This was the most expensive thing in our renovation (and it wasn't worth it) – experts say this alternative would have been better

Pale green living room with wooden chevron flooring.

Now that my home renovation is pretty much finished, I'm taking stock of how it has all come together. It's been a massive project, taking an 1840s home that was last refurbished in 1972, and ripping walls apart to feed in a new wiring system, adding in new heating, a new kitchen, new bathrooms, the lot. 

All in all, the budget was just shy of $200,000 – an eyewatering expense that still makes me wince when I think of it. And the biggest single chunk of that budget was on the chevron wood floors, each tile individually hand-laid in both our dining room and living room. Factoring in materials, labor, underlay, joists and upkeep, together they ended up costing nearly $10,000.