Re-carpet or leave bare floorboards?

beecher2

We're in the process of clearing a house to put up for sale. It will need modernisation - at the very least a new bathroom and kitchen. We're lifting the carpets at the moment and are unsure of whether to leave them as bare floorboards, or to re-carpet.

I'd love to save the hassle and expense of carpeting and just get it up for sale but do you think it would be unwise? The house will be put up at a realistic price to sell.

hazyjo

Depends where. Bedrooms - I'd prefer carpet. Downstairs, sanded/varnished floorboards are good (get a big rug for lounge though).

If they're very scruffy floorboards that you can't be bothered to sand/varnish, get it all carpeted (obviously not the kitchen or bathroom!).

Jx

Jx

LEJC

if the house is being sold with modernisation needed then I would lift the carpets and just leave the boards on show....

You wont get any more for the house putting carpet down especially if rewiring or platering needs to take placc

thelem

Some buyers will be able to look past work required, while others won't. Given that it's already going to need a new bathroom and kitchen you're already targeting the former, so missing carpets doesn't sound like a big problem. Do you really need to remove the old ones though?

Make sure you leave a working kitchen and bathroom, as that is usually a requirement for a buyer to get a mortgage.

beecher2

Thanks for the replies. Carpets upstairs are ancient so need to go while the stair carpet has holes due to a removed stairlift. Maybe I should contact local EAs for their input.

pinkteapot

If the existing carpets can possibly be left, just leave them. If the house needs cosmetic work anyway (kitchen/bathroom/decorating), people will put down new flooring as part of that.

It's nice if you can leave the old carpets as then people can choose to live with them in the interim and do rooms gradually (unless it literally can't be lived in in its current state).

witchy1066

definitely take up the carpets if they are a mess, nothing worse than old dirty carpets,

Gingernutty

What are the floorboards like? Would it be worth sanding them?

ognum

I agree, if the carpets have to go then better you get rid of them! Floor boards need to be in relatively good condition to be exposed otherwise it will just look like more work!

GoldenShadow

I would rather see messy floorboards than old carpet. I really, really dislike carpet though! I intend to never have any carpet

moneyistooshorttomention

Is it floorboards that you will be leaving or some other type of floor?

I am currently buying a house with concrete floors (ie mixed blessing).

I am glad of the current carpets (as in = they will do for the first few weeks) but I can see that it would also be a valid viewpoint to be able to see exactly what is there underneath the floor coverings.

If the floor is "bare" then its possible to see exactly what condition its in v. ohmygod there aint nowt there for the first few weeks whilst getting that sorted out on the other hand.