"Those who like to show off their houses to others (the granite-countertop crowd.)" These things are are not at all equal. I rarely have people over; when it

"Those who like to show off their houses to others (the granite-countertop crowd.)" These things are are not at all equal. I rarely have people over; when it comes to socializing I would always rather go to the other person's house. This is less effort on my part (prep, cleanup, etc...). When people do come around I don't care what they think beyond hoping it's not, "Wow what a filthy pig." I do however have granite counter tops. The up front cost is more, but I'm a stayer, not a mover. My long term cost is less. The counter tops were installed 7 years ago and they look exactly the same today as they did when I moved in. When I die or get sent to the old folks home (hopefully not for another 50+ years) those counters will still be there and look just as good as they do today. In the long run this is less money and less time and effort since I don't need someone replacing my laminate counter tops every 10 years. They also withstand high temperatures and are more sanitary since they are sealed and don't break down over time (dents, dings, scratches like laminate). If you were to see my house, what you would find is that it is very plain, but that things inside of it are meant to last. When I moved in the upstairs flooring was carpet; it was in bad shape; stains, discolored, but I waited 5 years to replace it because I'm cheap. When I did replace it I bought solid wood; I got a finish that was on clearance because it was discontinued. Like the counters, the floor will last the rest of my lifetime, worst case scenario I will have to pay to have it resurfaced once in my entire life span. This is much cheaper than carpet over the long run. My basement is still carpeting; when I purchased the home the basement carpet was stained so badly and stank so badly of dog urine that it had to be replaced immediately. I was broke from all of the cost of purchasing the home so I had the absolute cheapest carpet installed and it is still there more than 10 years later in bad need of replacement again. When I do replace it, probably next year, I will put in a life time durable tile and be done with it FOREVER.