To refinish or not refinish

As a tenant and having lived in both 1st floor & 2nd floor apartments, I'd say definitely carpet.

Make sure the subfloor is solid and any problem spots such as lifting, loose nails, etc. are Screwed down, not nailed.
Also have a pad laid down, doesn't have to be ultra thick, just to take some more noise out of the equation.

Here's the reasons why for my suggestions:

• Carpeting is usually quicker and cheaper to replace
• Carpeting reduces the stress levels of the tenants. Have you ever lived under an apt with hardwood floors? You hear EVERYTHING. Then multiply that by the number of kids they have.
• Don't have to worry about scratches & gouges in the floor. Yes, you'll have stains and maybe a minor tear/cut here & there but nothing that will drive you nuts every time you see it.
• If a carpet gets dirty you can shampoo it or call in a steamer company. If a hardwood floor gets stained or discolored somehow, not so easy.
• Comfort. It's a lot easier for a tenant to enjoy carpeting than hwf. What's the first thing a tenant wants or needs to do if they have hwfs? Buy rugs right?
• if a tenant has any cats...With a carpet, it can be torn out, Killz paint laid down and new carpet installed. How fast can you do that with hardwood floors?

Of course this all depends on the area the property is in and what class of tenants/renters you have around there.

I generally refinish the hardwood - its a big selling point. However, Mark is right depends where the property is, what's the general expectation and what's your exit strategy. As a rental - if its a sfh, I sometimes carpet bedrooms and refinish the lr and dr wood floor. Don't go over your budget - you'll lose your profit.

I am no expert, but I was also going to go with hardwood, but like the above posts state it is going to depend on other factors. Probably you can make the best guess with that knowledge now.

Its my experience that people dont like carpeting and its more to clean and upkeep

Find a National Liquidators or use Home Depot's Bruce hardwood floor brand or even a mom and pop spot that might be able to give you a good deal

Hope this helps

Stick to your budget. Don't over spend on a home unless you are going to live in it.

for refinishing the hardwood floors, but I'm assuming it's a single family home. If it's a side-by-side duplex, I'd say the same thing, but if it's an upstairs/downstairs duplex, I'd have to go with carpet for the noise factor.

However, if you're going to rent to someone with pets, then that's another vote for carpeting because dogs and cats can ruin hardwood floors with their scratching, sliding and not-so-bathroom habits.

I feel hardwood floors make the home seem more homey and attractive. Sure they'll get scratched here and there, but I'd rather buff and touch up hardwood floors every once in a while than have to replace smelly, dirty carpeting.

Oh, one more thing - try not to rent to smokers and put that in your ads!

Good luck!

We are tearing up carpet and refinishing the hardwood in a SFH. Our duplexes and apartments however, get carpeted bedrooms only. Hardwood or laminate in the living room, kitchen, dining. That has been the consensus among investors here. If its 2 story, carpet the 2nd floor.

Well it is a single family home, single level home. The bank i purchase from ripped the carpet up before I purchased so waa laa, there were the hardwood floors. As for the area, I believe hardwood floors are acceptable. This will be a house I rent out, not sale. I hadn't thought about only carpeting the bedrooms, that's a pretty good idea. Thank you guys for all the suggestions.

There are some people with allergies like myself who will not even consider carpet. Therefore, since the wood is already there, refinishing is a good option. Do you have the renter already? If so, ask them which they prefer. For people with small children, the carpet could get dirty pretty quickly. However, we know you will make the best choice. God Bless.

Sandra

I don't have a renter yet, and I am considering giving the renter the option to pick the flooring. This sounds like the best idea yet, and I think I'll go with that. I'll be able to get the hardwood floors done cheaply since my cousin will be doing the work. The carpet may be a bit more because i'm using an outside source. Either way, i'm sure it will work out. Thank you DG family for all your suggestions!

The bottom line is stick to the good ole budget. It is easy to succumb to flash and glimmer, but save that for your personal Casa.

You will thank yourself many times over for staying with the budget.

Be aware though, that, along with cost, there are many other variables to consider when choosing floor coverings… Here are just a few:

Noise
Carpets are very quiet, absorbing sound from many sources such as walking, TV and radio.

Hardwood floors do not absorb sound at all and are extremely noisy. However, the noise can be minimized by strategically placing area rugs.

Warmth
Carpets are warm to walk on, especially comfortable in colder climates.

Randy Bailiff
Dean Graziosi Success Coach