In my years of working in the flooring business I have had the opportunity to talk to many buyers, sellers, and real estate agents. I have heard them voice their questions, concerns and thoughts on flooring. Mainly what would be the best investment they could make with the budget they had. Below is what I have found in my years of working to be the best advice when making your flooring decision.
Basement Flooring
I have many customers coming in asking specifically for the cheap multi colored berber carpet that was popular for years. One of the advantages to it of course if that you can get it in a cheaper fiber (such as polypropylene) that is multi colored so even though it may not wear well the fleck will hide dirt and soil. It is great for utility or storage areas, but many people use their basements as living spaces. They use it as a play room for their kids, or a living room to watch TV. People want something that is plush, durable and warm. We all know how cold basements can get, and I would advise to stick to something that is warm and inviting. Keep it neutral, and on the lighter side. Basements are already dark with the lack of natural lighting so choose something to brighten the space. At Clawes we have many affordable roll specials that are at great values for the potential seller that are 100% nylon, treated with a stain and soil protection and are the same cost if not less than some of the cheaper polypropylene berbers.
Wood Flooring
Yes, solid wood is always the best investment for a home. How could it not be? Every 10-15 years you can refinish it and it will look brand new again, easy to maintain, and very well could be there the life of the home. It is also one of the more expensive types of flooring. Otherwise when going to sell we would all have it installed throughout the home! A lot of customers ask about steps, but a set of 13 steps can easily run you $2,000 – $3,000 when in the end most end up putting a runner over it anyways. So choose the space you install it in carefully when deciding to go with wood. I would recommend main living areas such as your living room, dining room, family room, kitchen and or foyer to break up areas of carpet.
Thinking of putting wood floors against existing wood cabinetry? Don’t match it. Go with something that contrasts or find a wood with more variation that can pull in the color of the cabinetry.
Pets Left Your Flooring a Mess
It’s amazing the amount of money pet owners will spend in their lifetime on pets! Aside from vet bills flooring can be one of the most expensive bills a pet can leave you with. Most customers know to replace flooring that has been soiled and damaged from pets. But one thing they may not know is that some pet’s urine (especially cats that frequent the same place) gets into the floor boards. Many times we hear “I replaced my carpet, but I still smell the cats urine??!” That’s because it has gotten into the floor boards. You want to make sure a sealer is put down on the floor boards such as Kilz. Why not replace the floor boards? Unless they are damaged they are costly to replace, so most of the time Kilz is all you need to do the trick!
Stay Neutral BUT…
Most customers know when it comes to buying it is not about making a statement, but having a floor that looks durable and can easily blend with the future home buyer’s décor. On the same note sometimes people decide to do all beige or grey floors, walls, etc. The buyer does NOT want to walk into a beige box. So make the walls and floor contrast but complement each other.
Laminate or Engineered?
I often have customers confused on the 2 types of flooring. They think laminate is engineered wood and vice versa. Engineered wood is pieces of plywood put together. Some have thicker wear layers than others (thicker wear layers get 1 or 2 refinishes out of them where thin wear layers get none). Laminate is particle board with a photograph on top. Laminate is made to mimic the look of real wood and stone. Advantage being it has an aluminum oxide wear layer which is typically tougher than wood. Downside is you cannot refinish it; it is hollow sounding underfoot and has a repeating pattern. You can find some engineered wood to be at the same cost as laminate, so in my opinion go with the engineered. It will show better and people would rather buy real wood.
There it is! The top questions asked from potential sellers. Of course after all I mentioned you are always taking the chance that your new carpet you purchased could not sit well with the buyer and be found on the curb a few weeks after buying (yes, this does happen – sniff sniff). So you want to stay within your budget. I just want to guide you in making the best decision you can with that money! At Clawes we always have specials on flooring that we buy in bulk for customers specifically for resale in mind. Give us call and we can give you a free estimate and design consultation!