Why Spend Money On New Floors If You Are Going To Sell The House?

As a New Hampshire professional Home Stager I preach to all of my clients the importance of making improvements PRIOR to listing.  Recently, my husband and I found ourselves in this very situation...faced with the decision of whether or not to invest money into our home.Background story....We decided a few months ago that it was time to downsize. The plan was to find the right house to buy and then sell our current home....no more mortgage payment and less of a tax burden. Our current home has what looks like hardwood floors in the kitchen, dining room, hall and very large living room. They have been really scratched, with a dull finish, since we bought the house. I've never been thrilled with the condition, but most people don't even notice and assume they are hardwood.Anyways....just before we decided to sell, the floor started curling up in areas. Bad. Like catch your foot on it, can't help but notice it, BAD.I had two flooring companies come in to give us an estimate on refinishing (if possible) or installing new hardwood.Both said refinishing wasn't an option. As suspected there is very little real wood to them. The floors were "failing" and were only going to get worse.Cost of replacement for prefinished hardwood... $10,000.Do we want to spend $10,000 on a house we may be selling in the very near future? No, we don't.But we both agree it's the smartest thing to do. We don't want the condition of the floors (first thing buyers see upon entering the house) to give the impression that our beautiful home has not been well maintained.We certainly don't want the floors to be a bargaining tool used against us.As much as we don't want to deal with the hassle, inconvenience and cost of new flooring, it's unrealistic to expect potential buyers to be any more willing to deal with it. My husband manages the service department at a car dealership and his boss asked him "Why would you spend so much money on new floors if you are going to sell? "As a Home Stager, I'm pretty proud of his answer..." If you took a car in trade and the hood had a large dent in the middle of it, would you price it to sell in that condition or would you run it through the body shop, repair and paint the hood, and put it on the lot with a higher price on it? "The dealer said that he would run it through the shop and go for the higher price. From a business standpoint, it's the best option.BINGO!Here's a photo of our kitchen with half the floor done...Which flooring would you prefer to see in a house you are considering buying?  If You Make Improvements Prior To Listing You Have More Control You Don't Want To Remove Wallpaper? Newsflash: Buyers Don't Either Should I List My House With New Appliances or Offer An Allowance?  ______________________________________________________________________________      Creative & Unique Solutions... One Room at a Time WHAT IS HOME STAGING?               NEW HAMPSHIRE HOME STAGING FAQ Professional Home Staging in New Hampshire Portsmouth   Rye   North Hampton   Dover   Durham   Barrington   Rochester 603.661.8524