Lowe's has some good selections for economy jobs. You could find a nice porcelain tile in something that doesn't break the bank but gives you a nice updated look. Probably for around $1.50 or so a sq ft.

I would stay away from the cheap .49 cent tiles if you want to make an impression on future home buyers. It will look cheap and lack luster.

If you are going to do it I would stay in really neutral tones like white or the more trendy popular cool grey tones if it works for your situation. A neutral canvas is more appealing for most potential buyers.

An expensive tile with a poor installation will look cheap. A bargain tile with an excellent installation will look expensive. You can use a cheap field tile and put your dollars in nice accent tiles and nice fixtures.

Everybody makes and sells junk and good stuff, the trick is knowing the difference. F&D has some very nice through body porcelains under $2 / sf.

If a tile is heavy for its size, that's good. If it feels like you can break it with you hands, not good. Look at the thickness of the wear layer. If you can't see it without your reading glasses, put it down.

I think that it will be okay if your installer is good. It really depends on the the price of your home. If your home is high end, then probably not. All of those buyers looking at that high end house will know how much you paid and where you bought it ... so your remodel won't bring as much in resale, and they will start looking at the other items that you used to remodel any part of the house.

After talking to a realtor and actually looking at the tile, I realize can't totally cheap out...not the .50 special anyway. I think i would be ok with using a less expensive field tile though. I want to keep it tasteful but simple. I have no idea what tile pattern I want now. May do a new post later for ideas.

Something neutral is important. Speaking as a former realtor (long time ago), buyers look at finishes, so put the $ there. Quality is important, buzzwords ... Granite, Quartz,etc jump out in MLS captions. Look at what houses in your neighborhood have, that's what buyers expect. Good luck.

I question your morals / judgement. Super cheap - when a bathroom is one of the most important rooms in the house. Plus they last a long time. Saving a couple of bucks and shorting the next people (perhaps several owners) seems not very nice.

I question your intelligence. I never wrote that I was going to drop my experienced, reputable installer who will do things the right way in favor of hiring someone off Craigslist for $1 square foot who will do shoddy work, which will result in cracking tile two years down the road.

However, there is no way I'm doing $8s/f porcelain and $14 s/f travertine. I have no experience with tile, and have never looked at super cheap tile. That's why I asked. I was able to post to a forum at midnight. I was not able to contact my installer at midnight.

There is a world of difference between trying to make more economical choices and trying to screw over the next owners.

$.49 tile does not sound promising as a quality tile worth any investment at all. That price is rather shocking. You can get a good tile without spending a small fortune but how much to invest in product quality and overall design aesthetics depends on the house. Proper installation is a given (be very careful who you hire there - a lot of them believe they are experienced and qualified when they are not. NTCA membership does not ensure sound work either).

Make sure you can return the purchased tile, most tile stores do not take them back, even if the lot you receive bears no resemblance to the samples they provided.

@djbrandenburg : "Now im wondering if I could get buy with a 12x12 or 13x13 ceramic laid in a plain grid pattern using .49 cent tile from Lowe's or Floor and Decor?"

Sounds like trying to screw over the next owners.

I'd say $4 - $5 sq/ft porcelain tile.

Picking a simple pattern is screwing over the next person? You're crazy.

I think that the trick is to use an accent tile as well. In our basement bathroom, we purchased some relatively cheap tile, but accented it with a really pretty border, and people really love it!

A nice accent sounds great.

I bought $1/sq tile at Home Depot for the kids bathroom floor. They were getting rid of tile they didn't carry anymore & I thought the quality seemed good. Its a 12x24" tile and looks great now that our installer put it in.

I have realized that compared to the entire project, the tile is the inexpensive part. Unless you are breaking the bank with a crazy expensive tile, most tile isn't going to be the bulk of your budget. I didn't mind getting the cheap clearance tile for the kids' bathroom since it was a spontaneous project & I really liked the cool gray tone of it. For our bathroom it seems like everything I've been looking at is in the $5-8/sq ft range. A few of the accent tiles have been a lot more, but nothing crazy.

@djbrandenburg: You said $.49 tile - that's crazy. Wasn't referring to the pattern.

Geofrey, re: djbrandenburg, I reject your hypothesis and it certainly sounds way over the top to suggest the OP lacks morals/ethics! Sounds like OP wants to save some money on the tile, not stick the next owner with shoddy work. The fact that he/she is asking for input shows a desire to do the right thing, but save some money if possible.

Expensive does not always equate with superior performance. When building our current home, we chose to tile our doorless walk-in shower ourselves to save money. We also used a much less expensive tile. Now, 20 years later, it still looks and is performing well. In fact, a realtor we had do a market analysis said it would be a big selling point.

I think what motivated me to reply to this thread was to say that you have a right to your opinion, but it would be nice if you would not make moral judgments about someone else's decision. It really is just tile!

Remember, if you are leaving, you want the design to be neutral and appealing. We are running into the same issues as we are having make minor repairs to our existing home, knowing that we are breaking ground on our dream home next month!

Maybe try showing the house as it is and let the new owner select their own tile (include an allowance in the price). It is such a waste of money, as well as being harmful to the environment, to continually have sellers doing this type of work inexpensively or so blandly (or shoddily on the cheap in some cases) that the next person wants to rip it all out.

That is why I recommend a nice accent tile. Sometimes it is the details that really make things look nice. Tiling a majority of the bathroom in an inexpensive tile, and accenting with a more expensive tile or border can look really, really nice! I say neutral because if you tile the bathroom in a bright color or in a specific style, it can be a turnoff to someone who does not like that particular color or style.

This is getting to be a little ridiculous. I'm not trying to hire a guy off the street to hide electrical problems or bury live wires in the walls! This is not a fly by night DIY job.

I am NOT spending the extra money to have a tile "rug" inset. The original plan was what I wanted, but since I'm not staying, I'm not going to waste even a couple thousand on more expensive materials, nor on the extra labor the detailed work would entail.

I'm going to pick a reasonably priced rectified porcelain tile. There is nothing wrong with a simple grid or running bond or brick pattern. Add some decorative tile for an accent, and it will look nice.

There is also absolutely no way I would leave it unfinished. That's insane and a sure way to drive away potential buyers and get a lower price for the house.

Gardenweb used to give great advice, but it seems some crazies with reading comprehension issues migrated from Houzz to Gardenweb. Thanks for everyone who gave helpful (tactful) replies.

Most people don't want to go into a house that they just purchased with the idea that they have to rip out something like tile. That's a big job, and overwhelming to most buyers. The OP is in the mist of a bathroom reno, and has just found out that they might have to move. With that being the case, it is not a good idea to just stop and leave it as is, some done, some undone. The correct thing to do is to pick nice neutral, moderately priced products for their neighborhood, and go with a reno that is not over the top ... will appeal to most buyers. Newness is good, but it should also be good quality materials and install. Buyers know cheap,shoddy,and quick. They don't want that ... That's the fastest way to make sure that your house doesn't sell for top $, or maybe doesn't sell at all.

"I'm going to pick a reasonably priced rectified porcelain tile. "

You posted 49 cents for a 12-13 inch tile. That is the only insane thing I have read here.

I said try to show it unfinished, first, with an allowance, to see how it goes - not sell it for cheap. There are a lot of people who would rather do what they like than get stuck with what you like, no matter how good it might look.

You sound a little wired, lol. I doubt you'll get good feedback attacking everyone who responds.

I totally understand your dilemma. I really feel strongly about quality work, neutral decor, and simple tile work. We are going to have to re tile our master bath before we move. We have a realtor come in and she gave us the exact same advice as I am giving you. She said keep it simple, tasteful, and not over the top. You will NEVER get your money back for extravagant expenditures. New, clean, neutral, and tasteful is always the way to go! Again, if the tile that is on sale is simple and plain, then I a would recommend a tan grout, (I love tan or beige grout), white simple tiles, and some beautiful accents that are beige, tan, or neutral. I did my basement bathroom exactly like that, and have gotten rave reviews, even from the realtor! The tile was a white brick pattern, with beige grout, and marbled beige, tan, light brown, with gold flects, accent pattern. Beautiful, simple, and elegant. You can't go wrong!!

Good luck and I hope that I have been of some help!

I purchased good quality American made tile for my newly renovated bathrooms from Florida Tile for $2.29 sq ft. My professional tile installer was very happy with the quality. We have no intention of moving. We are very happy with it, and any buyers down the road will be happy with it also. Gardenweb is still a great forum for advice Jdbrandenburg. Don't give up on us!

$0.49 for tile on sale is inexpensive, but it might be an overstock, or inventory that needs to be moved out. Doesn't mean that it is garbage!

You can use inexpensive tile and still get a nice design out of it.

"Cheap" or "low quality" tile, I believe you already understand that taking that route could be a waste of your time and effort now and later.

I echo what jilldag wrote. You can use inexpensive field tile, but dress it up with a decent pattern and an inset border of some type.

Perhaps you could coordinate the border on the floor with one or two horizontal stripes or a single deco inset that runs horizontally across the shower walls.

Doesn't have to be fancy.

Just make it tasteful and in scale.

It looks to me like OP was trying to ask whether he would regret using the cheaper priced tile or whether it was a viable option. That, along with the fact that he's sticking with his trusted tile installer, indicates he is trying to cover all his bases and have a quality end product for his house and for the next owner. Remember, he said he MIGHT be moving ... thus, whatever he chooses now he could end up having for some time if it turns out he doesn't have to move.

We are doing some minor updates in our home in preparation to sell and we are using quality, but not luxury materials. It seems to me that is what the OP is contemplating.

If the install is good, what can happen down the line with a cheap tile? Just asking. I have no idea. Bad wear?

Bad wear, cracking (less strength with softer lower fired clays), not through body color (chips obvious). There can also be installation problems due to things like tiles not being sized quite the same so they don't align well (trying to work with them will also result in higher labor charges because it takes more time).

Snookums, If I were the OP, I would find your last post very informative and exactly the information I would want to make a decision when choosing a replacement tile. I would also suggest that, since the tile installer is described as talented and knowledgeable, I would ask him about the pros and cons of using various tiles that OP is considering.

Well, a lot of people here seem to love the ideal of a "nice" or "pretty" accent tile. The trouble with that, to me, is that it's as subjective as a "pretty" color. I am not a big fan of most accent tiles in general, though. I think they can date a room pretty fast. Or just be too style-specific. Give me a neutral in a simple pattern and I can work with that forever, changing paint, linens, etc to my heart's content. But maybe I'm the minority here?

What you need to do more than anything, is check the spec sheets for any tile you want to buy, especially for a floor. Can X, Y or Z hold the weight?

All the tile I've seen online has spec sheets. Go with that and if you can do a pattern with minimal extra charge, have fun with it.

I read all through this -- including the outlying opinions -- and thought only one idea was missing, until I got to the comment right above by artemis, which is spot-on. There is some good advice in here, but also some inevitable speculation. With the specs and a knowledgeable installer, I think the OP will do just fine.

I don't think there is anything wrong with inexpensive tile. I got mine two years ago at Lowe's for a steal at .55 a square foot. It's installed in my bathroom, entryway, kitchen and dining room. I get compliments all the time and have had no issues with chipping or cracking. I think proper installation is more important than the price of the tile.

" have had no issues with chipping or cracking. "

low fire clays are not as strong.

There is also a wear level with the surface glaze to worry about. A floor tile that is not through body color will show wear over the years in undesirable ways.

I wish I could EVER find anything I liked that was super cheap. But noooooo! My eye has expensive taste and can "smell" a cheap item a mile away and is instantly drawn to the "OMGoodness, you've got to be kidding" priced items! Example...DH's recent bathroom renovation...1" metallic deco tiles @ $5.85/ea. We would have needed 76 of them :o Bought the 2" in a different pattern (liked it better anyway) for $5.25/each. Needed 19. Metallic 1x6" liners were $8 something each. But what are you going to do when you find THE tile that makes you heart flutter? You spend the money and eat beans and rice for the next 6 months! <g> Those prices might not seem high to some but they were quite spendy to us. I also believe in the "you get what you pay for" adage.

lori_inthenw_gw, not at all! I just chose simple grey Style Selections 12x24" porcelain tile for our bathroom floors and shower walls and 2x2" for the shower floor. No accents. It is plain and neutral, and when we eventually sell this home, it will not be overly-taste-specific. We can do whatever we want with art, light fixtures, and go crazy with colorful towels etc if we wanted to - things more easily changed than tile. Also with the inexpensive price for the tile - $2.30/sq ft - we were able to add under-floor heating and a nicer shower door set. Our tile installer said the tile was nice and thick and easy to lay. It looks perfect (not grouted yet) no uneven edges or issues.