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Did you know that hardwood flooring can boost a home's selling price?

By
Home Builder with The Flooring Girl

Did you know that hardwood flooring can boost a home's selling price?

Sorry all - I can't seem to upload the picts today.

You might want to consider upgrading to hardwood - both for current enjoyment of home as well as resale potential down the road.  The luxurious look and feel of hardwood is on the upswing.  The latest trends are towards the more exotic hardwoods such as Brazilian Cherry, Santos Mahogany, Bamboo, and Brazilian Walnut.

Wider planks, especially those that are 5 inches or more wide, are also in style.  Many consumers prefer the latest engineered hardwood which hides the gapping that you can see between planks during the arid winter months.  Wider planks tend to make rooms look bigger, as does a diagonal lay.

In some areas of the country consumers are also going for a more natural and weathered look following the "back to basics" trend in the marketplace.  Capitalizing on this need, manufacturers have been making hand-scraped wood which looks authentic.  Each plank is unique celebrating the innate variation that you see in nature.  And, one manufacturer has even created a "Time-worn" series with wood that has a real antique look and feel.

On the opposite side of the spectrum and inspired by some of the haute couture home design journals, some are going for a stylish patterned look of rare woods.   They will alternate the planks - either every other one is dark & light, or two light followed by one dark.

So, think about upgrading your floors.  Many consumers find that they double their investment on hardwood flooring.  Not only will you enjoy your home more, but you'll be investing your money wisely. 

Oh, and if you have hardwood underneath that carpet, by all means rip up the carpet and refinish those hardwood floors.  It will lead to a much nicer and cleaner environment as well as save you a lot of money.  Sanding is much less expensive than replacing the carpet, and if you are selling your house greatly improves the value of the home and reduces time on the market.


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Comments(10)

Mario Jannatpour
RE/MAX Alliance in Louisville, Colorado - Louisville, CO
Author of the Book, "The Honest Real Estate Agent"

Great post!  I tell this to my Clients all the time.

Thanks,

Mario

Aug 19, 2010 05:47 AM
Wendy Hayden
Photographer, Home Stager, ePRO - Richmond, VA
Chesterfield, Richmond & Powahatan

It always amazes me when someone is selling their home and have ratty carpeting with hardwoods underneath and refuse to rip up the carpet!

Aug 19, 2010 05:53 AM
Debbie Gartner
The Flooring Girl - White Plains, NY
The Flooring Girl & Blog Stylist -Dynamo Marketers

Mario - So glad you do - it will really help both of you guys sell it faster and higher value

Wendy - I know, it amazes me, too.  It is such a no brainer to sand & refinish if there is hardwood underneath - they will gain that investment many times over and sell a heck of a lot faster.

Aug 19, 2010 06:01 AM
Susan Haughton
Long and Foster REALTORS (703) 470-4545 - Alexandria, VA
Susan & Mindy Team...Honesty. Integrity. Results.

I can attest to the appeal of hardwoods...you are absolutely right on with this post.  I have a listing coming up with brazilian cherry hardwoods and I am sooooo excited!  ;-)

Aug 19, 2010 07:34 AM
Debbie Gartner
The Flooring Girl - White Plains, NY
The Flooring Girl & Blog Stylist -Dynamo Marketers

Susan - Oh, good.  I love Brazilian Cherry.  It is soooo pretty.  And, it gets prettier w/ age.  I'm so excited for you, too.

Aug 19, 2010 12:00 PM
Mark Woodward
Floor Coverings International - Randolph, NJ
We bring the flooring store to your door

Debbie - what a great post!  I am going to re-blog....

Aug 19, 2010 01:16 PM
Debbie Walsh
SHAHAR Management - Middletown, NY
Hudson Valley NY Real Estate 845.283-3036

Without a doubt it does!  I always tell people to think about their floors when upgrading items in the home when there is linoleum etc...

Aug 22, 2010 07:19 AM
Debbie Gartner
The Flooring Girl - White Plains, NY
The Flooring Girl & Blog Stylist -Dynamo Marketers

Mark - Thx.  You are awesome.

Debra - Yes, it almost always pays out.  Glad that you recommend that.

Aug 22, 2010 10:06 AM
Renée Donohue~Home Photography
Savvy Home Pix - Allegan, MI
Western Michigan Real Estate Photographer

Very cool to see a flooring person on AR giving out advise on what is trendy!  I must add you to my outside blog for contributions!

Aug 23, 2010 01:17 AM
Debbie Gartner
The Flooring Girl - White Plains, NY
The Flooring Girl & Blog Stylist -Dynamo Marketers

Thank you, Renee.  I just accepted your invite.  Feel free to reblog any of my blogs and/or read through past ones.

Aug 23, 2010 01:56 AM