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XP: Laminate vs. Hardwood for resale?

I also posted this on D&R.

We live in a townhome and just had our living and dining room carpet replaced with laminate wood flooring which was a huge improvement! The very next day, we happened to have a water leak in the lower level of the house which ruined the existing hardwood floors. We hadn't intended on replacing these because they were in great condition.

But...now that we have to replace them, I'm wondering if we should go with the exact same laminate as upstairs or go with a hardwood that is similar in color.

We will most likely sell in 1-2 years so I don't know if one option would be better than the other? It's not like buyers will know there used to be hardwood down there if we go with laminate, KWIM?

We would save money if we went with laminate because insurance is not covering the full replacement cost.

I would imagine that most homes in our neigborhood also have hardwood on the lower level but I'm not 100% sure.

What would you prefer if you were looking to buy a home? Any other thoughts?

TIA!

Re: XP: Laminate vs. Hardwood for resale?

  • Both will look nice. I guess it depends on your preference. We did HW but we are also planning in sticking around for 5-7 years. If it was a temporary living situation, I would probably do the less expensive option.
  • If others in the area have hardwood I would stick with that. This was one of the major things we looked at when purchasing our home.
  • I have no problem with the laminate, personally....but this isn't our forever home, so maybe that's why.

    I feel like this would be a starter home for most people who would look to buy it, so I don't see laminate as a deal breaker. But, if lots of our neighbors have hardwood downstairs, I wouldn't want to lose the sale of our house to someone else just b/c we did laminate:/

     

  • (FYI I watch a lot of HGTV so that is my resource on this.. lol) 

    From a consistency standpoint, I would go with the laminate on the lower level. That way everything in the home is the same and potential buyers aren't like "why did they skimp in here?" when they see the laminate.

    However, if neighboring comparables have hardwoods and you do not, it's going to bring down what you can ask for on an overall selling price.

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  • Thanks Michelle...those are good points. I thought consistency would be good as well.

    I still think the laminate on the main level is an upgrade from carpet...even though it's not real hardwood, so hopefully that will be a nice selling feature either way. 

  • I was going to say exactly what Michelle said. I would do the laminate, because I think the consistency throughout the house would be nice. I would assume that a townhouse isn't most people's forever home, so laminate would be fine, even an upgrade for many who are expecting carpet.

    I would do a little research on other homes in the area that are in the price range you'd be asking, before making a final decision. Just to make sure they don't all have hardwood.

  • imageDiamond_Doll:

    I was going to say exactly what Michelle said. I would do the laminate, because I think the consistency throughout the house would be nice. I would assume that a townhouse isn't most people's forever home, so laminate would be fine, even an upgrade for many who are expecting carpet.

    I would do a little research on other homes in the area that are in the price range you'd be asking, before making a final decision. Just to make sure they don't all have hardwood.

    This exactly. I would rather have consistency vs carpet. Especially in a townhouse.
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