Sorry, but "It ain't necessarily so!"
Here is my saga which I posted about. This thread is about my experience going on the Gigazone, but it links to the saga and pile of hurt I get into after buying and expensive top of the line router. Spending big bucks will not keep you out of trouble.
I did not say "spend big bucks". My router was not expensive, it just wasn't the cheapest off-the-shelf variety. Furthermore it was carefully chosen; I bought a specific model from a specific manufacturer whose product at the time offered superb performance. [801.b/g/n]
You need to research, as I did say, and choose a router that has appropriate range. Many so-called review websites do not adequately test the range ability this poster is seeking. If you base your purchase decision on such a review, don't be surprised if the results are unsatisfactory. Just because you know what "Google" means does not imply you actually know how to properly search and more importantly, assess a review. It's a skill, not everyone has it, despite what they may think.
If it does not perform to your requirements, return it and choose another. If you don't buy your router from someone who allows returns with a full refund, you are not buying from the right vendor and should alter your habits. People who insist on saving the last penny and buy from vendors who don't allow seamless returns will soon learn the folly of that approach; everyone else should be able to solve the problem.
The fact remains I can walk with my laptop down my city block until my house is no longer visible, or down my yard and into the garage, and stream Netflix. Routers vary in their ability to cover the physical world; you need to choose one that works well under that parameter if that's important to you.
We are talking radio waves here. Many people don't understand how they work as well as their grandparents did, since they actually did rely on radio waves for television, AM and FM reception. Gigahertz radio is different in many respects, but it's also identical in many respects. People today seem to think wireless simply propagates everywhere. It doesn't, never has, and never will.