Selling condo should I replace carpeting?

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Topic Author
crazyhorse
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Joined: Sun Oct 24, 2010 3:32 pm

Selling condo should I replace carpeting?

Post by crazyhorse »

We are selling our condo. Bought in 2007 for $225k selling for approximately $140k (ouch). There is tired wall to wall carpet in living room and stairs - after shampooing carpet old stains come back, not glaring but noticeable if you look closely. One realtor said just clean do not replace as buyer will want to pick out flooring. Next realtor said definitely replace carpet. Neighbor said No one wants carpet in the living room put in a wood floor. Our options 1)just clean carpet 2)replace carpet with something inexpensive maybe could do living room and stairs for about $900. 3)Put engineered wood floor in living room (over concrete slab) and carpet the stairs maybe $1400 4)just clean carpet and offer a 'flooring allowance' of $1500 or so. The bedrooms have old carpet as well but no one seems too concerned about that. The rest of the downstairs has tile in good condition if that matters. Thanks for all your good advice!
stan1
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Re: Selling condo should I replace carpeting?

Post by stan1 »

I think its important to differentiate whether the carpet is dirty due to traffic/dirt or pet stains. If its due to pet stains you definitely want to replace it. This will be a huge turnoff to many buyers, and some people are more sensitive to pet smells than others. If its dirt in traffic areas I would not replace it (especially since you said you have to look closely to see the wear). Don't offer a flooring allowance upfront, save that for negotiations on the sales price once you get to that point with a buyer. Every buyer will have different priorities.
Warning: I am about 80% satisficer (accepting of good enough) and 20% maximizer
Topic Author
crazyhorse
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Re: Selling condo should I replace carpeting?

Post by crazyhorse »

Well we do have a little dog but I don't think people will see pet stains just traffic areas where off white carpet looks grey
TallBoy29er
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Re: Selling condo should I replace carpeting?

Post by TallBoy29er »

For $1,400, there may be value in having hw floors. Did this to my (then) fiancee's condo, and it: 1. Differentiated it from many others for sale, 2. looked great, and 3. I believe via 1. and 2. made it attractive to buyers.

Ultimately, you have to decide if it is worth the trouble. Frankly, from an ease of life perspective, I like your idea of an allowance. Less for you to do, and an incentive for a prospective buyer.

Best of luck
orlandoman
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Re: Selling condo should I replace carpeting?

Post by orlandoman »

"just clean carpet and offer a 'flooring allowance' of $1500

Let the new owner choose what they want, also gives them the option to consider it a $1,500 discount if the want to delay changing.
"Borrow money from pessimists -- they don't expect it back"
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Kenkat
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Re: Selling condo should I replace carpeting?

Post by Kenkat »

My mother and father in law just sold a condo and their realtor recommended replacing the carpet. I would probably do that although the hardwood floor idea isn't bad either.

Although people may want to pick their own color, many just want a move in ready unit and I think old carpet will negatively affect people's opinions - even if there is a flooring allowance. People often act on gut instincts and first impressions and you don't want the first impression to be "the carpet is worn" because that puts the idea that the rest of the unit is also worn in their mind.

Just my opinion.
saladdin
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Re: Selling condo should I replace carpeting?

Post by saladdin »

I admit I'm way in the minority but I prefer carpet to hw floor. Saying that, no matter what floor you put in, carpet or hw, the buyers will hate it. Taste is different. I would make sure buyers know you are offering an allowance and go from there. Only replace if it is terrible. By the way, us people who do not allow animals in our house can pick out pet stains, pet smells and pet hair a mile away. You're not fooling anyone.
stlutz
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Re: Selling condo should I replace carpeting?

Post by stlutz »

By the way, us people who do not allow animals in our house can pick out pet stains, pet smells and pet hair a mile away. You're not fooling anyone.
I was about to say the same thing.

The other challenge on this point is that different potential buyers would be looking for different things. For an investor looking to rent the place out, they are looking for low maintenance, which would suggest laminate or vinyl. For someone looking to live there, they might want hardwood or higher quality carpet. I doubt you gain anything by putting in cheap carpet to make it look better.

Personally, if I was buying I would want the lower price/flooring allowance. The easiest time for a buyer to change the floors is before they move in. They may do this even you put in new carpet.
Last edited by stlutz on Sat May 09, 2015 1:08 pm, edited 2 times in total.
island
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Re: Selling condo should I replace carpeting?

Post by island »

Clean it very well and offer a flooring allowance.
New carpeting in a color I don't like or didn't want at all, new granite over old tired cabinets, etc would be turn offs. If I bid at all, those things would make me want to bid lower because I don't want the cost of that unwanted "upgrade" passed on to me.

Also agree with the others regarding pet stains and odors; we notice.
cherijoh
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Re: Selling condo should I replace carpeting?

Post by cherijoh »

crazyhorse wrote:We are selling our condo. Bought in 2007 for $225k selling for approximately $140k (ouch). There is tired wall to wall carpet in living room and stairs - after shampooing carpet old stains come back, not glaring but noticeable if you look closely. One realtor said just clean do not replace as buyer will want to pick out flooring. Next realtor said definitely replace carpet. Neighbor said No one wants carpet in the living room put in a wood floor. Our options 1)just clean carpet 2)replace carpet with something inexpensive maybe could do living room and stairs for about $900. 3)Put engineered wood floor in living room (over concrete slab) and carpet the stairs maybe $1400 4)just clean carpet and offer a 'flooring allowance' of $1500 or so. The bedrooms have old carpet as well but no one seems too concerned about that. The rest of the downstairs has tile in good condition if that matters. Thanks for all your good advice!
Are you shampooing it yourself or having a professional do it? I have had good luck with professional cleaning service where they pretreated stains chemically. I prefer a dry chemical treatment vs. steam cleaning. The carpet looks years younger after a really good cleaning. Your carpet may also benefit from more frequent vacuuming during the period you are showing it. Older carpet is less resilient which contributes to the tired look between vacuuming.
Topic Author
crazyhorse
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Re: Selling condo should I replace carpeting?

Post by crazyhorse »

We would have professional cleaning. Thanks for all the posts!!
basspond
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Re: Selling condo should I replace carpeting?

Post by basspond »

It depends. Too unsightly and it might dissuade potential buyers or someone wants to move in without the hassle. But then again is there a chance the value of condo will appreciate soon? Then buyer might not care and will look at this as a fixer upper.
SleepKing
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Re: Selling condo should I replace carpeting?

Post by SleepKing »

island wrote:Clean it very well and offer a flooring allowance.
+1

Sleepy
investor1
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Re: Selling condo should I replace carpeting?

Post by investor1 »

Leave and let the new owners replace it with whatever they want.
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verbose
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Re: Selling condo should I replace carpeting?

Post by verbose »

We had to replace pet-stained carpet before selling one of our homes. Those of us with pets don't notice the odor as much. There is definitely an odor. Dogs leave an odor even if they haven't excreted on the carpet. With cats, if there was ever excrement on the carpet, it will always smell. If your condo is unoccupied, the smell will intensify with less air circulation and traffic.

I think it's ridiculous what sellers need to do to get an offer on a home, but I've had to do ridiculous things twice now. In the pet-odor home, I replaced the carpet with the cheapest possible option. Prior to carpet replacement, we'd had no offers. We didn't realize how bad the smell was (we moved out of state) until we switched agents and the new one could be bothered to tell us.

In another house we sold, we had a massive backyard garden that we'd been unable to keep up with (nor had the previous owners) mostly due to invasive weeds. Several potential buyers balked on placing offers when they saw the backyard. So we hired a landscaper to do the bare minimum. The landscaper dismantled the dilapidated garden walls (because the shovel-edged look was in style), removed all the plants (and weeds, but I knew they would be back later, especially the trumpet vine) and planted all-new plants with fresh mulch. A week after that work was done, we had competing offers and accepted one. Before closing, a late freeze killed most of the new plants (we were not asked to fix this, but we saw that it had happened). Also, I knew full well that we had just planted shovel-edged gardens in a Zoysia lawn. No homeowner who knew the first thing about Zoysia would do that.

You can't negotiate with a buyer who won't place an offer. If the problem prevents offers, fix it as cheaply as possible, with little to no thought for the long-term.
thedele
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Re: Selling condo should I replace carpeting?

Post by thedele »

Are most of the homes in your neighborhood fixer-uppers? Then the buyers may not care. Are they spanking new renovations with hardwood? Then old carpet will definitely be a death knell.
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