The Cost-Smart Guide to Choosing Flooring That Lasts
As summer renovations surge across Auckland and Northland, homeowners are balancing design ambition with realistic budgets. The key is not choosing the cheapest option, but the smartest investment—flooring that performs for years, fits lifestyle needs and doesn’t require expensive replacements down the track. With ATS Timber and ATS Premium Timber now leading our range, alongside ATS Tiles in two versatile sizes, upgrading has never been more cost-efficient without compromising aesthetics.
Why “Cost-Smart” Matters More Than “Low-Cost”
Flooring is one of the few features you see and feel every day. Unlike furniture or décor, you cannot rotate it out seasonally. A smart flooring investment means choosing material that handles humidity, sunlight, pets, gatherings, kids and temperature fluctuations common across Auckland and coastal Northland.
Cost-smart flooring doesn’t always mean the lowest upfront number—it means the best balance between price, durability and visual impact.
This is exactly where ATS Timber, ATS Premium Timber and ATS Tiles excel.
ATS Timber: High-End Look Without the High-End Price
Our 190mm wide ATS Timber remains one of the most cost-effective engineered flooring options offered in New Zealand right now. At $139 per square metre including supply and installation, it presents genuine value compared with traditional timber products that can run significantly higher.
You get:
Wide plank visuals that elevate open-plan layouts
A stable engineered core designed for variable humidity
A timeless natural timber surface suited to both modern and classic interiors
Summer sun, open windows and beachfront air can challenge cheaper flooring options—but ATS Timber holds shape, tone and structure, making it a smart choice long-term.
ATS Premium Timber: For the Homeowner Who Wants More Impact
For those wanting architectural scale, our 260mm wide ATS Premium Timber delivers a luxury finish at $190 per square metre. These boards visually widen rooms, reduce join lines and create a calm, seamless surface ideal for modern interior design.
The premium range suits:
Large living areas with heavy natural light
Beachfront homes where indoor–outdoor flow is key
Minimalist spaces where the floor becomes the primary design statement
It is cost-smart because while the price is higher than our 190mm timber, the visual return is immediate and lasting—raising both interior quality and perceived home value.
Tiles as a Price-Smart Partner to Timber
Flooring doesn’t have to be one material across the entire home. Combining timber and tile is not only a design-forward pairing, but also a cost-efficient strategy for spaces prone to water and temperature variation.
Our ATS Tiles are priced at:
$17 per sqm for 600x600 supply only
$27 per sqm for 1200x600 supply only
These modern sizes allow homeowners to mix zones without blowing the budget. For example:
ATS Premium Timber in living and bedrooms
ATS 1200x600 Tiles in bathrooms, laundries and kitchens
ATS Timber in hallways, tiles for high-moisture practicality
This combination preserves luxury while keeping per-square-metre spending balanced across the home.
Designed for NZ Conditions, Not Just NZ Aesthetics
Auckland and Northland bring unique flooring pressures—salt air, shifting moisture, beach traffic, sand, indoor–outdoor movement and intense seasonal sunlight. Rather than spending less and replacing sooner, the smarter approach is choosing materials engineered for the climate now.
ATS flooring products are selected with this exact purpose in mind:
Stability under humidity and airflow
Real timber grain with reinforced core technology
Tile formats suited to temperature variation and constant use
No seasonal buckling, reduced movement and a finish that looks as good three summers from now as it does today.
Smart Investment, Immediate Style
Flooring is not purely a construction decision—it sets the emotional tone of a home. Natural timber and carefully selected tile surfaces support bright, fresh summer styling while delivering year-round resilience.
Cost-smart means you invest once, enjoy daily, and replace later rather than sooner.
ATS Design continues to focus on premium materials at justifiable price points, not inflated ones.
Written by Ollie Duncan