Carpets

cottonhead

We are looking to sell up in next year or possibly the next. Anyway I know we need to do some smartening up of our place prior to going on the market but I am unsure about the carpets.

They are in fairly good conditon and not stained or anything but havent been cleaned for 8 years ( that sounds yuck now I think about it ! ).
I have heard that cleaning can make it look worse if the dirt is really ground in ? Am I best leaving it be or perhaps even changing the carpet ? We have a light greenish greyish wort of colour and I was wondering if cream would be better or is it just a waste of money ?

breadlinebetty

Depends on the quality of the carpet. Lots of people prefer wooden or laminate floors these days, but I personally think carpets are warmer and reduce noise.

Why not try having just one cleaned to see how it turns out?

cottonhead

We had someone come round to measure up and he commented that these ones were quite expensive. I am just worried that cleaning it might actually make it worse but yes testing a patch makes sense. Replacing all the carpet is just too expensive I think its not like its all patterned or got holes in.

SleeplessinScandinavia

Just following on from BreadlineBetty's post - do you know what the floor is like underneath the carpets?

You may be fortunate (as I was in my last home) and find an original parquet floor - which, quite frankly, helped the sale, in my opinion, once a very old carpet was ripped up and disposed of.

Fire_Fox

Hoq can cleaning make them look worse? Only if stains are made more visible - but you say there are none. Or a half @rsed job is done so the result is patchy - be sure to get a guarantee, try to be present and call them back if necessary.

Ivana_Tinkle

Do they actually look dirty? If there are no stains, and they don't smell of pets or smoke, I wouldn't bother cleaning them. I wouldn't have thought anyone (except possibly you!) would notice any difference.

summerholiday

I have just had my carpets deep-cleaned and the difference is noticeable. Its so much fresher and inviting to walk into a room and know that the smell that each individual emits - not usually noticeable to oneself - has gone.

Its the first thing a visitor is subconsciously aware of when entering a property.

In fact, I would clean the whole house top to bottom, all crevices with a toothbrush, a wire wool is brilliant for stainless steel taps, clean the windows and sills, inside and out, and get the curtains cleaned, and air all the cushions, duvets etc outside, if I were selling my property.

One thing I always notice is the lead-up to the house and how scruffy and unsightly they often are. Also many front doors have mean little knockers that hurt your knuckles. You can sweep the front pathway and walkway and kerb just to keep sand and grit from being walked into the house and have an old vacuum for this task. This ensures the carpets are cared for and show less wear and tear.

NuttyFaggot

Probably going to sound daft but when I was buying, I looked at various houses of the same build and in different towns. I can remember walking into one, saw the carpets and said "nope". Looking back, I think it was more to do with "blooming 'eck, how much is it going to cost me to replace the whole lot", they did even have door grippers (is that the right description?) and you could see that wasn't even underlay!

phoebe1989seb

I wouldn't go to the trouble of cleaning them either......unless they are noticeably dirty or smelly and I certainly wouldn't go as far as replacing any. When we sold our last-but-one house in 2007 our agent suggested we replace a (£75 per sq m) carpet that was a darkish colour for a more neutral one to increase saleability. The carpet was only around four years old and in excellent condition.

We replaced it with a much cheaper, but neutral coloured one in order to attract more buyers and did indeed secure a sale a couple of months later - but our buyers said they would have preferred it had we left the original carpet in situ as it went better with their antique furniture

We ended up taking the original carpet to our new house and using it in our hall, stairs and landing so it didn't go to waste though!

Contessa

Personally, I prefer carpets and dislike laminate flooring (although one bedroom has this) I'm getting my house ready to sell and have had the main bedroom redecorated, including getting a new carpet. I always use a small supplier that a friend recommended to me-very reasonable prices and speedy installation, but the shop is very basic so easily undercuts the big stores. Both my decorator and the carpet shop proprietor said I was wasting my money replacing the carpet, but the cost of the carpet was so reasonable that I went ahead. I hope it will make the house more attractive to buyers, and the carpet feel lovely underfoot.
Or you could hire a rug doctor? ( although I've been told that after a few months the dirt shows up again?)

zaksmum

I have 2 dogs and the house is carpeted throughout.

I bought a Vax carpet cleaner which doubles as a vacuum cleaner a couple of years ago and each carpet is thoroughly cleaned once a month religiously.

The difference really does show, and the carpets are always clean and fresh.