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Whether you install flooring before or after kitchen cabinets depends primarily on the type of flooring you are using. For materials like hardwood, tile, and sheet flooring, the best practice is to install the flooring first. This ensures the cabinets are installed at the correct height and on a stable surface. However, you should not install cabinets on top of floating floors, such as laminate or luxury vinyl plank (LVP). These types of flooring need room to expand and contract with temperature and humidity changes. Placing heavy cabinets on top can restrict this movement, potentially causing the floor to buckle and making the cabinets unstable. For floating floors, install the cabinets first and then lay the flooring up to them. Other reasons to consider installing cabinets before the flooring include saving money on materials (since you won't need flooring under the cabinets) and avoiding potential damage to your new floor during cabinet installation. Additionally, installing cabinets directly on the subfloor might prevent voiding your flooring's warranty.

Hardwood offers the highest ROI at around 75%. Engineered hardwood, tile, reclaimed wood, and laminate also increase a home’s value but with lower ROIs. Lighter tiles tend to increase a home’s value slightly more than darker tiles. Taking the ROI into account when you choose flooring can increase your home value and allow you to recoup some or all of the cost to install it.

When choosing whether to install carpet in your home, consider the pros and cons of this change:

Pros

• More affordable than laminate flooring

• Gives the room a warmer feel

• Softer on feet

• Wide variety of textures and colors

• Hides dirt easily

• Faster and easier to install

Cons

• Shows wear and tear more quickly than laminate flooring

• Shows stains

• Soaks up liquids

• May not work well in some areas, such as a bathroom

• Less durable than laminate flooring

• Susceptible to water damage, mold, and mildew

You can use underfloor heating with most kinds of flooring. However, particularly thick carpet will create problems, since it will absorb a lot of the heat and make it difficult to feel. Also, there are some concerns that underfloor heating can dry out natural wood over time, so if you have wood flooring, get an expert opinion on whether radiant heating is appropriate.