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

[disneystacy]

I honestly think its a price range issue than anything else. If you live in a home valued in my area (NC) to about the 250,000 range laminated floors are ok. If you are priced 300,000 and over than I would not expect to see them. Over 500,000 no way.

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

A point that hasn't been addressed: In what price point are you shopping? That makes a difference in what's expected in a house.

I live in a middle-class house; it's a large solid brick ranch on a full acre, and though the rooms are huge and comfortable, it's not a new, stylish house, and it's in an established middle-class neighborhood. No neighborhood pool, no tennis courts. It's the kind of house in which one expects to find laminate and carpet on the floor, laminate or tile on the countertops, and other middle-of-the-road finishes. If I installed hardwood flooring, granite countertops, etc., I would never get the money back -- if I did these things, I'd be over-improving the house.

Anyone who watches HGTV, however, will tell you that buyers are rather stupid about imagining changes. How many people do you see on those shows who comments on how much they love the furniture, etc.? Most people don't seem to have the vision to imagine changes in a house, and many first-time buyers don't have the capital with which to make those changes.

I'm solidly in the camp of "Change it, even if it's an inexpensive grade of material".

Extremely logical post. SIL's house is in an older neighborhood. It is probably 75 years old. The trim is solid, and a darker wood. Plate rail, etc. The kitchen floor was asbestos tile. They removed it and put in the laminate. It brightened the area, and made the original painted cabinets look cheery, rather than grungy.

 

[RachaelA]

I've lived with hardwood since I was 10. I'm not sure what you mean 'care for.' A dustmop or broom or vacumn is all you need. A damp mop with a little vinegar if they get dirty. No allergens, no tears, no gouging that can't be sanded and repaired...natural, chemical free and sustainable product. I'm talking hardwood-not pine. They last the lifetime of the house. Guess I'm a snob. It's a good thing.

I've lived with hardwood in every house until I moved out of my parents' house. My mom is a hardwood fanatic. She has spent 10s of thousands of dollars on hardwood for her current house.

But even she realizes that not everyone can afford it and that there are decent laminates out there. Thankfully she isn't snobby enough to judge my husband and I for what you seem to think is a cheap fix.

Also, someone mentioned this already, but what price range of houses are you looking at? I understand if these are high class houses, but if these are middle class houses they could very well not hold the value of hardwood.

 

[wdwfan16]

I am honestly very surprised by the amount of laminate supporters on here. I am with the OP in that I would absolutely walk away from a house with laminate floors much in the same way I would walk from a home with bright lime green carpet. Sure you can replace it, but let's face it, with the current market buyers can absolutely be picky. And you should be picky with such a big purchase!

Having wood floors through most of my lower level, I also don't understand the upkeep concerns. Like the pp said, a little vinegar and water and it's clean.

My house is either hardwood or tile. I would much rather see the laminate floor than carpet. To me carpet is dirty and I could not buy a home with used carpet in it. I would replace it before moving in. If I saw laminate I know it was clean and I can wait to replace it.

 

[ilovejack02]

We bought our house about 3 yrs ago, had to replace flooring in every room . Guess we spent a little over 10 k on 1900 sq feet.
I priced out everything.. real hardwood would have added another at LEAST 6k to my price. I refused to go with the cheap stuff.. looks just as bad as cheap wood laminate to me.

We bought high end wood laminate .. beveled edge, wide planks. GORGEOUS .. we get lots of compliments and lots of people think it is real wood.

I am very happy with it.. it is a high traffic area and real wood would have been a mess by now with the kids and pets.

I am one that would FREAK out if my new real wood floors were messed up and this lets me breathe a bit easier.

Also as others have said, in my price point no one is expecting real wood. We live in a very nice, middle class neighborhood and no one i know has it.

We are wanting to move and our price range is going up, everything I am looking at has real wood and while I wont replace it I am not thrilled about it.

BUT I did just look at a house built in 1896 the other day.. had BEAUTIFUL wide plank wood flooring. So warm and inviting and very lived in looking, but it was part of the charm lol. I will take that anyday !!!

 

[luvmy3]

I am honestly very surprised by the amount of laminate supporters on here. I am with the OP in that I would absolutely walk away from a house with laminate floors much in the same way I would walk from a home with bright lime green carpet. Sure you can replace it, but let's face it, with the current market buyers can absolutely be picky. And you should be picky with such a big purchase!
Having wood floors through most of my lower level, I also don't understand the upkeep concerns. Like the pp said, a little vinegar and water and it's clean.

Just as you would walk away, this thread shows that there are people out here that would purchase a home with laminate flooring
When I think of upkeep, its not about cleaning, its about maintenance and repair should the floor get damaged or just start to show wear. A good quality laminate is hard to damage.

 

[labdogs42]

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

I love my laminate, too. I have oak hardwood in my entryway and after 11 years, it looks really worn. My laminate isn't quite as old (we used it to replace the yucky builder's grade carpet), but it looks fantastic! We have two big dogs, so that factors into the abuse the hardwood takes. I would NEVER put hardwood anywhere else in my house because of the dogs. It would be ruined in mere months.

What kind of laminates are you guys that love yours talking about?

We really need to get moving on this nasty floor- any recommendations?

We bought our laminate at Sam's club and installed it ourselves. Their brand is great and they have a nice assortment of high end finishes. Like I said, ours looks fantastic after years of being walked on my us and our two big dogs!

As for the OP, do you have any idea how easy it is to tear out laminate? It is WAY easier than tearing up nasty carpet! Be glad the homeowners took out the gross stuff and put in the easy to take out stuff. Or shop in more upscale neighborhoods, because you are apparently looking in the wrong places.

 

[cats mom]

I think all those darn HGTV shows have really altered expectations in the RE market.

When we were shopping for our first couple of houses it was very common for sellers to leave things as they were, but to offer an allowance for updates. A flooring allowance was one of the most common.

Now people expect every house they see to be updated and move in ready. I think more often than not that actually does the buyer a dis-service. Someone getting a house ready to sell is probably not going to select the same options as someone planning to live with the updates themselves.

When we sold in 2000 we left our old flooring, which was not horrible by any means, but was a bit worn and we offered a flooring allowance. When we sold in 2007 we suggested doing the same and our realtor said no way.

Of course we bought the cheapest flooring we felt was appropriate for our price range. We were in a declining bubble market and we knew we weren't going to be able to recoup the cost in our price. Why would we pay for top of the line?

I say blame HGTV and be very wary of the lipstick on a pig phenomenon if you're house hunting.

 

[Colleen27]

I've lived with hardwood since I was 10. I'm not sure what you mean 'care for.' A dustmop or broom or vacumn is all you need. A damp mop with a little vinegar if they get dirty. No allergens, no tears, no gouging that can't be sanded and repaired...natural, chemical free and sustainable product. I'm talking hardwood-not pine. They last the lifetime of the house. Guess I'm a snob. It's a good thing.

The upkeep is the sanding and repairs, something our oak floors need every couple-few years with the traffic and wear they endure, but something laminate can do without for a decade or longer. I prefer hardwood too, but it is absolutely more work than laminate.

 

[traveljunkie2]

When we built our house 3 years ago, we spent over $30k to have hardwood installed. We chose the wood due to DH's allergies, and we thought it would add to the value of the house. I absolutely HATE it now. It is scratched, dented and dinged all over the place. This is the price we pay for having kids and small dogs. We just figure we have to spend a fortune to refinish it when we sell. In our last house we installed a very nice laminate ourselves for less than $3k and it held up great for years. I wish we had installed a nice laminate here instead. At least the floors would still look good. I think it's more important to have a floor that it is good shape than just to be able to say you have hardwood.

BTW, I do think wood or laminate is much more work than carpet. You never realize how filthy your floors are until you get rid of your carpet. Then you need to vacuum AND mop to get the floor clean. Twice the work, but at least I know it's clean.

 

[janey99]

OP, I know exactly what you mean and I agree with you completely.

Just give me the house for a better price, seller, I don't want your idea of an upgrade, a fix or a "high-end" reno - chances are I won't agree with you, and I won't "pay you back" for it because I'll rip it out a month after the closing!

I don't think this thinking necessarily applies only to certain price points, either.

Jane

 

[Mouse House Mama]

I've lived with hardwood since I was 10. I'm not sure what you mean 'care for.' A dustmop or broom or vacumn is all you need. A damp mop with a little vinegar if they get dirty. No allergens, no tears, no gouging that can't be sanded and repaired...natural, chemical free and sustainable product. I'm talking hardwood-not pine. They last the lifetime of the house. Guess I'm a snob. It's a good thing.

If they get dirty? They do get dirty. I have had wood flooring all my life. You have to wash them like any other type of flooring. Regularly.

I doubt I would pass on a house because I didn't love the flooring. If the rest was great and the kitchens and bathrooms were updated I would suck it up and just replace the flooring if I hated it so much. Maybe you need to up the amount you want to spend on a home to get the things you want?

 

[luvsJack]

I have laminate wood all through my house and LOVE it. Holds up to anything!

Before we built this house we had a house that burned. We had just put laminate throughout that house too. When we drove up and found the house on fire, ds went in with a water hose to get our pets out and soaked down everything. Then the firetrucks came and really soaked it to get the fire completely out. After all was said and done, the floor was completely fine! Even the burning roof falling on it didn't damage it! I mean it had a couple of blisters on it from direct fire, but overall was fine! We couldn't believe it!

My sister has hardwood floors. Beautiful when she had them put in. But she is already planning to replace it as soon as her 4 grandkids are a bit older and less "damaging". Even then, she says she will replace it with laminate.

 

[luvmy3]

I am amazed at what people expect allowances for. I can see if something is in disrepair but for something cosmetic, I just don't see how its necessary to give one. You will never find a home that has exactly everything the way you want it unless you have it built specifically for you.
I'm just curious for those who expect an allowance to replace a newly installed floor would you also expect one to have a painter to come in and repaint the house in your colors, or restain the woodwork etc? I know I wouldn't give any allowance for a buyer to do any cosmetic changes, and you walking away would be A-OK because another buyer who doesn't have that entitlement mentality will come along

 

[Ilike2Lurk]

We've been house shopping and I'm just appalled at the overuse of the cheap laminate floors.

So why not just build your own house?

 

[luvmy3]

So why not just build your own house?

Or tell your realtor to show you homes with only hardwood

 

[GOOFY4DONALD]

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...

ITA. I love my laminate! My floor were not the 20K it would have costs to put in hardwood throughout the house but they were not cheap and they look great. I think that a potential buyer might be more offended by hardwood floors with tons of scratches and other damage. You might wonder if they took such poor care of their floors what did they also take poor care of.

 

[TENIA66]

Love my laminate floors! Can't say enough about them, they look wonderful, clean easy. Real hardwood, marks and nicks and over time doesn't hold up as well...

 

[mrsklamc]

There is one place where I would make an exception and install actual wood- if I had an older home built in an era where hardwood was used I would do that. I wouldn't, say, renovate a Victorian and use laminate.

PP asking about laminate we liked- we used lumber liquidators and several of the cash back places have them as vendors as well.

 

[Blue.Fairy2]

. 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.

you do know that could have been repaired and you would have never known it???