What is the best flooring for resale value and maintenance?

Question

I really can't afford real wood and it seems like it would be hard to maintain. Although if its good for resale I guess I will have to suck it up and save up for real wood. I have 600 sq ft to cover and live in Dallas.

Answer 1

Hardwood floors are hands down the best for resale and easy to maintain.  They are neutral, elegant and worth the money.  As far as maintenance, have them finished with a satin finish (high gloss will scratch easier and be more noticeable)...I use a swiffer or dustmop with mine (or sometimes just a broom)...sometimes I'll run the vacuum over them....and wash them/dry them (I am picky and don't want wet spots, plus you shouldn't leave water standing on the wood).  

I've had several houses with wood floors and find them easier to clean than carpet and look so much better.  My current home has hardwood in a few rooms, then a wood looking floor in the bedrooms...and yes, the difference is great.  I'm saving up for wood floors to replace that!  You should also try to control the humidity...but I'm not sure how much a problem that is in Texas.  (In Michigan, I run a humidifier in the winter as the furnace dries out the house...)

There are snap & lock alternatives that do look fine, but it's not going to have the same value as the hardwood floors.  But if that's all you can afford, I would choose that over carpet...it's just not as long lasting or as desirable.  But there are some that look very nice and worth considering for a similar affect.

Best wishes, hope you find something that works out great for you!

Answer 2

Real wood is great, easy to damp mop to maintain and is a great value for resale. I'm not fond of laminate, so if you could go tile, bamboo or even cork, would be some great alternatives for looks and/or resale. Good that you are thinking ahead like this. Too many people don't and "pay for it" later. Good luck. LT

Answer 3

I agree on the hard wood, but don't worry too much about price. I've found reasonably priced wood at Home Depot and other retailers. Even had a flooring company give me a great price on Brazilian Cherry because their business is slow. Shop around and ask for a better price. Can't hurt.

Answer 4

depends when you are planning to sell, if 1-6months then go for hardwood because of resale value and appeal.  if 1-3 years then i would just go to home depot and buy some cheap carpet off the rolls, dont special order, and install yourself, with or without pads, you could just throw it down like an area rug, or glue it down, depending whats underneath- example gluing to a carpet pad would be fine cuz the pad is easy to rip up, but if you glue it to lynoleum it would be a mess to take out.  - then you dont have to worry about wear and tear and when your ready to sell then you can have the floors done so they are brand new which will help with resale.

what floors do you currently have, if wood then you can just sand and restain and polycoat, dont do stain and coat "in one" comes out uneven - if carpet then you can just steamclean, or at least keep the padding, or maybe there's wood under the carpet. - make sure you know what youre doing before sanding the wood, its pretty simple just ask someone who knows, drum sander (floor) can sand your floor away if you leave it in one spot a second too long and a pad sander(floor) sometimes isn't strong enough, also the edges are a pain in the ***, black and decker make one called the dragster (hand) which will get in closer.