When you build a house for yourself, you also think of its resale value. And the first factor that comes to mind is whether the flooring would impact the resale value or not. The answer is yes. The flooring would impact the resale value which is why you should install the right value that would give a high resale value.
In this article, the main focus would be to discuss the resale value of vinyl plank flooring vs carpet flooring. These are two popularly used options for renovation as well as new home flooring. Especially those who are thinking of renovation must understand which one would be beneficial to give a good resale value.
So is it carpet or vinyl plank flooring? To know this, stay with me. This article will take you through different aspects of vinyl and carpet flooring. It will help you realize which one is beneficial to increase the resale value of your house.
So get ready for an exciting discussion!
5 Factors Affecting The Resale Value Of Vinyl Plank And Carpet Flooring:
Before you compare which one has greater resale value, you must know the factors that affect the value of vinyl plank or carpet flooring. You should know this because you may already have either a vinyl plank or carpet flooring that you may not replace right now. But if you know the affecting factors, you can at least take care of these matters.
So no matter which flooring your home has right now, know the affecting factors to get the right resale value for it.
Here are 5 factors that can affect the resale value of vinyl plank and carpet flooring:
1. Issues On The Floor:
The first thing that the buyer would look at would be the condition of the flooring. If the buyer sees scraped off or broken vinyl plank or rough carpet flooring, he would try lowering the value because of it.
It often happens that the vinyl plank is slightly broken or the carpet fibers are coming out due to the flooring age and regular usage. But before you show the house to the client, repair these issues. Consider replacing the damaged vinyl planks as it is easy to do. Take out the loose fibers and polish the carpet well to fix the issues.
A damaged floor can considerably reduce the resale price. So, fix it before you present the house to any client.
2. Appearance Of The Flooring:
Before seeing the details on the flooring and identifying the damages, the buyer will see how it looks. So if you ever intend to sell your home, make sure to take good care of the vinyl plank or carpet. Keep it clean and polish regularly.
Try to maintain the color and appearance of the flooring, be it vinyl plank or carpet flooring. Polishing and cleaning will help to maintain the appearance of the floor.
Never present a worn-out carpet or faded or unpolished vinyl plank flooring to potential clients. It must have a minimum standard so that the buyer doesn’t require replacing the flooring. If the flooring appearance is poor, you won’t get the expected price for the house.
3. Compatibility With Flooring On Other Rooms:
Always think of maintaining uniformity in the flooring. Be it vinyl plank or carpet flooring, if the flooring of one room doesn’t match well with the flooring of the adjacent room, the buyer would reduce the value because of the clumsy look.
You have to think of this while making the house. Or if you already have a house, try making the floors of all the rooms compatible with each other. It doesn’t really mean that all the flooring has to be the same. But there should be a basic similarity. Otherwise, the flooring of each room would look odd.
My suggestion is to install either vinyl plank or carpet flooring in all the rooms. Mixing up different flooring styles makes it risky and may affect the resale value. So be careful while choosing the flooring of each room.
4. Styling:
Styling is not the same as matching the flooring of one room to the other. I am talking about the overall style and decor of the house. Is the look outdated? Do you think most buyers will like the decoration?
Don’t emphasize what you like. You have to think of what most people will like. No matter whether you choose carpet flooring or vinyl planks, deciding on the look is important. If you have a really old house, you can still make it gorgeous by installing the right shade and texture of vinyl plank or carpet. If you have a modern house set up, be updated about the flooring choice.
Styling the flooring with the interior, therefore, is crucial in increasing the resale value of the house. Decide on a style and choose a stunning flooring that matches the style. Don’t reflect your taste in the decoration. Try prioritizing the choices of the buyers to present them exactly what they want!
5. Maintenance And Weather Compatibility:
These two factors become a huge concern for the buyers. Is the flooring compatible with the weather conditions? And is it easy to maintain the flooring? You must think of these factors.
For example, woolen carpet flooring would be amazing for winter areas. It offers warmth and won’t get dirty easily as pollution is less in winter zones. So buyers may like carpet flooring if the area is winter-prone.
Similarly, vinyl plank flooring is better for tropical regions where summer and monsoon are prominent. Vinyl planks are waterproof and can handle damp situations well. Besides, they maintain a moderate flooring temperature giving comfort on hot days. Also, basic cleaning of vinyl plank flooring would suffice.
According to the weather conditions, you must decide on the flooring so that the dwellers get comfort as well as can maintain the flooring easily.
How To Increase Resale Value Whether Your Vinyl Plank Flooring Or Carpet?
Do you already have carpet or vinyl flooring? Don’t worry. You can make it better to increase the resale value.
It is normal that you have already made a house and then thinking of the resale value. In that case, you can’t change the entire flooring. What you need to do is to take some other steps to improve the condition. There is no hard and fast rule that only a particular flooring has a good resale value. Both carpet and vinyl plank flooring can rock on in the resale market if you know how to crack it.
So here are some tips to increase the resale value of the flooring, whether it is vinyl plank or carpet flooring:
- Repair The Damages Or Replace:
Don’t present a worn-out floor to potential customers. Make sure to repair the smallest error on the floor before you show the house.
Take off the loose fibers and trim the edges of the carpet. If you have carpet tiles on the floor, replace the tile that is damaged. Make sure the carpet surface is smooth so there is no worn or torn portion on the carpet flooring.
Similarly, any breaks or cracks on the vinyl plank flooring would reduce the price of the house. So, always protect your vinyl floors from heavy furniture. As replacing vinyl plank is easy, I suggest doing it rather than repairing it if the damage is major. Make sure that the new vinyl plank matches the adjacent vinyl planks.
All in all, repair or replace the damaged portions of the floor to show a tip-top floor to the clients. This will increase the resale value of the house.
- Always Maintain The Look:
Suppose you have repaired or replaced the damaged parts. But if the other parts of the floor look dull and worn out, the resale price will go down. So it is important that you maintain the flooring from the very start.
Keep the flooring clean and polished. The carpet surface should be smooth and soft and the feathery texture should be visible. Similarly, the texture and glamor of the vinyl plank should stay intact. And you can do it by cleaning and polishing the floor regularly.
Also just before your client visits the house, clean the floor properly. Make sure that it doesn’t smell bad or look dull or clumsy. Prepare the floor before presenting it to your client. But that surely doesn’t mean that you have to clean it just before you show it to the client. You have to maintain the flooring always to keep it in a good condition.
- Harmonize With The Interior:
I hope you understand that an antique carpet flooring with a modern house setup would look extravagantly odd. Similarly, a glossy stone vinyl plank flooring with a traditional house setup would not look good. That is the point I am trying to present here.
If you are thinking of renovating or making a new house and thinking of the resale value, you must consider the compatibility of the floor with the interior. Choose flooring that matches the interior decoration.
If you are renovating the house, don’t install flooring that doesn’t go with the look. If you are keeping the look traditional, install a classic carpet or vinyl plank flooring. Don’t jump into some extraordinarily modern flooring set. Always harmonize the flooring with the entire interior to increase the resale value.
That is pretty much what you can do to increase the resale value of the flooring. Besides these, you can also consider the weather compatibility and ease of maintenance.
Question Comparing Vinyl Plank Flooring To Reselling Carpet:
Quick Comparison Between Vinyl Plank And Carpet Flooring :
To understand why the resale value varies, you need to know the basic differences between vinyl plank and carpet flooring. Knowing the differences will help you identify which one is a better choice for your house to spike up the resale value.
So here is a comparison table mentioning the difference between vinyl plank and carpet:
| Difference Factors | Vinyl Plank Flooring | Carpet Flooring |
| Versatility | More design and texture variation | Limited design and texture options |
| Look | Can replicate looks of wood, stones, etc. | Formal and monotonous look |
| Maintenance | Easy to clean and maintain | Challenging to clean and maintain |
| Cost | Mid-range flooring | Mid-range flooring |
| Noise Cancellation | Need an underlay to cancel noise | Cancels noise |
| Durability | More durable | Moderately durable |
| Replace Ease | Easy to replace | Difficult to replace |
In the chart, it is evident that except for the noise canceling factor, vinyl plank is the better option than carpet in all the other parameters. So we can say that vinyl planks can give a better resale value than carpet.
But remember that carpet flooring has a standard look that buyers may like. So just because vinyl plank is a better flooring option, it doesn’t mean carpet flooring won’t give the desired resale value. If carpet flooring goes better with your home interior then you must install it.
Is Carpet Or Vinyl Better For Resale?
It would be unfair to mention one between carpet and vinyl flooring as the best one for resale. Both are gorgeous flooring options and it depends on the buyer which one would they prefer. Some may pay a better price for the vinyl flooring while others may prefer to pay more for the carpet flooring.
However, in general, people like hard surfaces as they are easy to clean and more durable. On that note, vinyl flooring is a better choice to get a better resale value. But on the other hand, as vinyl flooring is cheaper, many may disagree to pay a high price. In most cases, carpet flooring (including the installation and carpet price) is costlier than vinyl plank flooring. So naturally, the buyer has to pay a high price.
In my opinion, if you already have carpet flooring, just maintain it well. But if you want a cheap replacement, go for vinyl flooring to keep up the resale price. Also, think of which one goes with the interior decor and then decide on the flooring to increase the resale price.
How Does Flooring Design Affect Resale Value?
If you haven’t thought about the design of the flooring, you should think of it now if you want to increase the resale value of the house. If the design and style of the flooring are faulty, the price of the house will go down.
Try installing flooring that matches the interior of the house. You have to think of creating a style in the house. If you separately think of the design of the house, you can’t get aesthetic home decor. Think of the house in total and choose the flooring accordingly. Because the flooring design would affect the resale value.
Be it vinyl plank or carpet flooring, make sure to create a style statement. Don’t experiment much but decide on a design or style. Then choose the flooring that matches the style. A flawless flooring design will surely increase the resale value of the house.
How Do Floor Colors Affect The Resale Price Of Vinyl Planks Or Carpets?
If you match a blue-colored carpet with yellow-tinted walls, do you think it would look good? Or think of a dark wood vinyl plank flooring with dark-colored furniture items. Will it look eye-soothing? No. This is why choosing the right color and proper installing is important.
Matching or contrasting the color of the flooring with the walls and furniture items is necessary. You can choose a hue from the color palette or create contrasts. But don’t try on funky and too vibrant colors as buyers may not like it. It is always best to stick with the basic color shades like brown, white, beige, black, off-white, gray, or light blue. If you have light-colored walls and furniture, make the flooring color dark and vice versa. This highlights the flooring more enhancing the aesthetic value. This spikes up the resale value.
Always choose colors wisely so that it improves the aesthetic appearance of the room and house which in turn will increase the resale value.
How To Get Vinyl Plank And Carpet Floors Ready For Sale?
No matter which flooring you have in your house, you have to prepare it well before showing it to the clients. Even if the house is a year old, you must prepare the flooring.
The preparations are basic. You need to clean up the vinyl plank or carpet flooring thoroughly. The vinyl flooring should be polished and shiny and the carpet surface has to be smooth and feathery. Besides cleaning, you have to repair or replace the damaged areas on the flooring. Just make the flooring look tip-top. The buyer must not be able to identify any major flaws in the flooring.
Yes, that is pretty much all you need to make the vinyl plank or carpet flooring ready for sale.
Conclusion:
I have discussed all the aspects in detail. This article was not to advise you on which flooring is better for resale but to mention the factors that you should consider while deciding. As discussed above, both are valued and admired flooring options. It is just that both work well in different situations.
So consider the factors that affect the resale value and then decide which one is better for resale, vinyl plank or carpet flooring.
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