Concrete gets specified for durability and then people are surprised by how it feels. Polished and sealed properly it is warm underfoot, takes underfloor heating better than timber, and does not mark the way engineered board does under furniture.

The ground floor here was poured in a single continuous slab, so there are no joints running through the living space. That matters visually more than most buyers expect — the eye reads one surface rather than a series of panels.

Maintenance

A damp mop and a pH-neutral cleaner. The sealer is renewed roughly every seven years; nothing else is required, and nothing needs sanding or refinishing.

Underfloor heating

The slab holds heat for hours after the system cycles off, which is why running costs come in below a comparable radiator system across a full winter.