Need a carpet for our bedroom. Small independent seller or big chain best?

rosie383

We really need to replace our bedroom carpet. We want to sell the house in maybe a few months, so don't want to spend a lot, but still need it to be decent looking when we leave IYKWIM.
Where are we likely to get the best deal? I hate the big chains. I just always get the feeling the sales people couldn't care less about us, but the smaller firms always are much more expensive. Is there any happy medium out there? BTW, we are in Luton, so any suggestions around the 3 counties would be helpful, or just general advice.

Enterprise_1701C

We intend to go to a small independant store - have done the carpetright thing but only for offcuts. Big chains inflate prices before reducing them and are not too concerned about repeat custom, small shops sell them at the real price and want to keep your custom so aim to please. You can also negotiate in most small shops.

aloise

if you do go for a small retailer, watch what you are getting. When i ordered from one it was carpet and underlay. I watched them bring in both so just went and got on with other things. It wasn't until a couple of years later when we had to pull up the carpet that we found the underlay hadn't been put down at all. Must have taken it out again when I wasn't looking.Haven't been to a small dealer since.

wallbash

CarpetRight fan here.Forget there dreadful adverts , no one cares how much they discount , get the quotes , look at the final bill . Independents cost an arm and a leg round here , far more choice at a large chain. Fitters are independent, so there will be good and bad... but as you wont pay til they finish , just do a quick check.

rosie383

Probably will end up at CarpetRite. They have a sale on at the mo, and we have been to a couple of independents and found them very expensive. I know you get what you pay for, but we don't need something that will cost the earth.

wallbash

I know you get what you pay for, but we don't need something that will cost the earth.

I love it when people say they get better carpets at Independents , they must think that all shops manufacture carpets themselves.

ukcarper

I suppose it depends on independant I always use the one near me similar price to carpetright much better service. One thing that annoys me with carpetright is delivery charge even though the fitters bring carpet.

moneysavingkitten

I just got bedroom and living room carpet from an independent shop today. The carpet was half the price of the same carpet in the sale at Carpet Right.

I also got a quote for underlay from http://www.tradepriced.co.uk/ which seemed to be pretty cheap and then asked the independent shop to match it, which they almost did, it was only £5 more to get it from them so I went with it. Which meant I got luxury underlay for the price of the cheap standard underlay they first offered me.

I think it's worth going online to work out what different types of carpet are worth, taking quotes to independent shops then seeing if they will match them. That way you can get a good price, but still get to feel the carpet in person before you buy it.

I don't know much about fitting though, I am lucky enough to have a family member to do it for me!

basill

We have used SK carpets on Hatfield Rd, in St Albans for a number of jobs in two houses over a nearly 20 year period and have always been pleased with the results. Good service, sound advice and fair prices.
I have just found they have a website!

B

rosie383

Moneysavingkitten... that is great advice. Thank you. And thanks for the link too. I'm going to check that out definitely.

And Basill.....thank you for your recommendation. It's an easy wee trip down the road to St. Albans, so that is one we will look at.

rosie383

That is a great site moneysavingkitten. I definitely am going to the carpet shop armed with a quote to see if they will match it. Mind you, even with £6.95 delivery charge, their prices are brilliant!