First off, sorry if you’re not into home buying, decor, or renovation stuff right now. Don’t worry, there are some non-home-related posts coming soon. But today, let’s talk about floors. Next week, I’ll reveal the kitchen dining area, but first, let’s dive into the flooring saga.
When we first saw the house, I knew the floors had to go. I couldn’t stand them. The kitchen had tiles trying to mimic grey wood, the living room had cheap grey laminate with odd markings (they looked like cat scratches), and the bedrooms had thick, light brown carpet. So dull, right? We wanted to brighten things up, so we aimed for a white oak look—light, but not white or grey, with neutral tones and minimal markings throughout the house. So, off to Home Depot I went!
Lesson learned: Don’t buy floors from Home Depot!
I thought I found the perfect floors there. I took two small samples home to show Zack, and they seemed great. So, I ordered about 1,100 square feet online. Three weeks later, they arrived, and I was crushed. They looked pink and had huge markings. Only one piece in each box resembled the sample! After a good cry, we loaded them into Zack’s station wagon, which was practically scraping the ground from the weight, and returned them that night.
The next week, I visited every flooring store within 15 miles of our house. I spent hours comparing options, brought home over 10 samples, and finally found the right floors. We ordered them immediately from Rayo Wholesale in San Diego, and when they arrived looking just like the sample, I was thrilled.
We called our flooring guy, recommended by a friend, and set a date to start. The only problem, which I didn’t realize would be so big, was that we decided to stay in the house during the installation.
Lesson learned: Get out while they do the floors.
I mentioned this in my last post, but let me emphasize it again—do whatever you can to avoid being there during the flooring work. If you have a mansion, just move to another wing, but if you have a regular home, try to get an Airbnb for a week if possible. I know it’s an extra cost on top of the flooring, but it’s really miserable to be there during the chaos. Dust, noise, construction, nowhere to go—especially if you have pets or work from home (I was losing it).
The whole process was a hassle, but it was worth it because I love these floors so much. Good flooring can increase resale value, so yes to good floors! These floors, although they seem simple, were actually hard to find. A light-colored vinyl plank with no markings and a small seam is nearly impossible to find. Trust me, it took forever, but I found them and had to share!
All the details about our floors:
– **What Kind of Flooring & Why We Chose It:** Initially, I wanted concrete like in our previous homes, but our house is on a raised foundation, so that was out. I considered epoxy for a cool, different look, but it wasn’t great for resale value. We decided on very light, minimal wood-look floors. Not real wood, as that’s too risky for us, so we chose luxury vinyl plank in the lightest color possible. We picked luxury vinyl tile because it’s super durable and waterproof. With dogs, spills, and future kids, we needed something that could last and look good.
– **Brand/Collection/Color:** We chose GemCore from the Ruby Collection (a sign, since our dog’s name is Ruby!). I kept picking this brand at different stores, so I guess I liked it. They all had a seamless look, which I loved. We went with the color Venice, the lightest vinyl plank we found. Anything else that came close was more of a fake-looking grey than a natural oak color. This was the perfect floor for us.
– **How Much Did It All Cost Us?** The flooring was $3.50 per square foot, plus another $2.50 per square foot for installation. I think we got a deal on the installation, which is usually around $3-4. Our house is about 1,000 square feet, but you need extra, so we ended up getting about 1,300 square feet. You can do the math, but yes, it’s expensive. Someone mentioned we picked a pricier floor, but I didn’t find anything of decent quality for less.