Flooring: Clean, repair, or install

The style and condition of flooring reveal a lot about a person and how the house has been maintained. The carpeting may need just a little steam cleaning or an all-out replacement.

We once worked with a client who had a throw rug in the upstairs hallway that was covering up vomit stains. The stains had been there for a couple of years, even though the client had cleaned several times.

Other than the stain, the carpet didn’t smell and looked to be in pretty good shape. Before suggesting they replace the carpet, we encouraged the sellers to hire a professional carpet cleaner and try, one last time, to get out the stain. When we came back to showcase the house, the stain was gone, and the carpet looked new. The sellers were shocked and admitted that they had tried cleaning the carpet using their own household carpet cleaner on the stain.

If the carpet is in good shape and doesn’t smell, have it professionally cleaned before deciding whether you need to replace it.

When you want a cost-effective replacement option, carpeting is the flooring solution of choice. If the carpet is worn, sun faded, or bears the marks of pets’ training accidents, rather than giving a $5,000 carpeting allowance or reducing the price, replace the carpet and pad for less; making the change ahead of time keeps you in control of the budget.

Regardless of your décor, replace the flooring with a neutral colour that works with the fixed elements in the room, such as the hardwood or tile flooring, the cabinetry, and the fireplace.

When pulling up the carpet, you may discover hardwood underneath. If so, you may have hit the jackpot — hardwood is a very desirable selling feature. Because updated flooring is one of the top selling features buyers look for, strongly consider refinishing the hardwood if it needs it. But leave refinishing to the pros. They will sand the wood properly without denting the baseboards and then apply a coat or two of satin urethane to protect and bring out the beauty of the wood.