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I am preparing to sell my house in a couple of years. My upstairs carpet needs to GO! Due to two adult children currently living at home, we live with 6 cats and 4 dogs. I need a pet-friendly floor on my stairs, upstairs hallway, and bedrooms. I love laminate but am afraid it might bring down the value of my home. Do you think it would turn off potential buyers?
If you replace hardwood floors with laminate floors it will bring down the value if the home, but replacing carpet with laminate will be an improvement. I applaud you for thinking ahead and getting the house ready for the market.
My original intention was to replace the carpet at the last minute. I just can't stand it any longer. Laminate floors are more expensive than carpet and more durable, so I don't know why they're frowned upon.
I have tile in the living areas, kitchen and bathrooms and a very good quality faux wood in the 2 bedrooms. Going on 6 years now, with 4 cats and lots of company in and out. The laminate has held up wonderfully, is comfortable, easy to clean and still looks like brand new. I love it.
If you have a very high end home in an expensive neighborhood, laminate could be a negative vs real hardwood, but in my modest home I don't look at it as a negative at all. Plus in this climate it's perfect.
My vote is for laminate. Just be sure to get a very good quality product and professional installation, and you could be looking at replacing baseboards along with it.
If you are THINKING that you will be selling "in a couple of years" my advice would be SHOP and BUDGET now but DO NOT SPEND until closer to listing.
I have seen some AWESOME prices on hardwood floors (both traditional and engineered) that are frankly WAY WAY nicer than laminate. I also have seen an EXPLOSION of options in flooring -- bamboo, cork, natural linoleum and more. If you see something that is "hot" today you might regret in a "a couple of years". BUT if you BUDGET for it and and you happen upon a great deal it might then make a lot of sense.
Generally even the most "pet friendly" flooring will not survive SIX cats and FOUR dogs for "a couple of years" without looking pretty bad. You need to shop for something that is so durable it could be used in SHOPPING MALLS...
Of course you do not want to stray to far from what is expecting in your neighborhood -- if you have a loft where polished concrete or crushed glass terrazzo is totally hip that is way different than trying to put the same stuff in a very traditional Georgian, but in general the "biggest bang for the buck" will come from flooring that is both "brand new" and sorta "new style" at the time that your home hits the market. As long as the carpet you have is not so gross that you simply cannot live with for until closer to when you list I would sit tight. You might also replace just the worst bit now with very low cost ( "convention grade") carpet as a temporary stop gap...
Thanks for your advice. I have laminate in my kitchen and love it. Most homes in my price range do have hardwoods and carpet. Some laminates really do look like wood but have the advantages of not scratching and not needing refinishing. Plus, buyers could always put carpet over the laminate if they choose to.
Good advice, Chet. I know it probably would be best to wait until we put the house on the market (which depends on when the market improves). I was thinking about putting down some inexpensive vinyl in my hallway temporarily. We have an issue with one (or more) of the animals urinating in the hallway. So, it's either shampoo the carpet weekly or put down something that's easy to clean.
Yep -- pets with "potty issue" scream for a super waterproof / esay-to-clean solution. Seamless vinyl is my top choice for laundry rooms too. Even the stuff that is not full glue-down can be installed in such a way that the subfloor is protected. I have been in homes where pet accidents have seeped past the seams in laminate and the result is gross...
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