Your house’s features are extremely important when you try to sell it.
Potential buyers will pay attention to everything your house does, and doesn’t, have. This includes the flooring.
New carpet is popular amongst everyone. So, does this mean that new carpet helps sell a house?
Keep reading to find out.
The importance of flooring when selling a house
Flooring is an essential part of a home’s interior.
Its quality (of lack thereof) can make or break a viewer’s decision to make an offer. And the amount they offer.
But different viewers may have different concerns about flooring.
For example, some won’t mind replacing carpet. They may have planned on doing this anyway, even if your current carpet is high quality.
Others might be concerned about acoustics (especially if you are selling a flat). Wooden flooring tends to echo, while carpet is more soundproof.
Should you replace the flooring before selling?
It depends on your potential buyers.
If many viewers complain about the current flooring, you may want to replace it. Or you could drop your price accordingly. After all, selling a home in bad condition is still possible.
If the floor is slightly ‘eccentric’, and you are struggling to find buyers, you can also consider changing it.
However, lowering your asking price by the amount you would spend on replacing the floor is also an option – one that will save time and effort.
Your time frame for selling also matters.
After all, replacing flooring takes time. But equally, if it’s a sticking point for most viewers, getting it replaced could speed up your sale.
Reasons to get new carpet
You may get new carpet in your house for several reasons. Whether you consider these important can depend on your situation.
1. Improved appearance
One of the main reasons to get a new carpet is for aesthetic purposes.
Perhaps the old carpet looks worn down and dirty. Or maybe the new carpet has an attractive pattern that you really like. This is particularly useful for staging the house before selling it.
2. A nice smell
New carpets can also come with a pleasing smell. This might make a nice change in a room that previously smelled bad. There are common steps to reducing the odour of flats (and houses) that can be followed.
3. Increased comfort
You may find a new carpet comfortable to walk on. And it could be far easier to maintain, too, if the previous version had lots of trapped dirt and dust.
4. Reduced noise
Some people even get a new carpet for noise reduction purposes. The material can absorb sound, and thus make your home more peaceful. This could be particularly important if you live near a busy road.
New carpet costs
This depends largely on the size of the space. It’s often priced by the square footage, averaging at around £30 per square metre. Premium carpets can cost even more than this.
This means that in a large room, your carpet could cost around £500. And if you’re doing it for the entire house, it’s not uncommon for the price to rise into the thousands.
Buyers preferences for homes with or without carpet
In many cases, it depends on the room. People tend to be fond of carpet in rooms such as a bedroom or living area. But in bathrooms and kitchens, this is unpopular.
A house without any carpet at all may be viewed unfavourably by potential buyers. It’ll often echo and be ineffective at retaining heat.
Carpet and house value
When your new carpet adds an extra dimension to your house, it can increase its value. This might be because it’s attractive to look at. Or maybe it’s great at absorbing heat in the winter months, thus pushing energy bills down.
New carpet can have the opposite effect when it’s poorly installed, though. This makes it crucial that you get it implemented by an experienced professional. Otherwise, you could end up making a loss on it.
You could even ask your estate agent to focus on this when holding viewings for your property.
New carpet can be valuable if it’s in great condition. Even if your buyer wants to rip it up, they may be able to sell it for a decent price. And if they like it, it saves them having to install carpet themselves.
Make old carpet look like it’s new
You can take steps to improve the appearance and condition of an old carpet. But it’s difficult to make it look ‘new’, as people can usually tell the difference.
A deep clean is the best place to start. You may want to bring in an expert cleaner to do this for you. They can get deep into the fibres and get rid of any dust or dirt that’s stuck in your carpet. Part of this will involve getting rid of bad odours, too.
You could use scissors to trim snags in the carpet. And you could try putting a rug on top of a large portion of it, to cover some of the most damaged areas.
Picking the best new carpet for my house
You could speak to an interior designer, who can guide you in this area. You’ll need to think about colours and materials.
Durability is important too, if you want your carpet to stand the test of time. An expert in a carpet shop could make suggestions to you.
Colour coordination ensures that your carpet looks aesthetically pleasing in the house. This can help you to sell your house.
Alternatives to carpet
Common types of flooring (& costs)
Replacing flooring is usually charged by the square metre.
Installation costs also vary according to your location, number of rooms, and provider.
1. Hardwood
Hardwood flooring is popular because of its durability. Many people use rugs to soften sound and add comfort to rooms with it.
It’s one of the most expensive replacements, but one of the longest-lasting. Around £60 per square metre is typical.
2. Tile
Tile flooring, along with marble, is often seen as a luxury option. It’s relatively expensive to buy and get fitted.
There are many different types of tiles to consider, including:
- Ceramic tiles: £15 to £50+ per square metre
- Porcelain tiles: £25 to £70+ per square metre
- Natural stone tiles (Marble, Granite, Slate, Travertine): £40 to £150+ per square metre.
And more.
3. Laminate
And laminate flooring is a more cost-effective alternative to hardwood, which it often looks very similar to.
It’s charged at around £40 per square metre.
