Most foolproof DIY flooring?

[SquidgyMaltLoaf]

Need flooring for our 5x4m kitchen - quote for Karndean is £970 (gulp) fitted which is out of our price range. I was trying to avoid ceramic tiles as I thought they'd be cold but it's the only thing I can think of that would be straightforward for us to lay!

Anyone have any other ideas? Sheet vinyl is out as too difficult and it needs to be sturdy but not too expensive. Thank you!

You could use bamboo engineered if you like it, which is the only wood-like flooring that can stand up to typical kitchen and bathroom drips and splashes.

Ceramic tiles can be slippy when wet, and break when you drop a mug or bottle.

Do you hate sheet vinyl? Because even with fitting, it's going to be a heck of a lot cheaper than bamboo and less hassle too. For example Carpetright (yes I know they're the devil) do a nice white sheet vinyl, with raised studs like rubber flooring, which I happen to think is LOVELY. It's 11.99 a metre, plus a not massive amount for fitting.

I did a quick look on the website and it's actually only 10.39 atm and they priced your room at under 300 including fitting. I'm actually quite tempted to get it myself now!

www.carpetright.co.uk/mardi-gras-01-dots-vinyl-3.html

I'd advise against getting sheet vinyl in a kitchen, feels (and looks) pretty grim. Carpet right do vinyl tiles though, which are like tiles but not as cold IYSWIM.

Bur vinyl tiles pick up dirt round the edges. Which is a bit grim, whereas sheet vinyl (especially nice solid coloured vinyl) is much easier to keep clean. Why do you think it feels grim? My friend has had cushion vinyl in her kitchen for years and it's surprisingly attractive and nice underfoot.

I have put down vinyl tiles in my bathroom, Gerflor block black and white in a chequerboard pattern and they look lovely and were cheap as chips (7ish sqm) but they are a bit of a pain to keep looking clean. In the bathroom they just have bathmats thrown over them, so not so much of a problem, but I dread to think how they would get in my kitchen. FWIW we're putting down cheapish laminate in ours, as our washing machine etc are in a utility so hopefully there won't be too much water around. We're going for Krono Supernatural narrow, which looks nice but isn't so expensive that we'll regret changing it in a few years when we can afford engineered wood.

Did anyone get the white vinyl flooring? I'm thinking about it.