If you are thinking about redoing your floors and have done any research then you know that it can be overwhelming at times. Between hardwood floors, carpet, laminate, tile, and more the choice is a tough one. Let me examine the two biggest choices that homeowners make; hardwood vs carpet.
For starters, there is no foolproof, 100% correct answer. The flooring you choose needs to meet your needs and budget. Just keep in mind that whatever you choose should be viewed as an investment into your home.
Keep in mind that there is more to the decision than just cost. For instance, are you redoing the floors for your personal use, for resale, or for rental tenants? Does your significant other or kids (or dog) like the soft feel of carpet under their feet or the coolness of wood (or tile if you're in the south). Making a decision is no simple matter.
Another thing to keep in mind is your pets. Wood flooring can be a necessary choice If you have dogs or cats, or if you are prone to allergies like dust or dander.
However, wood flooring can be more expensive than carpet so you might want to just do certain rooms or one room at a time. It’s not unusual to see a wood living room and kitchen mixed with carpeted bedrooms.
Hardwood is genuinely the most popular choice when it comes to reselling or flipping your home. It is also easier to maintain and will last the lifetime of the house if properly cared for.
“According to HGTV, the top request of home buyers and renters when looking for a home is hardwood floors. In fact, a study of homebuyer preferences by USA Today using data from the National Association of Realtors found that 54% of home buyers were willing to pay more for a home with hardwood floors.”
The decision of carpet vs hardwood really comes down to initial cost vs long-term investment. If you plan to live in your home for 30 years or want to sell it quickly on the market than you should probably go with Hardwood. However, if you are putting in flooring for a rent house or just starting out than you might want to go with carpet.
Do your research and shop around. Quite often hardwood can be found for comparable prices to other types of flooring which should help make the decision all the easier for you.
As always, if you have any comments, concerns or questions, please let us know in the comment section below.
