We are asked frequently from local home owners about what home improvement in their flooring would increase the value of their home most. We work with many investors who are entirely focused on return on investment (ROI) we have a solid understanding of what flooring materials from highest to lowest to best value.
This article will draw on over 35 years of experience and will use the knowledge from investors and apply it to home improvement projects to assist home owners when planning their project. An important home improvement is upgrading your flooring. This article will focus on Ottawa home improvements based on local market prices by sorting the flooring types from most expensive to least expensive;
Table of contents
- Top 6 Easy Home Improvement Tips
- High Cost home improvement – Natural Stones Granite/Marble
- Medium-High Cost home improvement – Hardwood flooring
- Medium Cost home improvement – Porcelain flooring
- Low-medium Cost home improvement – Ceramics
- Medium-low cost home improvement – Laminate
- Low-cost home improvement – Carpet
- Low cost home improvement – Vinyl
Top 6 Easy Home Improvement Tips
High Cost home improvement – Natural Stones Granite/Marble
This type of flooring is usually reserved for high-end condos or houses and will general provide the greatest increase in value. The primary reason for the increase in value is that granite flooring the most expensive type of flooring one can get for their home. The price range can vary from $6 -$35+ sq foot depending on the type, design, and quality of the marble.
In many cases granite is more expensive but marble can easily jump up in price if it is high grade marble. We have simplified the stones available to the two most popular, there are also slate, limestone, and flagstone flooring options that we have not discussed. The bottom line is that unless you are going ultra-high end for your project the natural stone installation would not be the optimal investment when compared to the other options available.
Medium-High Cost home improvement – Hardwood flooring
Hardwood is a very common flooring material here in Ottawa, nearly 90% of homes we renovate have this type of flooring. There are many types of hardwoods such as pine, oak, maple, etc. each having its own characteristics in the wood grain.
You may purchase the hardwood finish or unfinished, meaning you stain and varnish it yourself. This home improvement can be expensive, ranging from $2-20 depending on the type of wood, finish, thickness, and style. Hardwood is always recommended for increasing the value of your home. It is a very popular home improvement and renovations item.
Medium Cost home improvement – Porcelain flooring
One of the strongest flooring materials you can install due to its toughness, strength, and translucent characteristics because of the glass and mineral mix fused at very high temperature. Porcelain can be much stronger then stone and can vary in price, in Ottawa the price range can be from $3-12 for porcelain tiles.
Porcelain looks beautiful, come in numerous shapes or designs, and last a very long time. The durability of Porcelain makes it one of the best value installations you can do for your home flooring and is highly recommendation for home improvements.
Low-medium Cost home improvement – Ceramics
Ceramics a very common flooring home improvement, primarily because of its general acceptance as the standard for kitchen and bathroom flooring renovations. Ceramics can be as cheap as $1-12 and come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Generally you can tell the quality of the ceramic by the thickness, the cheaper the ceramic the thinner it is.
Medium-low cost home improvement – Laminate
This is perhaps the most under-estimated value packed upgrade to a home. Many commercial clients prefer this upgrade to vinyl or carpet. This home improvement is low cost and provides a great alternative to hardwood; it is excellent for basement renovations due to its heat insulation. Price range of laminate can be $1-6 depending on thickness, style, and design.
We always recommend porcelain over laminate for main rooms in the house and only if the project is in the basement is laminates recommend. As a general rule of thumb, installing laminate will not subtract or add to the value of the house and is considered a neutral upgrade by most Ottawa general contractors.
Low-cost home improvement – Carpet
This is also a very common home renovation request. As general contractors we get many clients wanting to purchase carpets and install them, many are unaware of the costs and value associations. Like vinyl carpet will depreciate the value of your home. Carpet can get dirty, carry allergens, and has a low life expectancy.
You also have many cases of moisture leaks, carpet bumps, and many other problems associated with carpets. Carpets are also not cheap! They can get very expensive with prices ranging from $0.5-20 a sq foot! So always be weary when installing carpets because they provide no return and in most cases it will depreciate the value of your home.
Low cost home improvement – Vinyl
This is the cheap alternative to all other methods of flooring. This is great for new home builds due to cheap materials and standard installs. Vinyl can be a single sheet or can be in tiles, they are designed to provide the “look and feel” of tiles without the cost. Inherently vinyl is simple plastic tape on-top of your sub-floor and we highly discourage customers to go with this option.
In the last few years, the perception of vinyl tiles as a low-cost option has changed drastically. This is because leading names in the tile manufacturing business have now come out with luxury vinyl tile flooring. In terms of looks and appearances, this is sure to give its ceramic and porcelain counterparts a run for their money. This is tough, and will set you back quite handsomely. Some of the leading apartments and homes that are being designed in 2022 are now opting for luxury vinyl tile flooring.
It would be far more beneficial to pay the extra money and go for something that lasts 5x longer, is more durable, and looks much nicer. Vinyl would not be a good home improvement because it will depreciate the value of your home almost guaranteed, unless you are primarily focused on a very low budget renovations we highly recommend going with either laminate or ceramic as an alternative.
Upon review we can safely say that based on our experience and dealing with investors, agents, and home owners hardwood and porcelain/ceramics provide the best return on your hard earned money. These two upgrades will increase the value of your home the most when taking into consideration material cost and general contractor installation cost.
As with all projects, it may seem easy on TV however we highly recommend you get a professional general contractor to install your flooring. We hope this helps with your next home improvement and will add knowledge when talking with your home renovation experts.