For vinyl plank, consider Modin Collection from Flooret (on Houzz and web). 40 mil wear layer is twice industry standard. Lifetime warranty, $3.49 SF.
Quality vinyl plank with a good wear layer (20 mil or better) is not cheap. A skim coat to fill any cracks or craters in subfloor is needed. For best results, LVP needs to be glued down. Good adhesive costs $30 a gallon or more, which covers about 125 SF. I just spent $3,200 on 1,000 SF of Modin on sale. 8 gallons of adhesive plus a weight roller will add another $500. Pro install would have been another $2 SF.
So yes, LVP can be expensive. But the adhesive and labor is going to be the same for cheap LVP or quality LVP, which is why I recommend going with a high quality LVP with a thick wear layer rather than a bargain brand with a thin wear layer that turns out not to be a bargain when you have to replace it in 5-10 years.
As to other upgrades, invest in things that will be difficult to upgrade later. Get quality cabinets but just as important (if not more so) get the cabinet layout and configuration right and get lots of drawers. Cabinetry including an island trumps a stone countertop; if push comes to shove it is easy down the road to upgrade from a Wilsonart countertop to Quartz.
Q
