Sell House - Tips And Resources

Question: Should we put in carpet or hardwood flooring to sell house?

(Posted by: ricky on 2008-10-09 08:55:40)

We are in the process of getting our house ready to put on the market in about a year or so. Most of the house (except kitchen/ bath/ foyer) is carpeted. The foyer has wood flooring. My question is should we put hardwood throughout the house (with the exception of the bedrooms) or just put new carpet in. I am trying to get the most bang for my buck. So far the the bids I have gotten are between $5, 000- 7000.00 to just do the hardwood with about an additional $1500.00 to do the carpet for the bedrooms. My husband is insisting on doing the hardwood. I say replace the carpet with carpet, but redo the foyer area. I estimate that this will save us about $4, 000. I don't want to put too much money into the house. What do you think? The carpet definitely has to go. Because of the price point of our neighborhood ($110, 000- 150, 000) in the Atlanta area (which is considered on the inexpensive side of real estate here, I don't want to invest too much hoping to get my money back. My overall budget is approximately $15, 000.00 (including new appliances and hvac) I want to make the house move in ready, but I am not trying to create the "dream " house since we never know what the buyer really wants. Besides, every dollar we put into the house hoping to get back is another dollar being taken away from my new home and savings.

Posted by: amo45 on 2008-10-09, 09:24:28

For the best return on your investment put down hardwood you'll get it back because the appraisal will increase by more with the hardwood rather than the carpet (which won't increase the value)another option is to offer a flooring allowance to the buyer (in a set amount of say$5000.00)that way they can choose their own many buyers seem to prefer that and you don't have to live thru the installation either way best of luck to you

Posted by: W on 2008-10-09, 09:04:20

Why make changes when you have no idea what the buyer might like? Make all repairs to heat, air, etc. Paint and make it look good. Don't worry about the rest.

Posted by: Reese on 2008-10-09, 09:06:12

Hard wood seems to be the trend in what house hunters are looking for. Most homebuyers have hardwood floors on their "wish list ". If you are looking to save money right now, then do the carpet in a nice nuetral or something. But in the long run, you will probably get all of your money back (possibly plus some) in return if you put in the hardwood. Not to mention, the house may sell faster too.

Posted by: Özer on 2008-10-09, 09:06:25

Even if the price is higher, hardwood would be a better choice. People with asthma, allergies, pets, etc. might look for floors that are easier to clean. Plus, rooms look bigger with hardwood floors, and they reflect light better, so the house will look more appealing. Carpet in the bedrooms will be fine, because they will look cozier. Best luck!

Posted by: amyw1688 on 2008-10-09, 09:07:37

I agree with you. Replace carpet with carpet. Hardwood is hard to keep up and has to be taken care of to keep it looking good. When we were house hunting, we looked at a house that was all hardwood and they had huge rugs down in every bedroom. Things slide around on hardwood and the floors are always cold. We didn't find that appealing for our bedroom. Also for replacing the foyer, they do sell that snap together hard wood that looks really nice but isn't as expensive as real wood. That may save even more money.

Posted by: This Old House on 2008-10-09, 09:10:37

Talk to a local realtor about your plans to see what he.she would recommend. However, it may not pay to install either type of flooring. If the existing carpet is in decent shape, or if it can be made presentable with a good cleaning there's probably no reason to replace it unless it's some bizarre color that would alienate potential buyers. One way to approach this problem is to do nothing now, but be ready to provide an allowance to a purchaser so that they can put in whatever flooring they want. Here are some less-expensive ways to improve the chances of selling your home: House-Selling Secrets thisoldhouse.com/ toh/ photos/ 0,,20209521,00.html?xid= yahoo-answers &partner= yes

Posted by: Samantha on 2008-10-09, 09:19:01

A hardwood flooring will give you more return but you also need to look at the neighborhood, do most the houses have hardwoods and if not, are there some that do that sold for more than a house that is not updated? Your husband is most likely right about the hardwoods, carpet is so 70s!

Posted by: D-Man on 2008-10-09, 12:02:12

Hey there, With the flat-line of the housing market, many people are looking for ways they can protect their current investment by improving the value of their homes. There are many types of updates that can yield a high return such as kitchen updates, cabinet re-facing, and adding tile in wet-rooms. In fact, HGTV recently posted an article on what the best return on investment (ROI) is for the top 15 types of remodeling- hgtv.com/ hgtv/ pac_ctnt_988/ text/ 0,,HGTV_22056_52571,00.html . However, don’t overlook the value of some fresh paint and the elegance that a faux finish accent wall can create. Its all about comfort and curb-appeal, right? Some of you may want to make many of those improvements yourself, which is great. Others may want some help or simply not have the time to spend. Over the summer I developed some new faux finish techniques that may be of interest for inspiration. Take a look at some of my new faux painting samples at coloradofauxpainting.com/ fauxpainting.html . For decorative faux finish painting tips, visit coloradofauxpainting.com/ For information on interior painting in Colorado, visit coloradofauxpainting.com/ interiorpainting.html For information on exterior painting in Colorado, visit coloradofauxpainting.com/ exteriorpainting.html For all of the colors from every major paint supplier, visit coloradofauxpainting.com/ fauxpaintingcolor.html