Need New Carpet to Sell Home

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Topic Author
Thrift Shop
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Need New Carpet to Sell Home

Post by Thrift Shop »

DW and I are going to put our home on the market in January. We would like to replace the wall to wall carpet in the home to make the home appear a bit "fresher". Most likely will choose a neutral tone carpet of some sort so it hopefully appeals to most potential buyers.

Some info: Our home is not in an exclusive area, but we are not in a starter home either. Area is considered safe and schools are considered good to excellent. Very few foreclosures, if any. So there hopefully will not be too many bargain hunters showing up to buy the house at a discount (in which case I would not bother with replacing the carpet). The home is about 2,300 square feet in size. About 1,100 is carpeted and all of it needs replacing.

I have read some of the previous posts on the subject. I have visited many of the carpet expert websites and so on. They provide a wealth of information but the questions I have for the Bogleheads is:

Will an inexpensive carpet at least provide one to two years (assuming house is on market that long) of a decent enough look for potential buyers? It seems the difference in price among most carpets comes down to durability, but if I need just a few years at most will it really matter if I go with a less expensive carpet? Does a cheaper carpet look cheap or does it just become worn down quicker?

The padding needs to be replaced also. Do I need the more expensive pad or will the lesser expensive work just as well for a short time?
corysold
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Re: Need New Carpet to Sell Home

Post by corysold »

Another thing to consider is to get a few estimates from various carpet providers, maybe for a range of quality of product, then come to an average and offer a carpet credit for that amount to the potential buyer.

As a former Realtor, I walked through a number of homes with new carpet, that the potential buyer didn't like and suggested they would replace.

A credit would allow them to put in whatever they want before they move in, so there is no furniture to move and minimal hassle for all parties.

Unless your current carpet is terribly dirty, most buyers would be able to look past it knowing they have the option to put in exactly what they want.
jambadoc
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Re: Need New Carpet to Sell Home

Post by jambadoc »

I second the "flooring allowance" recommendation. This will catch the people (who are becoming ever more common) who say things like, "I could never live in a house without hardwood flooring." They can choose to their taste and you don't spend any more than you would have before (and you don't have to deal with people coming in and putting carpet in when you're living there.)
Topic Author
Thrift Shop
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Re: Need New Carpet to Sell Home

Post by Thrift Shop »

Unless your current carpet is terribly dirty, most buyers would be able to look past it knowing they have the option to put in exactly what they want.
Thank you. Yes, I agree and if it were my decision alone i would choose not to replace the carpet and provide a credit. However, one of us cannot get past having to show a home with a worn carpet. She has greater voting authority than I do. :happy
Topic Author
Thrift Shop
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Re: Need New Carpet to Sell Home

Post by Thrift Shop »

jambadoc wrote:I second the "flooring allowance" recommendation. This will catch the people (who are becoming ever more common) who say things like, "I could never live in a house without hardwood flooring." They can choose to their taste and you don't spend any more than you would have before (and you don't have to deal with people coming in and putting carpet in when you're living there.)
Excellent point. Thank You. Maybe this can help prove my case.
William104
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Re: Need New Carpet to Sell Home

Post by William104 »

I would definitely recommend providing a credit as others have suggested. It will save you money, and allow buyers to envision whatever carpet they would like when thinking about purchasing your home.
Last edited by William104 on Mon Jan 11, 2016 10:46 am, edited 1 time in total.
Luke Duke
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Re: Need New Carpet to Sell Home

Post by Luke Duke »

Thrift Shop wrote:
Unless your current carpet is terribly dirty, most buyers would be able to look past it knowing they have the option to put in exactly what they want.
Thank you. Yes, I agree and if it were my decision alone i would choose not to replace the carpet and provide a credit. However, one of us cannot get past having to show a home with a worn carpet. She has greater voting authority than I do. :happy
Get your realtor's input. He/She should know if a flooring allowance is better than newer carpets or not.
Trapper
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Re: Need New Carpet to Sell Home

Post by Trapper »

I agree with your wife. Clean & crisp carpet will make the house show much better.
It does not have to be expensive.
Paint first if needed before replacing the carpet.
I talked to a landlord I know and got his recommendation on a "carpet guy".
The carpet guy was one of those that comes to your house, I think it was Shop at home carpets....
Landlords are often replacing carpets in their units, so they know costs and utility...
My carpet guy recommended a berber, and an inexpensive upgrade for padding.
It was inexpensive, looks great, feels great.
Not a choice for an upscale home, but great for a middle of the road home.
The carpet I have is a inexpensive loop berber, still looks great five years later.
Only downside to the loop is if you have pets... Their claws can hook a loop and make a run in the
inexpensive carpet. This makes it look crappy and is hard to fix. Don't do cheap loop carpet if you have pets.
Other than that, it's all good.
regards
Topic Author
Thrift Shop
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Re: Need New Carpet to Sell Home

Post by Thrift Shop »

Trapper wrote:I agree with your wife. Clean & crisp carpet will make the house show much better.
It does not have to be expensive.
Paint first if needed before replacing the carpet.
I talked to a landlord I know and got his recommendation on a "carpet guy".
The carpet guy was one of those that comes to your house, I think it was Shop at home carpets....
Landlords are often replacing carpets in their units, so they know costs and utility...
My carpet guy recommended a berber, and an inexpensive upgrade for padding.
It was inexpensive, looks great, feels great.
Not a choice for an upscale home, but great for a middle of the road home.
The carpet I have is a inexpensive loop berber, still looks great five years later.
Only downside to the loop is if you have pets... Their claws can hook a loop and make a run in the
inexpensive carpet. This makes it look crappy and is hard to fix. Don't do cheap loop carpet if you have pets.
Other than that, it's all good.
regards
I do have a small dog, but I can keep her out of the carpeted areas if need be. If I go the carpet route, a berber may be what is needed. I was considering a textured carpet but based on your experience with berber it may change my mind. Thanks.
corysold
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Re: Need New Carpet to Sell Home

Post by corysold »

Thrift Shop wrote: I do have a small dog, but I can keep her out of the carpeted areas if need be. If I go the carpet route, a berber may be what is needed. I was considering a textured carpet but based on your experience with berber it may change my mind. Thanks.
I think you need to do all you can to have your wife consider a credit. Putting berber carpet in might be your cheapest option, but you just excluded anyone who has a pet or anyone who doesn't like berber (which is many from my experience) from seeing your home is a positive light. Now you've replaced carpet for nothing and the buyer is going to take replacing it again in consideration when they make their offer.

Can you get a good carpet cleaning for much less than replacement in your area? That would make it look a bit better, but you wouldn't be choosing a surface that a number of potential buyers wouldn't want to begin with.
rooms222
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Re: Need New Carpet to Sell Home

Post by rooms222 »

As someone who bought a condo with new or newer light carpeting from the previous owner, it is the thing I am most dissatisfied with about the entire purchase. I almost didn't buy because of it. It made me push harder for a lower price because I did not want it, knowing that my child and even my habits would ruin it. Because I did not want it, in my mind, I was wanting a price reduction or flooring allowance to get rid of the brand new carpet, because hardwood flooring is what I would get if I had to replace flooring, and is the standard in my area for nicer homes that people want to sell. Yet, because the carpet was so new, I felt compelled to keep it for a while.

Having a pet makes it even more undesirable. My friend removed the last amount of carpet for hardwood flooring before she sold her house, and it made things go smoothly. In fact, the realtor put it in himself at a great price. I eventually called him to put the hardwood flooring in my condo.
Last edited by rooms222 on Mon Nov 23, 2015 10:23 am, edited 1 time in total.
poker27
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Re: Need New Carpet to Sell Home

Post by poker27 »

I bought my first place a few years ago, and it had semi new carpet and paint. Both looked fine, but I've come to realize that they must have bought the cheapest stuff available. When purchasing my next place I will keep this in mind.

I would say trying the allowance is a good idea. Maybe even show them a quote from a company to put in new carpeting to show that your allowance does cover it, and your not just blowing smoke.
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Watty
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Re: Need New Carpet to Sell Home

Post by Watty »

If you do decide to replace the carpet then also consider putting in wood floors. Some of the engineered wood floors are not all that expensive and that could be a good selling point that few buyers would object to.

Replacing the carpeting will mean a lot of work for you since that will mean moving everything out of the rooms, including the closets, and then back in after the work is done. It will be a lot easier, and likely less expensive, to recarpet the house after you have moved out but before the next people have moved in. There is also a chance that pulling up the carpets will uncover some unknown problem that you would then have to deal with.

New carpet, especially inexpensive new carpet, will give off an smell for a while after it is installed which will turn off some new buyers. I remember one house that I looked at that had that smell and that is one of the reasons we kept looking.

I may not be a typical buyer but when I was house hunting and went into a freshly painted and carpeted house one of my concerns was that they were covering up problems like water leaks or cracks in the walls. When I saw things like inexpensive carpets that had just been installed I also assumed that the seller had cut corners on the rest of the house maintenance.
Luke Duke wrote:Get your realtor's input. He/She should know if a flooring allowance is better than newer carpets or not.
A problem with that is that some real estate agents will recommend whatever will make an easier sale for them, even though it may not net the seller more money. For example putting in new carpets might make the house sell a month faster but might not get a high enough price to cover the carpet costs.

One other problem with spending money to put the carpets in is that if you pay $5,000 to recarpet the house and raise your asking price by $5,000 then you will be making the house too expensive for some people. My first house was right at the limit of what I was willing to pay and if the seller and done more improvements then I would not have been able to buy it at higher price.
Topic Author
Thrift Shop
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Re: Need New Carpet to Sell Home

Post by Thrift Shop »

corysold wrote:
Thrift Shop wrote: I do have a small dog, but I can keep her out of the carpeted areas if need be. If I go the carpet route, a berber may be what is needed. I was considering a textured carpet but based on your experience with berber it may change my mind. Thanks.
I think you need to do all you can to have your wife consider a credit. Putting berber carpet in might be your cheapest option, but you just excluded anyone who has a pet or anyone who doesn't like berber (which is many from my experience) from seeing your home is a positive light. Now you've replaced carpet for nothing and the buyer is going to take replacing it again in consideration when they make their offer.

Can you get a good carpet cleaning for much less than replacement in your area? That would make it look a bit better, but you wouldn't be choosing a surface that a number of potential buyers wouldn't want to begin with.
You make some good points as well. Not everyone likes berber, And it seems most people in my area have at least one dog or cat.

Th carpet is not all that worn, but some spots are beyond cleaning unfortunately. Thanks
Topic Author
Thrift Shop
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Re: Need New Carpet to Sell Home

Post by Thrift Shop »

Watty wrote:If you do decide to replace the carpet then also consider putting in wood floors. Some of the engineered wood floors are not all that expensive and that could be a good selling point that few buyers would object to.
Looking in to the engineered wood floors may be a good option. Never thought of that. It may appealing to a greater amount of buyers. Now that I think of it, I hate carpet myself!

Thanks
SouthernCPA
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Re: Need New Carpet to Sell Home

Post by SouthernCPA »

I like the idea of a flooring allowance. We bought a house 2 years ago that had pink carpet in some rooms, cheapo laminate in another room, tile in others.... I didn't care about that because I was going to pull it all up and put in the floors I wanted (high quality 12mm floating laminate). Had the seller assumed I wanted carpet and replaced all the floors with a new carpet, I would have probably felt bad about throwing away brand new carpet to replace with the wood floors I wanted and it would have been a deal breaker.

I have a yellow lab and carpet just isn't worth it to me. Real wood floors get scratched up from the dogs claws so the 12mm floating laminate has done the trick. Looks and feels great. You never know what a buyer needs and flooring is like paint these days, its easy to swap out before you put your furniture in.
denovo
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Re: Need New Carpet to Sell Home

Post by denovo »

Do you live in an area with cold winters, i.e. anywhere outside of the Southwest or Southeast. Common wisdom is you won't get good prices in the winter. Not sure if you can afford to wait till April-May or if you have renters that can be extended or if you need the money.
"Don't trust everything you read on the Internet"- Abraham Lincoln
Topic Author
Thrift Shop
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Re: Need New Carpet to Sell Home

Post by Thrift Shop »

SouthernCPA wrote:I like the idea of a flooring allowance. We bought a house 2 years ago that had pink carpet in some rooms, cheapo laminate in another room, tile in others.... I didn't care about that because I was going to pull it all up and put in the floors I wanted (high quality 12mm floating laminate). Had the seller assumed I wanted carpet and replaced all the floors with a new carpet, I would have probably felt bad about throwing away brand new carpet to replace with the wood floors I wanted and it would have been a deal breaker.

I have a yellow lab and carpet just isn't worth it to me. Real wood floors get scratched up from the dogs claws so the 12mm floating laminate has done the trick. Looks and feels great. You never know what a buyer needs and flooring is like paint these days, its easy to swap out before you put your furniture in.
Great points. An allowance may be the best idea. I never realized how a buyers flooring needs could vary so much, until I posted this question on Bogleheads. Thanks
Topic Author
Thrift Shop
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Re: Need New Carpet to Sell Home

Post by Thrift Shop »

denovo wrote:Do you live in an area with cold winters, i.e. anywhere outside of the Southwest or Southeast. Common wisdom is you won't get good prices in the winter. Not sure if you can afford to wait till April-May or if you have renters that can be extended or if you need the money.
I live in the Southeast so winters are not a problem. Thanks
Beth*
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Re: Need New Carpet to Sell Home

Post by Beth* »

I disagree with the advice to offer an allowance instead of fixing the flooring. A lot of buyers cannot see beyond stained carpet. They assume that if the carpet was not maintained then there are other things in the house that were not maintained as well. I don't know your real estate market, your agent may feel otherwise, but where I live putting a house on the market with stained carpeting is not a good idea.

Whether it makes sense to replace the carpeting or put in some other type of flooring I do not know. These are the reasons one hires a real estate agent who has experience selling houses in your area. Get the agent's input. It is generally a good idea to talk to a couple of agents and see what they have to say before hiring one.
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praxis
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Re: Need New Carpet to Sell Home

Post by praxis »

Beth* wrote:I disagree with the advice to offer an allowance instead of fixing the flooring. A lot of buyers cannot see beyond stained carpet. They assume that if the carpet was not maintained then there are other things in the house that were not maintained as well. I don't know your real estate market, your agent may feel otherwise, but where I live putting a house on the market with stained carpeting is not a good idea.

Whether it makes sense to replace the carpeting or put in some other type of flooring I do not know. These are the reasons one hires a real estate agent who has experience selling houses in your area. Get the agent's input. It is generally a good idea to talk to a couple of agents and see what they have to say before hiring one.
+1

I spent the day with a good friend last month that has been a realtor for about 20 years in Denver. As he was on a series of business errands, many of his tales to me that day concerned selling houses. I remember his opinion being clearly that although his selling clients often choose an allowance over replacement, he discourages them. His buyers are usually visiting as many houses as possible per day and the first impression entering the house can either inspire them or not. If it is worn or stained or smelly, replace it with an economical choice. Maybe reconsider and not replace the pad. New homeowners always have many costs at first and not having to schedule move-in around installation using an allowance might appeal to them.
awval999
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Re: Need New Carpet to Sell Home

Post by awval999 »

praxis wrote:
Beth* wrote:I disagree with the advice to offer an allowance instead of fixing the flooring. A lot of buyers cannot see beyond stained carpet. They assume that if the carpet was not maintained then there are other things in the house that were not maintained as well. I don't know your real estate market, your agent may feel otherwise, but where I live putting a house on the market with stained carpeting is not a good idea.

Whether it makes sense to replace the carpeting or put in some other type of flooring I do not know. These are the reasons one hires a real estate agent who has experience selling houses in your area. Get the agent's input. It is generally a good idea to talk to a couple of agents and see what they have to say before hiring one.
+1

I spent the day with a good friend last month that has been a realtor for about 20 years in Denver. As he was on a series of business errands, many of his tales to me that day concerned selling houses. I remember his opinion being clearly that although his selling clients often choose an allowance over replacement, he discourages them. His buyers are usually visiting as many houses as possible per day and the first impression entering the house can either inspire them or not. If it is worn or stained or smelly, replace it with an economical choice. Maybe reconsider and not replace the pad. New homeowners always have many costs at first and not having to schedule move-in around installation using an allowance might appeal to them.
I agree with this post.

Buying a house/home is an emotional transaction much more than financial. If the carpet is terrible and stained the buyers could mentally "check out" before they even get through the house.
DSInvestor
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Re: Need New Carpet to Sell Home

Post by DSInvestor »

I sold my place last year and I just cleaned my carpets with a hoover steam vac. I thought of replacing the carpet but my realtor talked me out of it. The new owner did not ask for any flooring allowance and they installed hardwood floors after they bought. I'm glad I didn't waste money replacing my carpet.
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grettman
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Re: Need New Carpet to Sell Home

Post by grettman »

I am not an expert. In fact, I posted the same question a while ago because we are soon going to put our house on the market. I will definitely replace it with a lower end (but not too low end!) neutral carpet in our basement. It just looks bad enough that buyers will have a bad impression of my home. So be it if they want to replace it. More buyers will be turned off the way it looks now than those who want something else. Also I read over and over that buyers have little imagination so I am not counting on people saying "Hey the carpet sucks but we can replace it with something better and this will be a great place to live!". I assume they will say "Honey lets find something else that is better maintained...". The housing market in my area just isn't robust enough that people will be satisfied with a less than ideal home.
Rodc
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Re: Need New Carpet to Sell Home

Post by Rodc »

My wife, years ago, sold her house when we got married. She had a very experienced realtor who had her replace the carpets. I don't remember how bad the carpets were to be honest.

She suggested cheap carpet and high quality pad. The high quality pad makes it feel great and that is cheaper than actually buying great carpet.

A fresh coat of paint and new carpet really helps show the house. Some people can look at a tired old, overly full cluttered house, etc and see the greatness if only it were cleaned up. Many cannot. You open yourself to more people if the house shows well. This is why you decluter, or if the house is unused you get some furniture to stage it.

That said, I am not a realtor; I only play one on the internet. :)

I would say that if your house is on the market for a year or two you are doing something wrong, most likely setting an unrealistic price which has the potential to backfire.

Best of luck.
We live a world with knowledge of the future markets has less than one significant figure. And people will still and always demand answers to three significant digits.
larklea
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Re: Need New Carpet to Sell Home

Post by larklea »

I'll argue on the flooring allowance. I don't like it because it will make many buyers look at the carpet first when they view the home. "How bad is it?" - mind-set. A lot depends on how bad it is. The realtor's opinion is critical here. I'd be more inclined to discuss the allowance with my realtor and come to an agreement with my spouse on how much flooring allowance we'd agree to. Then bring it up when it comes up. Obviously, if the carpet is so bad that the house won't show well, then my advice is no good :( . I think that we can be overly 'picky' about things in our own homes that we've become sensitized to, like older carpet. Some buyers may not care that much.
westie
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Re: Need New Carpet to Sell Home

Post by westie »

If I'm a potential buyer and see an allowance for carpet, I'm going to ask for other allowances for items I'd like replaced
Carson
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Re: Need New Carpet to Sell Home

Post by Carson »

We carpeted our basement about 4 years ago, and we chose a pretty low-grade carpet (traditional loop, not berber) because we have a chance of water intrusion. We didn't want to be too committed to the carpet if we had to tear it out. I do think we upgraded the pad because the cost was not very high.

The carpet has held up well enough- we infrequently use the Rug Doctor on it, and have 2 boys and 2 pets, although we don't allow food/drink on it. The stairs are the most tired looking, but it definitely lasted long enough to show in your case. I wouldn't have felt bamboozled as a buyer.

I would definitely discuss with your realtor - I feel like the flooring allowance could go either way. While it would be a hassle to live there while it is replaced, you could take it as a needed opportunity to stage and declutter.
Carson
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Re: Need New Carpet to Sell Home

Post by Carson »

delete
HIinvestor
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Re: Need New Carpet to Sell Home

Post by HIinvestor »

When we were selling, we put in top rated padding and medium carpet, on the recommendation of realtor and flooring folks. The places sold before even being listed on MLS, so I feel it was the right decision. The old carpet was smelly and stained. We painted and fixed one kitchen cabinet before putting in the carpet as well.
Goal33
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Re: Need New Carpet to Sell Home

Post by Goal33 »

If I am a buyer, I would appreciate the carpet credit. I would be annoyed to find out you just spent 4k or whatever it costs on new carpet and expect me to pay that much more in the price when really I just want hardwood/tile throughout.
snowman
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Re: Need New Carpet to Sell Home

Post by snowman »

It really depends on the market, so it's critical discussing it with your realtor. I am handy and have put hardwood and tile floors throughout my house, and that's what I would want to do if I were to buy a house again in the future. I would much prefer allowance over new carpets. But that's just me, and the market in your area may be just the opposite. Talk to your realtor. Good luck!
stlutz
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Re: Need New Carpet to Sell Home

Post by stlutz »

Would it be accurate to sum up the posts thus far as:

a) "New carpet would help you sell the house faster." = True statement
b) "New carpet would help you sell the house for more money." =Probably Not

One's own personal situation and the real estate market in ones area would determine if time or money is more important.
goodlifer
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Re: Need New Carpet to Sell Home

Post by goodlifer »

I sold two houses with carpet credits. The first time, I offered it because the pets destroyed the berber (I hate berber). The other time, a credit was asked for and we gave it. We are putting our house on the market in March and I plan on steam cleaning with Oxyclean and leaving as is. If the bright pink Benadryl stain doesn't come out, I will probably offer a small credit and negotiate from there. I am in a HCOL area and in a good subdivision, and I will probably have several homes to compete with. I am assuming I will be nickel and dimed over everything anyway. I talked to two realtors. One said replace carpet with carpet. The other said everyone wants hardwood but just leave the carpet and offer a credit. There are people that are going to want one or the other and you will never know until they walk through your door.

As an experienced homeowner who will be looking for a new home soon, I know cheap carpet when I see it. I will also assume you cheaped out on everything else. If I don't like the new carpet but like the rest of the house, I'm going to feel like either I am stuck with it because it is new or I am wasting money on new carpet I like when I tear out your cheap carpet. I think a lot of people would feel that way, too. So many people watch home reno shows now that they don't think twice about redecorating, never mind blowing out some walls and adding a spa bath while they are at it. I know there are some people that will walk away if they don't like every single thing, right down to the paint color, but I personally don't like to even bother with them. They are the type that ask for all kinds of credits and reductions, and then the offer really isn't realistic.
Cash
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Re: Need New Carpet to Sell Home

Post by Cash »

I'm on the credit side. We are those people who would rip out carpet regardless (pet + wife's dust mite allergy), so we discount for that regardless of whether the carpet is new or old.
Rodc
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Re: Need New Carpet to Sell Home

Post by Rodc »

I think that we can be overly 'picky' about things in our own homes that we've become sensitized to, like older carpet. Some buyers may not care that much.
My sense is it more often goes the opposite way: we get used to things that are in poor condition because we have just gotten used to it slowly over times as it got that way and "tune" it out.

As others have noted though, without knowing the local market and not seeing your current carpet lots of answers could be pretty good.
We live a world with knowledge of the future markets has less than one significant figure. And people will still and always demand answers to three significant digits.
corysold
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Re: Need New Carpet to Sell Home

Post by corysold »

It really comes down to assessing the risks on either side.

If you replace the carpet with something cheap, you run the risk of the buyer wanting something different and taking that into consideration when making their offer.

If you offer the credit, you run the risk of the buyer not being able to overlook the carpet and not being interested in the home.

As you can see in the replies, both ways have risks and various people who would have wanted you to do the other. You just need to decide which risk you want to take and which one is easier for you to implement.

A good local Realtor would probably be a good tie-breaker in this instance.
Topic Author
Thrift Shop
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Re: Need New Carpet to Sell Home

Post by Thrift Shop »

Thank you all for the valuable input. The information about everyone's experience helps me understand what prospective buyers may want.

The split decision on this message board is about the same as between DW and I. 50/50. LOL
sls239
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Re: Need New Carpet to Sell Home

Post by sls239 »

I would say it would depend on what you are competing against.

Location is what is going to be the major determinant and if you are the only house for sale on your block or so, then I don't think carpet is going to matter as long as it is clean.

If there are two other similar houses near you for sale, that is another story.
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