Buyer Beware: Hardwood Flooring Edition

Are you looking to buy a new home or build a new construction home? If so, there are a few things you should consider, especially when it comes to your flooring options. The condition, quality, and type of flooring are all factors that can affect a home’s value. Continue reading to learn about what to consider before buying your new home.

New Construction

Building a new home is exciting! It presents the opportunity to customize your home to your family’s needs, wants and likes. Not only do you get to select the floor plan, but also the finishes – and that means choosing your flooring! Most home builders will have a variety of flooring options to choose from – carpet, luxury vinyl planks, tile and hardwood flooring. This is an important decision for the buyer because your flooring is an investment. When choosing your flooring, think about your current and future living situation and ask yourself: Do you own pets? Do you have young children? Do you like to entertain? What type of foundation do I have? These are all important questions to consider when choosing the right flooring for your new home. 

While you’ll always have the option to replace your flooring in the future, selecting the right flooring from the beginning will save you time and money down the road. Look closely at the options your builder has provided you as it may be worth it to upgrade your flooring. 

Buying an Older Home

If you aren’t building a new home, then you’re purchasing an established home – one that already has flooring picked out and installed. As a home buyer, you are encouraged, and sometimes required, to have the home inspected as part of the buying process. With a home inspection, inspectors will look for termite damage, water damage, and other damages that could affect your home. These potential damages can also affect your floors. When viewing the home, keep an eye out for evidence of water or termite damage. Also ask about what type of flooring is installed throughout the home and when the last time it was replaced or refinished. These factors may give you an upper hand in negotiations, especially if there is sufficient evidence of damage, the floors or carpet need to be replaced, or you’re looking for an upgrade. Replacing floors can be quite expensive, so it may be wise for the seller to build in a discount to cover the costs or repairs and replacement floors. 

So whether you are looking to purchase an existing home or are custom building your dream home, consider your flooring options to make the right investment. To learn more about different flooring options to match trends and styles, check out this article. Not sure of the difference between the most popular types of flooring, check out this article to explore all the advantages and disadvantages of different types of flooring. 

If you still need more information, give Zack Hardwood Flooring a call and someone will be happy to direct you!