Area rugs can be periodically removed and cleaned to keep dirt and allergens at bay. A bedroom is a space where people spend many hours each day, and for those who suffer from allergies, asthma, and other breathing disorders, hardwood flooring is a better option than carpet.
By most standards of comparison, hardwood flooring is clearly superior to carpet, with better longevity, more elegant appearance, and better real estate value. But carpet can be a good choice where comfort is your primary concern, or where budget is an issue. Just be prepared to replace the carpet every 10 years or so.
Carpet vs Hardwood: The Final Verdict
According to the above, hardwood and carpet flooring are equally healthy. However, carpets are harder to clean properly, making them less ideal for people with allergies or asthma.
While hardwood floors add the most value to a home, that's not to say all buyers will lose interest if they aren't in your home. As long as there is a consistent flow of hard surfaces (not too much mixing, and no nasty carpeting), there's still a great chance at getting the most value out of your sale.
Carpet In The City
Chiaramonte says that some buyers still prefer soft flooring for bedrooms. However, they usually avoid carpeting the entire room. “It's far easier to redo or change the feeling in a room by purchasing a new rug!
Installing hardwood flooring averages between $6 and $12 per square foot. On average, wood flooring costs between $3 and $7 per square foot for materials and $3 to $5 per square foot for labor. An estimate for installation of 1000 square feet of hardwood flooring runs between $6,000 and $12,000.
Today, carpet is often seen as outdated, dingy, and even unsanitary, trapping pests, dust, and moisture deep below the surface.
Though hardwood is incredibly popular, carpeting is making a comeback, in part due to the innovative new options on the market. Carpet is a great choice for bedrooms, dens, or basements where hardwood can feel too cold and sterile, or any room where there is a risk of water damage.
Carpeting is a poor choice in any room that frequently sees water, food remnants, or dirt. These elements will quickly damage carpet. These rooms include but are not limited to, kitchens, bathrooms, entryways, mudrooms, and laundry rooms. Kitchens are a poor choice to install carpeting because of food, dirt, and water.
"Having brand new, fresh carpet increases the value of the home because it is the main focal point of the room (along with the paint) that buyers see when they tour a property," explains Samuel.
While carpet has changed over the years, today, its lifespan is usually anywhere from 5 to 15 years. The length of time that a specific carpet lasts depends on the type of carpet, carpet cushion, carpet fibers, and wear and tear the carpet is exposed to.
While new styles of luxury laminate flooring look beautiful, hardwood tends to be the best flooring to increase home value. Made of natural materials, hardwood exudes a luxurious aesthetic in any home whether it's old or brand new.
Hardwood floors are one of the best flooring options for homeowners looking to increase the resale value of their home, with hardwood typically yielding around a 75% return on investment.
When you need to replace flooring, carpet is generally cheaper than hardwood. You'll find plenty of styles, textures and types on the market with price ranges to fit any budget. Plus, since carpet is easier to install than hardwood, DIYers can save on installation costs too.
The best thing about getting a gray-colored carpet is, despite the various shades available in gray including taupe and silver, any shade of gray can still bring in an elegant look to your house. Gray-colored carpets are easily one of the trendiest carpet colors of 2021.
Carpet can be installed over hardwood floors with minimal damage and without ruining it. By using tackless strips with thinner nails around the room, limiting the use of staples, avoiding the use of adhesives, and careful carpet installation, you can minimize any damage done to your hardwood floor.
If you go with gray, when you choose carpet colors, you can choose just about any shade and still be in style. Even once out-of-date dark gray carpeting is making a comeback. In addition to looking chic and trendy, gray carpet sets the tone of a cool, contemporary space.
As CNN reported, hardwood floors can also increase home value by 3-5%. This makes them a very attractive prospect for anyone looking to sell their house in the near future. However, even if you don't plan on moving any time soon, hardwood floors may still be a good investment.
Hardwood is known for being much cleaner than carpet as it doesn't collect all of the dust and dirt beneath the surface. Despite best efforts, carpeting is never perfectly clean. Well maintained hardwood flooring can last decades!
Typical costs: Installing a standard solid-strip hardwood floor averages about $8 a square foot for materials, insulation and site finishing, and up to $12 a square foot for wide pine planks, or $1,150-$1,750 for a 12x12-foot room.
Carpet generally lasts about 10 years, while flooring types like tile, wood and laminate can last as long as 25-30 years. It all depends on how much damage they face over the years.
Expect to pay between $4,500 and $30,000 for 1,500 square feet of solid wood flooring. The species of wood you choose for your home can be a big determinant of the installation costs.
HomeAdvisor.com notes that new carpet in general tends not to affect resale value either way (compared to hardwood, for which 54% of buyers in one study were willing to pay $2,080 more). But stained or outdated carpeting doesn't do you any favors.