How to budget for new flooring

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Deciding to buy new flooring for your space is an exciting time – there are so many fun decisions to make, from the type of flooring you pick to the colour that best matches your walls. However, there is also the other side of a project like this that we don’t like to think about as much – the budget we have to work with. With all of our budgets being a little tighter in recent days, all it takes is a little bit of knowledge and savvy to ensure that you can have the flooring of your dreams without putting a strain on your bank!

We’ll help you every step of the way with this guide, explaining all the different costs you should budget for, as well as how to save up for that budget, and some cost-saving efforts you can make to keep the costs down. You can also speak to our expert floorologists, whether you pop into your local Tapi store or even organise a free home visit for us to come to you and talk all about budgets. But first, have a read of our guide, which covers:

How to budget for the cost of new flooring
How much does flooring cost?
How much does carpet cost?
How much does a stair runner cost?
How much does laminate cost?
How much does vinyl cost?
How much does LVT cost?
How much does engineered wood cost?
How to save money on the cost of flooring

How to budget for the cost of new flooring

The first step you should take when budgeting for new flooring is to take stock of how much you can reasonably afford to spend on the entire process. Every penny needs to be accounted for when it comes to purchasing something big for your home, and flooring is no exception! Here are our top tips to help you out:

Measure carefully – ensuring that you have enough flooring in the first place will help keep your budget down, so you don’t have to fork out for delivery costs more than once. Our handy guide on how to measure a room can help you make sure your sums are correct.
Take advantage of deals – if you can buy your flooring in bulk, chances are you might be able to get a discount on it, which can relieve some of your budget for other costs.
Save money with higher quality flooring – remember that the price is not the only thing you should look at when you buy new flooring! If you opt for higher-quality flooring, then the chances are that you may pay a little more now, but you can save money in the long run by not having to replace it sooner than you think.
Use our carpet calculator to help you get a good idea of how much it could cost for your favourite options.

How much does flooring cost?

When you’re creating a budget for new flooring, there are going to be several things you need to keep in mind that will cost you money, such as:

The type of flooring you choose e.g. carpet
Room measurements (not something you need to worry about with Tapi’s free measurement service)
Labour costs
Additional expenses like finishing touches

You will also need to budget for our delivery and care package, and potentially for the removal of your old flooring.

How much does floor installation cost?

Different floorings will have different costs, and the cost will also vary depending on the size of the room and where the floor is going to be laid. You could also expect that it will cost more to put flooring down in a room that is an unusual shape or to put down flooring in a more complicated pattern such as a herringbone or chevron style.

Extras to remember

There are extra costs on top of your flooring that you will need to remember to budget for, including:

The cost of fitting
The cost of our delivery and care package
The cost of flooring accessories like underlay, adhesives, and coverings like door bars
Additional fees for an irregularly shaped room or staircase, for both fitting and cutting the flooring to fit

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How much does carpet cost?

The cost of carpet can vary depending on your measurements and the type of product, including where it sits on the scale from budget to luxury:

Budget carpet – £5 to £15 per m2
Mid-range carpet – £15 to 30 per m2
Luxury carpet - £30 to 50+ per m2

We worked out the average cost of fitting carpet in a three-bedroom home with different priced carpets. The following values are based on fitting carpet across three bedrooms (62 m2), living and dining area (60m2), and stairs and hallway (29.85m2). This comes to 151.85m2:

Budget carpet – 151.85m² x £10 = £1518.50
Mid-range carpet – 151.85m² x £25 = £3796.25
Luxury carpet – 151.85m² x £40 = £6074

At Tapi, fitting costs range from £5.50 per m2 and this is an extra service we can arrange for you with independent fitters. Based on the measurements in our example above, fitting carpet for a three-bedroom house may cost around £836. Read more about carpet fitting costs with our guide.

How much does a stair runner cost?

The price of a stair runner can depend on various factors, including the price of the carpet, your design preferences and the layout of your stairs.

For the average straight staircase of 12 steps, which is 6m long, a stair runner would cost:

Budget carpet – £50
Mid-range carpet – £100
Luxury carpet – £200

You’ll also need to consider the cost of the stair runner edging. This can range from:

£9.99 per metre for whipping, where the raw edge of the carpet is bound with yarn.
£35 per metre for taping, where fabric is sewn along each side of the runner.

Double the length of the runner to work out how many metres you need. Learn more about stair runner costs with our guide.

How much does laminate cost?

The cost of laminate flooring can depend on the type of product, the measurements of your space and the style you choose. Decorative flooring styles such as herringbone and chevron will cost more to fit.

We worked out the average cost of fitting mid-range, straight plank laminate at £27.99 per m2 in a 4x4m (16m2) room with one door:

Flooring: £497.10*
Underlay: £63.85
Accessories (scotia and one door bar): £91.91

Total for floor = £652.86.

Laminate fitting can cost approximately £15 per m2, adding an additional £240 to your quote.

*This can depend on how many planks are in a pack, as well as the m2 coverage, so another laminate priced the same per m2 may cost more or less.

How much does vinyl cost?

The cost of fitting vinyl flooring can also depend on the product and your measurements.

Budget vinyl – £19.99 per m2
Mid-range vinyl – £24.99 per m2
Luxury vinyl - £29.99 per m2

We worked out the average cost of fitting mid-range vinyl at £24.99 per m2 in a 4x4m (16m2) room with one door:

Flooring: £399.84
Adhesive: £25
Accessories (one door bar): £11.99

Total for floor = £436.83.

Vinyl fitting can cost approximately £6.75 per m2, adding an additional £108 to your quote.

How much does luxury vinyl tile (LVT) cost?

The cost of luxury vinyl tile (LVT) can depend on the type of product, the measurements of your space and the style you choose. Like laminate flooring, herringbone and chevron styles will cost more to fit.

Budget LVT – £22.99 per m2
Mid-range LVT – £35.99 per m2
Luxury LVT - £57.99 per m2

We worked out the average cost to fit mid-range, straight plank LVT at £35.99 per m2 in a 4x4m (16m2) room with one door:

Flooring: £625.25*
Underlay: Included in the product
Accessories (scotia and one door bar): £91.91

Total for floor = £717.16

The cost to fit luxury vinyl tile is approximately £15 per m2, adding an additional £240 to your quote.

*This can depend on how many planks are in a pack, as well as the m2 coverage, so another luxury vinyl priced the same per m2 may cost more or less.

How much does engineered wood cost?

The cost of fitting engineered wood flooring in your home can depend on the product, measurements and style. Likewise, herringbone and chevron styles is always more expensive.

Engineered wood can range between £49.99 to £109.99 per m2.

We worked out the average cost to fit our most affordable, straight plank engineered wood at £49.99 per m2 in a 4x4m (16m2) room with one door:

Flooring: £899.82*
Underlay: £175.84
Accessories (scotia and one door bar): £149.95

Total for floor = £1225.61

Fitting costs are approximately £26 per m2, adding an additional £416 to your quote.

*This can depend on how many planks are in a pack, as well as the m2 coverage, so another engineered wood priced the same per m2 may cost more or less.

These prices are a just a guide to help give you an idea of how much it can cost so you can plan your budget. There are other extras you can add on (like our Delivery & Care package) for the full bells-and-whistles service, and there are things you can remove you want to shave a bit off the final total. Your best bet is to book a free store appointment or arrange a home visit for a completely bespoke quote.

We have further information surrounding costs of how much it can cost to buy and fit your new flooring with Tapi on our fitting services page.

How to save money on the cost of flooring

There are some ways you can ease the strain on your budget, by saving money in some areas. You can try:

Waiting for your chosen flooring to go on sale (make sure you’re signed up to our emails so you’re first in the queue to know!)
Getting a Tapi floorologist to give you a home visit, measure your room and quote for everything you'll need
Re-using your old flooring accessories like door bars and carpet grippers (if they’re in good condition and they still fit)
Fitting the flooring yourself – we’d always recommend using professional fitters, but our DIY guides can help you out if you choose to fit your floors yourself
Opting for cheaper underlay than the best of the bunch if you can find other ways to keep your space warm in the colder months
Using Tapi’s interest-free credit options to help you get the flooring you love at a monthly price that works for you

If you want to take the next step to make your new flooring dream a reality, then pop into your local Tapi store today to chat with our friendly floorologists – they’re always happy to help! We’re so keen to get your new flooring sorted, we’ll come to you at a time that suits. You can arrange a free home visit for our experts to come out and see your space and try out samples to help you decide which flooring works best.