for a good deal or buying quality room-sized carpet remnants?
6. Alternatives to Natural Tile
If you would love a slate or marble floor but can’t hack the prices think about using porcelain tiles to mimic the look you want at half the cost. Porcelain is hard wearing but very hard to stand on for long periods. You can use rugs in the places you stand the most to combat this. Another alternative is to use flooring like Amtico which is not so cold as porcelain or as hard. It can be expensive but not as expensive to buy or fit as the real thing.
