Buying a new home is always an exciting experience, representing a new chapter in your life and giving you a blank canvas to stamp your own personality onto. But choosing all the right fixtures and fittings to suit your lifestyle can be difficult, including your new home flooring. With so many new home flooring options available, you can be overwhelmed when it comes to making this important decision.
We have created this article to help you make an informed choice. We take a look at the various new home flooring options and discuss their different qualities, as well as answer some common questions about the most popular flooring in new homes. This will help you to decide exactly what flooring you need to make your new house the perfect home.
When you’re looking for the most popular flooring in new homes, there are three options modern homeowners are choosing over all other types. These are:
Solid hardwood floors are often seen as the ultimate in luxury. As its name suggests, solid hardwood flooring is made from timber floorboards that are all made from the same type of wood. This enables you to achieve a beautiful, natural, coordinated look throughout the entirety of your home. As solid hardwood is available in a wide variety of wood types and finishes, you can choose a light or dark color to suit your tastes, or use contrasting colors in different rooms.
With sustainability being a factor of major importance to modern homebuyers, solid hardwood floors are more popular than ever, as natural materials are being used more and more often throughout the home. A solid hardwood floor will coordinate perfectly well with all periods of architecture and interior décor schemes. So, whether you have a traditional or a contemporary home, a solid hardwood floor will be the perfect addition to your living area or bedroom.
Solid hardwood is a timeless, classic choice that has been used in homes for over a century. The beauty of it is that it never goes out of style, so as time goes by, your floor will still look just as fashionable and attractive as it does today.
What is the difference between solid and engineered hardwood flooring? This is a question we are regularly asked by homeowners wanting to upgrade their flooring. When you look at the two types of flooring, to the eye there is very little difference at all. The difference is entirely in the structural makeup of the boards. Whereas solid hardwood boards are made from solid pieces of wood, engineered hardwood is made up of multiple different layers, including a top coat, often referred to as a "veneer" for added protection.
Engineered hardwood is an extremely popular new home flooring choice because it offers a less costly alternative while still having the appearance of solid hardwood. Due to the way it is constructed, it is also extremely strong, durable and resistant to cupping and bowing. It is an ideal choice for areas such as kitchens and bathrooms, where the floor can get wet.
When you hear “vinyl,” it’s easy to conjure up images of the 1970s. However, vinyl flooring has come a very long way since those days! In fact, luxury vinyl is now among the most popular flooring choices for new homes. Thanks to modern printing techniques, today’s vinyl can take on the appearance of wood in a huge variety of finishes. It even comes in planks, which click together very much like floorboards, and even up close, it is almost impossible to tell the difference between the two.
So, why would you choose luxury vinyl rather than solid or engineered hardwood? Firstly, vinyl is far more cost-effective than wood. It enables you to achieve the look of natural or stained wood, even if you’re working on a tight budget. This is why vinyl is so popular with many new homeowners — obviously, there are a lot of expensive purchases to make when you buy a new home, not least the home itself! Any cost savings you can make are usually welcome if you are happy with the look you will achieve by choosing vinyl.
The other main advantage of luxury vinyl is that it is extremely hardwearing. If you have children or pets, this is something you really need to consider, as there is a likelihood a timber floor will get scratched or damaged by pets’ claws or children’s toys. With a vinyl floor, you don’t need to worry, as it is hard to damage, and it hasn’t involved such a large financial outlay. Vinyl is also extremely easy to wipe clean, which is another consideration when it comes to little ones and furry friends!
Modern luxury vinyl is designed to be as hardwearing as possible. Whereas previous vinyl planks had PVC cores, the best quality vinyl planks of today have a core of Stone Polymer Composite (SPC), which provides more durability and gives the vinyl flooring a sturdier feel. The increased thickness of the vinyl also contributes to a more realistic “wood” look.
Luxury vinyl flooring is ideal for use in kitchens and bathrooms, as it won’t warp if it gets wet, and stains can simply be wiped away. However, unlike hardwood, vinyl flooring can’t be refinished, so you’ll need to be sure your tastes won’t change once you make your choice.
When you purchase a home, the flooring it comes with may not suit your personal taste. This is often particularly the case with new homes — builder-grade flooring has usually been fitted, and you may find it bland and unexciting. Installing new flooring gives you a great opportunity to stamp your own personality onto your new home from the get-go, ensuring that your house truly becomes your home and does not simply look like every other dwelling in the neighborhood.
You don’t have to go with the type of flooring your builder recommends! You can choose your own flooring to suit your tastes, and have your builder or a contractor fit it for you. If your home is currently being built and you would like to take a look at the options available to you, simply request flooring samples from Southern Luxe. This way, you can choose the colors and textures you love, and recommend them to your builders, making sure you’ll love your new home from the start.
The short answer to this question is: YES! As we have seen, hardwood flooring has a number of advantages over other types of flooring in the home. Whether you choose solid or engineered hardwood, timber flooring has a beautiful, timeless appeal that will never go out of style. It coordinates perfectly with both contemporary and traditional homes. You can also choose from a wide variety of color options to suit your furniture and wall colors.
Strong, durable, and environmentally friendly, hardwood flooring is everything most homeowners are looking for. This will also be reflected in the sale price if you ever come to sell your home — hardwood floors increase the resale value of your home. It may cost a little more initially, but it is a worthwhile investment that you can continue to enjoy the benefits in the future.
If you want the appearance of hardwood flooring but with added strength and durability, luxury vinyl is the natural choice. It offers the beautiful looks of natural timber, but without the worry of scratching or scuffing. This definitely makes vinyl the best choice for proud homeowners who lead active lifestyles but still want their homes to look stunning! It is also a warm, soft choice for kids and pets — and the fact that it is so easy to clean and maintain is another factor to consider, as it means you can spend less time maintaining your home and more time enjoying it.
Of course, price is another important consideration here. Luxury vinyl enables you to achieve the look of hardwood on a budget, but without the problems that come with installing a cheaper option like laminate.
Hardwood flooring is typically the most popular choice for high end homes. However, some extremely discerning customers request vinyl, particularly if they have children, due to its increased durability. Since top-quality vinyl, such as the styles we sell here at Southern Luxe, can mimic the look of hardwood so convincingly, it won’t bring down the luxury finish of the home.
Ultimately, your choice of flooring comes down to personal preference. The right flooring for you will be the type that best suits your personal tastes, your budget, and your lifestyle. Both hardwood and vinyl plank flooring are great choices for modern homes, even luxury builds.
Want to make sure your flooring will keep up with the latest trends and suit all aspects of your lifestyle? Here are some essential tips for getting your flooring right in every room in the home.
There is no rule that you have to use the same flooring throughout the entire home. Instead, think about how you use each room, and choose flooring to suit your needs. For example, you might want engineered hardwood for a family room, as you love the look of hardwood but want a durable choice that will stand up to heavy foot traffic. Luxury vinyl might be the right choice for the kitchen, as it is so easy to wipe clean. In the bedroom, you could choose solid hardwood, as this is your sanctuary and you want the highest-quality finish.
Before you can choose the right flooring for your home, you need to think about your favorite décor styles and how you intend to decorate each room. What colors and patterns are you using? Will your chosen flooring coordinate with these? Consider all aspects of your scheme, including accent colors and textures, and view these alongside your flooring samples.
You also need to think about the style you are decorating in — do you prefer a contemporary look, industrial or rustic, for example? What color and texture of flooring will be the best match for your chosen scheme?
The beauty of Southern Luxe flooring is that it combines effortlessly with all décor styles and furnishings, including rugs, curtains, and cabinetry. Even if your tastes change, you can redecorate in a different style and your flooring will still provide a great complement to your new scheme.
Choosing the right flooring for your new home is never easy, especially with so many new home flooring options to choose from. We hope this article has helped you to understand the differences between solid hardwood, engineered hardwood, and luxury vinyl, and made it clear how you can use each type of flooring differently to suit your lifestyle. This creates a happy home that works perfectly for you.
If you are currently trying to choose the right flooring for your new home, the expert team here at Southern Luxe are happy to assist you. We stock an extensive selection of solid hardwood, engineered hardwood, and luxury vinyl flooring in a wide range of different colors and styles, and we can help you make those all-important decisions. Start your project with us today, and we can help you find the perfect flooring that will continue to make you happy for many years to come.