Please don't use that cheap, fake wood for your floor replacement if you're selling.

[shortbun]

We've been house shopping and I'm just appalled at the overuse of the cheap laminate floors. I would rather see no floors or old carpet that I can remove and replace. The cheap stuff makes me wonder what other cheap fixes were done to the home and sends me running. I just saw two today. There ARE some very nice 'fake' wood floors that might not turn me off but seriously - just let me replace the floor covering because I prefer real wood and I'd rather have an allowance than have you feel like you need to recoup what you paid for rubber/wood look floors.

Vent over.

 

[briarrose]

I am on the other side and am trying to sell our house. Our Realtor recommended highly to replace all of our upstairs carpeting because it was a different color that the 1st floor. So we replaced the carpet with the cheapest stuff that matched the 1st floor. We are getting comments like the kitchen is boring. It needs to be upgraded. Our house is only 8 years old. I don't believe in replacing good cabinets or appliances just to keep up with the jones. Plus when we build we did put in the top line that we could buy with crown molding. I am frustrated with having to keep mu house in perfect condition just for people who are only looking for a steal. Thanks for letting me complain. I hope I can be nice and picky when I get to look for house next time. Happy Halloween.

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

lol, my sil has put that in her brother's house that she is having to deal with. the old floor was 50 year old tile. The rubber wood looks much better.

 

[TxRabbit]

I agree with you about rather seeing no flooring than the cheap laminates, but flooring is usually a requirement for the house to qualify for financing. The house itself has to be deemable livable by standards set by mortgage companies, including flooring, working bathrooms, a working roof, etc.

 

[LaurenLC]

If you don't like the flooring, maybe you can ask for an allowance to replace it.

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

If you don't like the flooring, maybe you can ask for an allowance to replace it.

Chances are the flooring they replaced was nasty, too. So either way, just recover them. You would have anyway.

I am fairly certain that DSIL's brother never once ever mopped his floor. Or cleaned his microwave. nasty.

 

[C.Ann]

People tend to put when they like and can afford in their homes.. If you don't like it, move along to another house.. Someone else will come along and buy that home who isn't quite as particular..

 

[disneymom2003]

If you don't like the flooring, maybe you can ask for an allowance to replace it.

I have to tell you if a buyer asked for an allowance to replace floors, there is no way I would give it to them. That is like asking for an allowance because you don't like the appliances or don't like the shower doors. The house is what it is. I agree if you don't like it move on. If you like the house but not the floors think about replacing them yourself with what you do like. People pick a flooring based on what they can afford and what fits their family. Laminate wood floors hold up very well with children and dogs.

 

[disneymom2003]

If you don't like the flooring, maybe you can ask for an allowance to replace it.

I have to tell you if a buyer asked for an allowance to replace floors, there is no way I would give it to them. That is like asking for an allowance because you don't like the appliances or don't like the shower doors. The house is what it is. I agree if you don't like it move on. If you like the house but not the floors think about replacing them yourself with what you do like. People pick a flooring based on what they can afford and what fits their family. Laminate wood floors hold up very well with children and dogs.

 

[C.Ann]

I have to tell you if a buyer asked for an allowance to replace floors, there is no way I would give it to them. That is like asking for an allowance because you don't like the appliances or don't like the shower doors. The house is what it is. I agree if you don't like it move on. If you like the house but not the floors think about replacing them yourself with what you do like. People pick a flooring based on what they can afford and what fits their family. Laminate wood floors hold up very well with children and dogs.

I totally agree!

 

[RachaelA]

Do you understand how expensive hardwood floors are?

We are putting in 1000 sq. ft of laminate. Its costing us almost $5k (we got the higher end stuff) and we are installing it ourselves. To get hardwood it would have cost us around $12k not including installation.

Plus with dogs and children, the laminate holds up so much better. I don't want to spend $$$$ on flooring and then have the dogs tear it up.

 

[Vivianne]

We have hardwood floors except for one room. DH is installing it (red oak) and it is alot of work.

 

[torinsmom]

I love my laminate. It has held up well with pets and is easier to clean than carpet. Just because someone couldn't afford hardwood doesn't mean they don't take care of their home.

Marsha

 

[Shleedogg]

People tend to put when they like and can afford in their homes.. If you don't like it, move along to another house.. Someone else will come along and buy that home who isn't quite as particular..

I agree. This kind of sounds like a bratty vent. We put laminate in. I think it looks nice. Would I have preferred real hardwood? Yes, of course. Could we afford it? No. We went with Pergo, which is higher end and will hold up much better than hardwood. Ultimately we wanted to refinish the original hardwood in our 1901 home, but someone, somewhere along the line cut out a huge chunk and replaced it with plywood.

People do the best with what they have. If you don't like it, don't buy. No one is going to replace old floors with nice new hardwoods if they are selling their house. How idiotic would it be to waste that kind of money on something they're not going to use?

Plus, if you would have the money to replace yucky carpet or old tile, what's the difference if you have to replace laminate? It'll cost you the same no matter what.

 

[luvmy3]

I have to tell you if a buyer asked for an allowance to replace floors, there is no way I would give it to them. That is like asking for an allowance because you don't like the appliances or don't like the shower doors. The house is what it is. I agree if you don't like it move on. If you like the house but not the floors think about replacing them yourself with what you do like. People pick a flooring based on what they can afford and what fits their family. Laminate wood floors hold up very well with children and dogs.

ITA. I put laminate floors in my kitchen and I can tell you it wasn't as expensive as hardwood, it wasn't cheap either. It has also held up amazingly well. I could have gone with a really nice tile but I'm so glad I didn't. We just re-did our bathroom and put in a beautiful tile floor. I dropped my foundation on it and chipped a tile, we've had the floor 2 months. My laminate doesn't have a scratch and I've had it over 5 years. I wouldn't hesitate to put it in other rooms

 

[Colleen27]

I wouldn't even assume it to be an affordability issue. I'm really not a fan of laminate. I think even the high end stuff looks fake and a little cheesy. BUT... We spent several thousand dollars on real hardwood for the living room & hallways of our old house and it showed wear SO quickly in high traffic areas! The mid-grade laminate we used as a "quick fix" for nasty, pet-smelling carpet in the back bedroom held up much better to the wear and tear of two kids and two labrador retrievers. After 5 years, that stuff looked like new; after about 18 months, there were places in the hardwood where the finish was scratched or otherwise damaged.

 

[Chim Chiminy]

We put in laminate in our last house, about a year before we sold it. It held up great even with our kids and multiple pets.

We want to redo the floors in this house (the berber the house came with has not held up to the kids/pets), I liked the laminate in our old house, so simple to keep clean, but......in our area here it would have to be hardwood to sell. I hate that, because unlike our neighbors we don't fall in to the "keeping up with the jones's".
But to recoup the money, it will have to be hardwood.

 

[mrsklamc]

I LOVE my laminate. Sorry it offends you...
Didn't want to care for hardwood floors.

 

[Tweevil]

I have had both and laminate is what I am replacing the carpets in this house with. Hardwood takes work and isn't as forgiving as the laminate flooring.
I have all carpet and can't wait for the day I can swiffer!

sorry, I don't think it's cheesy at all. Just replace it when you buy - that is cosmetic anyway...

 

[marie1203]

We are putting laminate because I hate carpet it gets dirty so fast and it looks gross. I rather see laminate than a dirty carpet any day. We have 4 dogs and a cat hardwood will never look as good as laminate will with this many pets. For now this is our house and we will do what works for us and is environmentally friendly which is more important to us.