Question for real estate gurus - Laminate vs Hardwood for resale

[BayAreaZT]

I just tore out my carpet and i'm ready to do the flooring. I was set on putting in laminate but starting wondering if it would hurt resale. Do you think it maters if the floor is laminate and not real hardwood floors. Which would bring more return on investment? I'm planning on doing the whole bottom floor of my townhome.

[RB26240Z]

If you are comparing dolllar for dollar return in this market which is headed downward slowly, I would say laminate will be ahead based on the return on your investment but remember it is a buyer's market now in California and that might just be an excuse for a potential buyer to lower the asking price. If you were to do this last year or even the year before then the hardwood would bring more than it's share of return.

 

Both have pros & cons for practical purposes, but when it comes time to sell the market dictates what will be the best return on your investment.

 

A year ago I had clients calling in bright & early requesting to write an offer on a property that they had seen on a listing service online the night before. Granted, they cared less if it was hardwood or laminate, but home prices were appreciating so much that it was irrelevant how much a hard wood or laminate would have brought in return.

 

Last but not least, determine the dollar amount to be spent on both, labor and material. Ultimately, the laminate will cost less, which means you will have room to negotiate the price down for the buyer that would rather have hardwood, and make them feel that they are winning the negotiation battle and close the deal. (Have someone appraise the house conservatively, and list it a few thousand less, if you want to sell it fast). Otherwise you will be chasing the market by lowering the price constantly.

 

Hope this helps and good luck.

 

Henry

[slownrusty]

Hardwood anyday - couple more dollars per sq/ft but far superior product in terms of value, adding value and aesthetics...."Oak floors" rolls nicely off the tongue as opposed to "Man made machined floors"

 

I just finished laying 1800sq.ft of No.2 oak...looks amazing.

 

Yasin

[DavyZ]

Dale,

 

It's what I do for a living, so I'll give you my $.02 FWIW.

 

The hardwood looks better IMO and would give a better return on investment in that people buy what they see, especially the people that are into details. Many times the detailed work that goes into installing anything makes even more difference than the material used. A pristine laminate job is better than a sloppy hardwood job IMO. But, all things being equal, hardwood is nicer.

 

I would, however, weigh the costs of each. If you are just throwing something in there right before you sell, consider the costs involved before doing so. Spending money on 'staging' the house makes the house look more appealing despite whatever type of flooring you have. Just my $.02

 

Edit: the one thing that bothers me about cheap laminate is the pooching up of the ends, but that's usually due to improper installation (pet peeve of mine). Hardwood also will do the same and expands and contracts. Make sure the installation is CORRECT and you'll be fine either way.

 

Davy

[DemonZ]

Hardwood is not much more than good laminate when you price it all out. All things considered, installation, laminate underlayment (to make it sound like real hardwood), and other special detail pieces add up. Laminate is not any easier to install either. Laminate might seem faster because the pieces are bigger, but you have to get them butted up really square or the seam will show, and it won't look like hardwood. Pergo tongue and groove is also oriented top to bottom, so you end up wasting more material.

 

As for wear, there is some pretty tough laminate out there. That toughness is a veneer though, and a really deep scratch or gouge is easier to fix with hardwood.

 

 

IMO hardwood is a selling point, while "newly installed" laminate is not.

[Pop N Wood]

I am not sure how anyone can answer this without knowing when you plan to sell. Any time soon?

 

If you are looking at an immediate resell, put carpet back down. Few things boost the resale of a place like fresh paint and carpet. Hardwood or laminate you risk getting less out of it than the cost of putting it in. Basically you just want to put in something that shows well.

 

Also how old and/or upscale is your place? You don't want to put in something that looks out of place. If it is brand new in a yuppie part of town then lead toward the hardwood. If your place is a little older or needs touching up, then new hardwood might make everything else look shoddy in comparison. Is your townhome complex full of young single people or families with young kids? With children it is hard to beat the durability of laminate. What do you think someone in your area would want to see?

[BayAreaZT]

Thanks for all the great advice. Lots of points I haven't thought of yet. I'll definately have to take some time to consider everything.

 

The townhome is only 2 years old and very close to downtown San Jose. It's a 3 bedroom so it would appeal to families with small children but it may also appeal to a lot of the young professionals in the area since it pretty contemporary in design. I may sell next summer unless the market somehow gets really bad for sellers. Tough coice on the flooring. Then I have to figure out paint