How To Buy Carpet and Flooring Wisely
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Home Sellers Add Value With New Flooring
As more “for sale” signs pop up across the nation, many homeowners are finding they need to spend a little money to make their homes more appealing to potential buyers. Adding extra value to a home may help sell a home more quickly and for more money in today’s unique real estate market.
A fresh coat of paint, new window treatments and beautifying the yard are a just a few of the more common and less expensive do-it-yourself projects that can add value and curb appeal to any home. But few projects can add a bigger “WOW” factor to a home like new carpets, says Alan Fletcher founder of CarpetProfessor.com, a free carpet information resource for homeowners.
“I receive emails from consumers who are in the planning stages of buying new carpet, but lately there has been an increase in questions from homeowners who are planning to sell their homes” Fletcher says. Common questions are “What color or style of carpet will help sell my home fastest?” or “I’m selling my home soon, what grade of carpet should I select?"
To help sell a home with worn carpet some realtors suggest offering homebuyers a "Carpet Credit” or suggest lowering the price of the home enough to cover the cost of carpet replacement. “That’s not a positive approach, says Fletcher. To help sell a home faster and maybe for a higher price I recommend replacing worn-out or pet-damaged carpets with a new medium-grade, neutral-color carpet.
The amount you spend should be somewhat related to the home's value. "You don't want to install an apartment-grade carpet in a million-dollar home. You should be realistic and not spend too little nor too much. You can find a medium-grade carpet for about $35 per yard including pad and installation. (about $3.89 per square foot)
There have been several television programs designed to help home sellers address issues like “Enhancing Curb Appeal” or “How to Stage a Home.” These popular programs show how sellers can go to great lengths to make a home look more appealing and prevent potential buyers from having negative thoughts or concerns.
“A matted down or pet damaged carpet is very unsightly, unsanitary and certainly does not evoke a positive reaction. In fact, a worn out carpet may even send a signal that the seller may be financially distressed. If this happens, sellers may only receive “low ball” offers.” Fletcher warns.
“In the 90’s, selling a home was quick and easy here in Portland Oregon. Even without good curb appeal many homes sold the same day they were listed. Even if the carpet was worn out and severely pet damaged it didn’t seem to matter, people were buying up homes and fixing them up as fast as they could. “Those days are gone for now, says Fletcher.
With the increase in fuel prices in 2022, I think people will be investing more money fixing up their homes.” Fletcher suggests that consumers who are considering buying new carpet should take the time to learn about carpet before they begin shopping. "By doing a little “carpet homework” folks can learn how to choose wisely, avoid scams and negotiate a fair & square deal.” said Fletcher.
With over 30 years in the carpet business and author of “The Complete Carpet Buying Guide“, Fletcher claims that buying carpet today is more costly, confusing and time consuming than ever before. “There are so many unscrupulous carpet dealers and dozens of common carpet scams to watch out for” says Fletcher.
You don't need to buy the most expensive grade of carpet if you plan to sell your home soon, but you need watch out for retail carpet scams. "As with any product or service you plan to purchase, if the deal sounds too good to be true, you would be wise to read all the fine print before you agree to buy!" warns Fletcher.
