dollars is certainly the goal, but if your flooring and carpeting are not in salable shape, you need to take inventory. There is no point in spending money unnecessarily if the improvements do not add significant value or help the home sell more quickly, but you do have options that don’t break the budget. Repairs and thorough cleaning of your floors are the least expensive way to bring them up to salable standards. Take stock of your home’s flooring by moving furniture out of the way and noting condition, scratches, stains, or blemishes. List what needs to be replaced, cleaned, or repaired. Carpets can be steam cleaned to eliminate stains and odors. If the carpets are path-worn and dull, you can replace them easily with other kinds of economical flooring with a reasonable ROI, although carpeting does make a room feel cozy. Laminate floors can be repaired cosmetically with repair kits found at home improvement stores. Hardwood flooring can be easily refinished if the wood is worn or water damaged. Seek the advice of a flooring professional because real wood floors add a level of quality to a home that laminate floors cannot. CASE STUDY Here is an example that could apply to your entire house but is given to illustrate the point stressed in this chapter. Improvements made:
• Decluttering the home • Painting the entire home
• Removing broadloom from the two bedrooms and replacing it with laminate flooring to match the natural hardwood flooring in the living room and dining room
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