Planning a Remodel? Check Out the Top Budget-Friendly Alternatives to Expensive Home Materials
If you’re planning a remodel, you may be tempted to splurge on all the beautiful material options out there from marble counters to hardwood floors. However, if you don’t carefully plan those purchases, though stunning, can add up and easily blow your budget.
Fortunately, there are some great lower-cost options out there. Budget-friendly alternatives in the past have had a bad rap, but today there are plenty of stylish solutions that look just like the real thing!
Let’s review some of our top picks.
Architectural Digest
Lower Cost Counter Options
While natural stone is definitely a gorgeous look for kitchen or bathroom counters (even walls and flooring), it can greatly increase the cost of any project. Marble is undeniably beautiful, but its soft and porous nature makes it more susceptible to scratches and stains. While granite is more durable and less expensive than marble, both stones need to be sealed regularly for protection.
Toll Brothers
Natural Stone Counter Alternatives
If you want a natural stone aesthetic but what to save on the cost and maintenance, consider some of these substitutes:
Quartz or Engineered Stone Counters - Quartz counters have the appearance of natural stone without the high price tag. Rather than a single slab of stone, it’s an engineered stone product. They come in many different colors and styles, and can be half the price of marble and more durable.
Laminate - While laminate was the original affordable counter alternative and in many ways has been surpassed by quartz, there are still high-quality laminate options. It can cost less than quartz and is durable and easy to maintain. You will need to do your research and choose carefully though because laminate can look cheap.
HGTV
Other Counter Alternatives
If you’re into other aesthetics, there are some great budget-friendly solutions.
Butcher Block - These counters have become increasingly popular especially for a modern farmhouse look. They’re a much more affordable option compared to reclaimed wood counters. Butcher block counters are relatively easy to maintain but do need to be sealed for protection.
Quartz Concrete - If you want the look of a modern concrete counter but want to avoid the higher cost, quartz again comes to the rescue! Not only can quartz mimic the look of marble and other stones, it also can look just like concrete.
Architectural Digest
Lower Cost Flooring Options
Natural wood flooring is classic. It’s highly desirable for its natural beauty and its durability, but again depending on the scope of your project it can be a significant cost. Also, like stone since wood is a natural material it does require regular cleaning and maintenance.
Wood Flooring Alternatives
If you like the look of wood but want to know your other materials you could use, here are our top picks:
Laminate - Not only does laminate work for counters but there are laminate flooring substitutes as well. Again, laminate has had a bad rap for looking cheap in the past, but the quality of laminate keeps getting better as printing technology improves. It is made of particleboard wood with a printed top layer. It’s also very durable and easy to maintain and clean. Like with counters, you’ll want to do your research and choose carefully.
Shaw Floors
Engineered Wood - This option is similar to laminate but instead of using a photo layer on top to immediate wood, a thin top layer of real wood is used, so it really does look just like hardwood flooring. However engineered wood is not as cost-effective as laminate and does trap dust and dirt more easily. It is though still more affordable than hardwood and can add just as much resale value to your home.
Wood Tile - This alternative has become very popular and comes in ceramic or porcelain tile options that have the appearance of wood. It also has an advantage in more humid climates as it won’t react to extreme temperature changes like wood does. The downside is that you have to be careful with grout lines. They need regular cleaning and if installed too thick, it’ll be obvious that it’s a tile. The feel of wood tile is also very different than hardwood and much cooler to the touch.
Wood Vinyl - Vinyl wood floors are similar to laminate in that it has a printed surface layer to imitate wood, though it’s made of a plastic material. It is the most durable and low-maintenance wood-alternative.
Stone Peak Ceramics