What hardwood floor type is best for resale?

[FrozenCucumber]

You know what.. I am 100% going to look into porcelain wood-look tile for my next rehab. Will go into a rental. Seems to me it (i) looks sharp, (ii) less maintenance, (iii) more durability. I would only consider it for a 1-story rental, however. And will go with different tiles for the wet areas (kitchen/bathrooms) to keep a two-tone look. I figure renters may like (i) less risk of damaging floors + (ii) coolness in Austin heat.

For my own house though, I am sticking with wood

This brings up the original question, however -- what is best for RESALE value??

[EzPeterson]

Resale is eye of the beholder or buyer. I'd think the "porcelain wood" is probably your best bet, since it delivers both - would it deliver an actual ROI? No clue.

[BentBow]

Originally Posted by mesmer

Even central austin isn't solely pier and beam and it's a pretty narrow slice that is anyway. It's odd, actually - I've known people who've lived literally blocks apart and one was pier and beam and the other had a slab. There's comparatively little housing stock that's left from pre-1950 which is why generally speaking solid wood isn't an option. And yeah, if you were on cedar stumps... probably not an option then either. Yikes!

Go back in time and give yourself a hard pinch in the arm for not choosing solid wood though

The majority of those floors over on the west side that are pier & beam with a crawl space, don't have subfloors. The 33/32 flooring is direct blind nailed to the joist.

Some you look in the crawl space and you can see the cupped boards, but it has been sanded flat, and the wood always lives in that state of moisture gradient, so it never shows signs of cupping.
The droughts and prolong periods between rain, and you may see a plain sawn board crown.

[cBach]

Here's my 2 cents. If you look at older homes in Austin, the ones with the "quarry tile" are the ones that are highly desireable.

My belief is that the homes with tiled floors will be highly desireable in the future, and they are quite hardy as well so guaranteed to hold up. Solid wood will also hold up.

Everything else is just a temporary fad and will be replaced in 10 years.

[gpurcell]

Originally Posted by mesmer

Even central austin isn't solely pier and beam and it's a pretty narrow slice that is anyway. It's odd, actually - I've known people who've lived literally blocks apart and one was pier and beam and the other had a slab. There's comparatively little housing stock that's left from pre-1950 which is why generally speaking solid wood isn't an option. And yeah, if you were on cedar stumps... probably not an option then either. Yikes!

We're on cedar stumps with original heartwood pine floors. They definitely shift a little bit from season to season!

[FueledByBlueBell]

Originally Posted by Raskolnikov

Thanks for the comments. No, I'm not the type who likes two story foyers, double staircases, or smug replies to earnest questions.

I second that.

[FueledByBlueBell]

Originally Posted by FrozenCucumber

You know what.. I am 100% going to look into porcelain wood-look tile for my next rehab. Will go into a rental. Seems to me it (i) looks sharp, (ii) less maintenance, (iii) more durability. I would only consider it for a 1-story rental, however. And will go with different tiles for the wet areas (kitchen/bathrooms) to keep a two-tone look. I figure renters may like (i) less risk of damaging floors + (ii) coolness in Austin heat.

For my own house though, I am sticking with wood

This brings up the original question, however -- what is best for RESALE value??

I've seen VERY nice porcelain wood-look tile at floor and decor and have seen it on a few high end home blogs. The idea isn't to pass as real wood but more of a faux-bois look. It is really nice (when done well).