Tips for Buying Tile on a Budget

In order to find the best deal on tile for your home, you may have to commit some time to shopping around and be flexible about your end result. There is no secret store where you can go and find your dream tiles at bargain prices in less than five minutes (at least, not that we know of).

If you are determined to finish your tiling job and stick to your budget, here are a few tips that might help you out:

1. Do your own installation. The installation cost is a significant portion of the total cost of tiling any space so it is possible to save quite a bit if you can do at least some of the work yourself.

   If you don’t have any experience installing tiles, start with a relatively small project to avoid becoming overwhelmed. The Internet can be a great resource and has many how-to videos and tutorials. Ask around and you might find a friend or relative who has installed tile and grout during a previous home improvement project and is happy to help you out.

2. Minimize the use of the expensive artistic or mosaic tiles. It is easy to do this by restricting their use to borders, focal points or other small areas, such as fireplace surrounds, hearths, the area behind a bathroom sink, or a shower floor.

   This allows you to purchase only a small number of the more expensive tiles, fill in the remaining tiles with plain (and less expensive) tiles and still end up with a designer look.

3. Hit the streets, shop online, and ask about sales and possible discounts. Sometimes a store might not be having an advertised sale, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t have a box of discontinued tile in the back that they would be willing to give you for a bargain price.

   This tactic requires time and patience. If you’re not in a rush to start or finish your project, then shopping around and waiting for sales can produce excellent results.

One thing to keep in mind when shopping for tile on a budget is the quality and durability of the tile. An inexpensive tile may be a lower quality tile that will chip or break shortly after installation, which makes it a more expensive option in the end.

Never install tiles designed for use only on walls on a floor. They won’t withstand the foot traffic.