When budget is limited, going with a second-hand solution is probably the best way. Not too long ago, I bought a used Asus RT-AC66U and loaded the AsusWRT Merlin firmware which allows me to tweak it to my liking. Since it supports wireless AC at speeds over 1GBps, it's been more than usable and works perfectly in my 2 story home without problems. There are many used routers like these that are slightly old but still supported and have great performance so I would definitely take a look at eBay or Craigslist for some good deals on a good router.