You want to put in some easy upgrades to increase the value of your home — you’re not alone. But before you start shopping for carpet swatches and cabinet pulls, it’s smart to figure out what actually earns the most return on investment (ROI). Shag carpeting, for instance, probably isn’t going to appeal to all buyers. You want to make flooring improvements that are both modern and high quality, while not going too crazy with the colors (black stone isn’t for everyone).
Here are some tips on selecting the best flooring for resale value. Of course, if you sell your home to California Family Homebuyers, you won’t have to worry about changing your floors. We accept homes in all sorts of conditions, and we’ll take care of fixing the floors once we take ownership (just saying).
Wood Floors
According to Realtor.com, wood is the best flooring for home resale value. Having new hardwood flooring can boost the value of your home by 2.5%, and most buyers love hardwoods. Stick to a neutral brown for the best results; with styles like classic oak, you can’t go wrong. If you go bold with dark brown or install a modern gray, you’ll can see the same value return but may have to wait a little bit longer for the right buyer. Bear in mind, however, that hardwood flooring doesn’t bode as well is rooms with a lot of moisture. This includes bathrooms, and it may also include kitchens without a lot of ventilation. Consider tile in these rooms instead.
Tile
Tile is common in bathrooms, of course, but slate or porcelain tile can also be good for entry ways or other rooms in certain parts of the country (usually tropical climates). Here in Sacramento, you probably want to limit tile to bathrooms and laundry rooms. An entire floor in slate may not be everyone’s cup of tea and it’s not popular on second floors. If you do decide to go with tile, sticking with ceramic will yield the highest ROI at 70%. This type of tile is even easy to install yourself, in which case you will probably get back 100% of the investment.
Carpet
Carpet is the easiest, most affordable way to replace your floors before you sell your home. But it doesn’t have the highest ROI. In fact, you’d be lucky to get back half of what you paid in terms of increased home value. That being said, replacing old carpet with new carpet can have its advantages. If your carpeting is well worn and/or stained, installing new carpets could make or break your ability to get a fair offer.
Other Considerations
It’s not all about the best flooring based on the type of material. You should also consider the quality of what you install. Some laminate flooring, for instance, does a great job of mimicking real wood and can add significant value to your home. But real wood will usually return more value. Likewise, stick with a quality neutral carpet instead of putting in industrial carpet to save a few bucks — people will notice.
Still have questions about how to get the most value out of your flooring? Contact California Family Homebuyers to see if we can take over your property without you needing to change a thing. Our company takes over properties as-is. We might even be able to close as soon as a week!