Home renovations come with many questions. Most of the time people know what they want based on their budgets and preferences, but more often than not, we hit a road block in decision making.

My recommendation is based on the matrix of a few criteria.

Having a home value of more than $250,000 is almost a definite must for hardwoods, especially if the price continues to rise above $400,000. Homes under $200,000 can usually pass with laminate as long as it’s good quality and looks nice.

Laminate, in most cases, has better scratch resistance than hardwoods and doesn’t need to be/can’t be refinished. In terms of durability, laminate matches hardwood in most cases except for water resistance. Due to the coating on hardwoods, they don’t soak up water as quickly as laminate does. Water will destroy laminate quickly so if this is an issue, consider vinyl as the next cheap option.

Time spent owning the home is somewhat of an important factor but comes second to all other criteria. Hardwoods are good for ages, we still see 100 year old homes with nearly pristine hardwoods that have been well maintained. I highly doubt laminate could have the same resilience to age, and it’s been said to have a lifespan of 15-30 years.