When flooring looks awful, the value of the house is not reaching its full potential. Try upgrading the flooring to net more dollars when selling. A recent report from the National Association of Realtors shows the amount of homes being sold in Florida, California, Illinois, New York, and Texas continues to put downward pressure on sales prices in those states. What if new flooring could make a difference in how a home is shown and spark a sale?
“Everyone walks on their floors hundreds of times a day, and thousands of times over a year,” stated Dean Dupre, who owns Champion Tile, a Clearwater Flooring, Tampa Flooring, and Tampa tile installation company. “The wear and tear, stains and spills, scratches and scuffs and cracks and peeling will all start to show. The kitchen and other rooms in your house may look knock out wonderful, but if the flooring looks destroyed, it doesn’t matter what the room looks like. In other words, the floor is the foundation of your home. Take care of it and it will help you sell your house.”
What options are available for upgrading flooring? Typically, there are four and they include tile, laminate, carpet and hardwood. Many people choose tile just for their bathroom and kitchens because it is easier to keep clean and water resistant. “It also does very well in high traffic areas,” Dupre added. “Unfortunately, it does not retain heat all that well and if you live in a colder climate, you might need instant heating elements under it.”
Carpet certainly has its pros and cons, and largely, the choice of carpet depends on a homeowner’s lifestyle. If an individual has younger children, or cats and dogs, then carpet is not a good choice. A carpet trying to survive under those conditions would fail miserably.
Kids are notorious for spilling things and animals have their own unique contributions that get deposited on the carpet. For a family with no kids, carpet might just be the ticket. It warms a room’s atmosphere, comes in striking colors and a wide variety of styles and designs. A good realtor in the area can let a homeowner know if there is a demand for a certain type of flooring in the area.
Laminate looks like hardwood, but is a lot cheaper than hardwood. It does not last as long as hardwood, but for those on a budget, this is the ideal solution to adding a bit of style to their homes. Laminate can make a room look larger but it does have one drawback that irritates people – it is not all that easy to keep clean. It streaks if it is washed in the wrong direction and finding a solution to clean the floors is a challenge.
Hardwood is often touted as the ultimate kind of flooring to have. It is appealing, eye-catching, comes in a variety of colors and is highly durable. While it is often a pricey investment, that investment will be reflected in a higher selling price for the home. It is also easy to clean and maintain.
Dean Dupre is with Champion Tile, a Clearwater Flooring, Tampa Flooring, and tile installation company. To learn more, visit Champtile.com.
