If you are looking to sell a property, naturally you would want to sell it for the best price possible. Making a decent profit when doing so, wouldn’t hurt either. However, selling a house can be an extremely complicated and stressful process. There are so many undertakings that occupy the mind and your time, the least of which is the home’s flooring.

However, whilst often overlooked, your hoe flooring could be costing you the actual sale of your home. When you stage a house or put it on show, especially if the home is empty or has little furniture, the flooring is the most visible and at the forefront of most buyers focus.

So just how important is the flooring of your home? We take a look at some of the biggest factors to consider when it comes to your home, it’s floors and the connection between the two when selling the property.

What types of floors do buyers look for?

There are kinds of flooring that increase the home’s value more than others. Hardwood flooring for example is often picked over carpeting. Whilst your cosy home and its comfortable carpets have served you well over the years, a buyer will notice a stain here or a dark mark there far quicker, because they haven’t had to look at it every day for the past number of years.

The reality is that your floor is one of the first things all potential buyers see when they walk through the front door. If your flooring is neglected and looks like it needs some work, many potential buyers may walk away from the sale. The challenge in selling an imperfect home is knowing which remodelling projects will actually increase the value of the sale, and which will decrease it. There are often a huge number of remodelling projects or upgrades that are considered before one puts their house up for sale but redoing your flooring should not be overlooked.

If, however, you wonder whether you should be replacing all the flooring in every single room, our advice is that it’s probably not necessary. It would land up being a huge financial undertaking that you may not necessarily budgeted for. The good news is that not every room needs to look perfect. It’s advisable to consider only a few key areas.

So where should I replace?

The great news is this – if you already have hardwood flooring, you’re in a bit of luck. Although scuffed or possibly even covered with carpets, these existing floors could easily be refurbished without having to remodel the entire floor. For a potential buyer, walking into a home with shiny, neutrally toned floors could mean the difference between a sale and not.

Ceramic tiles are another option that are great, versatile and could help sell your home. Again, if your home already has tiles, it’s a good idea to clean the grout, or redo if necessary. But if the tiles are in good condition (not chipped or cracked) then you’re better off leaving them in place. Getting your home tiled could work out being a pricing investment if the ones you install are not to the taste of most buyers, and you won’t make the money back when trying to sell.

Here are a few things to look at if you are considering redoing your floors:

Really take a look at the floors

For this, you may need to move some furniture around, or even out of the rooms. Carpeting only works in a home if it’s in good condition and confined to certain areas, such as the bedrooms perhaps. The key to assessing the state of your carpets is to look at them as if you were a buyer. You’ll have to be extremely critical. Try to find a problem. Ask yourself these questions:

How would you feel looking at your carpets for the very first time.

Are they in style and on trend, and are there any obvious marks or obvious walk ways that you can see?

Would you be willing to walk barefoot on the carpets, or allow a young infant to crawl and play on these floors?

If you have any doubts or immediately answer no to any of the questions above, you may need to consider a replacement. Carpets should always have a “fresh” look about them, and this is what a buyer is going to be assessing.

Do your existing hardwood floors require some TLC?

Take a long hard look at your hardwood floors and assess the wear and tear.

Do your floors sag or creak at any point or do they warp in certain areas? Can you notice where the varnish has been scuffed or worn away from over walking on a certain area? Whilst you may not have funds to redo the entire room, there are many options here that can be done, without breaking the bank. A simple revarnish or refurb could be all it takes. You may even be able to simply replace a board or two where badly damaged. You just need the correct products and an expert to finish it off and it will seem almost as good as new.

The good news is that if you do have hardwood flooring already, it’s considered a real asset in today’s day and age. Try your best to maintain and preserve it for the best possible home resale and best selling value.

Look at other flooring options

Synthetic wood flooring these days looks a lot like the real thing. In some cases it is even difficult to determine the difference between synthetic and real hardwood flooring. Due to the fact that synthetic applications are constantly evolving, there are plenty of budget-friendly options freely available. A very simple and foolproof option, if you are planning on re-flooring before selling is to go for luxury vinyl. It’s extremely cost-effective and there are so many variants, styles, colours and textures to choose from. Simple to install and have great longevity.

At the end of the day, you need to look at your options and see what works best for the property, and what works for you and our budget. If ever you’re in doubt about the condition of your flooring and what will actually make a difference to potential buyers, it may be wise to call in a real estate professional to assess it for you. They will bring a world of knowledge and can offer you the best advice when it comes to the best solutions for great flooring. Ultimately, this could guarantee you the most money in the sale of your home.

If you are looking to sell and are in need of a property expert, or the services of an expert to conduct the remodelling of your floors, be sure to get in touch with Metric Investments for all your property requirements.