Low cost Kitchen diner flooring options?

[Rosehyd2]

Our extension budget has been entirely swallowed by excess costs, particularly plumbing and electrician.

We have 18sqm of chipboard floor to cover in the kitchen and open plan dining room space.

The rest of the house downstairs has solid oak flooring.

We could look to replace the flooring we put down now in a year or two.

But what should we use in the meantime?

If you want to replace it soonish then I would stay away from anything difficult to replace. So no tiles, nothing glued to the chipboard etc.

If you're not too fussy, reclaimed floorboards on eBay can be quite cheap and would be nicer than other cheap options like bargain laminate? You may find that your builders labourers will do cash in hand work on the weekend to lay them.

We just put 18sqm of textured wood-effect vinyl down in our newly-replaced kitchen/diner and utility room. I have no problems with it at all. It's non-slip, looks fine and is easy to sweep and mop. I think it cost £225 to buy and £80 to fit.

That's a really good point about not gluing anything to the chipboard - I hadn't thought of that!

Do you think any wood, particularly laminate, would look odd in the doorway against the solid oak? Should we go for a completely different style so it doesn't look like we tried and failed to match?

Slightly off beat idea... but could you fill, seal and stain the chipboard as an interim solution?

I did a quick google/YouTube and there are loads of suggestions on how to do this and make it look great.

I think mismatched solid wood flooring can work if your house is the right style (eg mildly dishevelled), but laminate with solid oak isn't going to look great. It might motivate you to do the replacement as soon as possible though?

An alternative is to go for something that looks deliberately cheap and cheerful so you don't look like you're trying to hide it, like black/white chequerboard tile effect vinyl.

Our house is a stone built cottage with a state roof surrounded by period properties. It's modern, but very old school (think classic farrow and ball colours of sage, greys, off whites, painted wooden kitchen etc).

We probably could get away with somewhat mismatched. I think as our oak floor is really golden, ash oak will look too modern, and dark floors too American.

Definite no to black and white, sorry

Lay a good plain vinyl in a grey or light blue. eBay can be your friend for an end of roll.
Easy to clean and easy to take up when you are ready.

There are quite a lot of reclaimed pitch pine floorboard options on eBay, which would be closer to yellow oak than an aged oak. Depends where you are though.

Eg:
m.ebay.co.uk/itm/Reclaimed-pitch-pine-floorboards-/322547205083