Idea's for Sellers: Replacing Carpet Prior to Selling

I have recently been asked by several clients if its worth the investment to replace carpet prior to selling. This is a great question and honestly it depends on a few things.

 

 

 Take a look at your house and review the following:

1. If your walls are a neutral color or a “current” color that can work well for most décor and your carpet is the main thing dragging everything down then YES, replace it!
2. If you have wallpaper, unless you plan to remove it and paint, then just replacing the carpet may not make much sense. Your room will still look dated.
3. Severely damaged carpeting needs to be replaced to help sell your home. If your carpet is threadbare or torn in any area, replacement is a must. Carpeting that has faded, covered in stains or has uneven color also needs attention.
4. Are there hardwoods under that carpet? Whether its wood stairs or a room with hardwoods, there are very desirable. If yours are in good shape, you can save yourself some money by simply removing the carpet and cleaning up those hardwoods!

 I'm not a big fan of white walls with a white ceiling but this carpet is by far the worst part of this room.

 

 

This carpet is fairly neutral and cleaned well, therefore leaving it could mean saving some money or it may allow you to tackle another project.

 

 Under this VERY dated carpet there are hardwoods. In this case, just removing the carpet and cleaning up the wood can quickly add value!

Carpet and flooring is HUGE for buyers! It means they can move right in with all of their belongings, so if you have the budget to replace it you will likely get this investment back. Buyers over-estimate repairs like this and will quickly take $$ off of your sales price for the hassle of them replacing it.

When selecting new carpet consider the following: 

If you choose to replace the carpet, choose something middle of the road as far as price. Don't select the most expensive carpet (you will not see a return on your investment). If your padding is in good shape, meaning you don't have traffic pattern marks, look into leaving the padding and only replacing the carpet, this will save you some money.  

 

MOST IMPORTANT!!! Choose something neutral, not too light and not too dark. Don't pick anything that has a peach or yellow undertone. Make sure it feels thick and nice to the touch.