Notice, I said great and not expensive. The right choice of
flooring will make your home more comfortable and functional to your
lifestyle.
Hardwood and laminate hardwood is best way to get more out of your
investment at resale time. It requires little maintenance other than an
occasional sweeping. The life expectance of hardwood is easily 20
years. Then you just refinish it (comparatively cheap) and your floor
looks fantastic for another 15 or so years. The misconception about
flooring is the initial expense. Yes the majority of the cost is the initial
investment is sometimes scary. The overall value is a no brainer.
Homebuyers today love hardwood, there are no two ways about it.
Being a recent homebuyer myself the addition of hardwood was a big
selling point for me. Our home purchase had quite a bit of carpet, with
the plans to replace most hardwood. We were able to use that as a
bargaining point, and it worked quite well. Once I installed the hardwood
the difference was amazing. Selfishly, the “ooh’s and aah’s” of visitors to
our home was in itself worth the investment. Then when they found out
that I did it myself, the complements go to the next level.
While carpeting is nice to the touch and ads a warmth and comfort that
hardwood cannot, it requires much more maintenance and care to keep
it looking its best. The problem is at resale time the investment of carpet
(even the good stuff) usually causes a negative impact to prospective
homebuyers. Consider carefully the use and placement of carpet in your
home. I say this purely for the resale value and quality of use.
While it is easiest to do this step while the home is empty. I suggest that
you live in your new home, and look at how you live your home before
you take this step. If you use a room as a playroom, for example, it might
be better with carpet. A dining room that sees little use and has a better
chance for messy messes, hardwood is a better choice. So I say all this
to say look at how you use the rooms to better make your choice of
flooring. Although hardwood throughout your home is the best for the
investment of your home, there are rooms that you will find more
comfortable with carpeting. A misconception with hardwood is that it is
cold and hard. I installed hardwood (instead of carpet) in our master
suite and absolutely love it. Wood is an organic material that takes on
the temperature characteristics of the surrounding environment. When I
climb out of bed in the morning I have never had an adverse opinion.
We chose carpet for the kid’s rooms, because while they are young they
play with their toys on the floor on their knees. I thought that it would be
more comfortable for them to play.
