Flooring Trends That Buyers Love

Looking to replace that faded, old carpet or retile your bathroom? Whether you’re getting ready to sell now or in the future, it’s important to choose new flooring that not only you will love but also will make future buyers for your home say yes! Find out what everyone wants in hardwood, carpet and ceramic tile as found at the annual flooring market, Surfaces.

Hardwood

Color Trend: Opposites Attract

Very dark colors (espresso, dark walnut, true browns) and very light colors (light or blonde woods) are the trends this year. Gray tones are still popular, but reds are not as popular with buyers. The traditional hand-scraped planks continue to provide a selling feature for listings.

Go Wide

Wider planks make a space look larger and more modern. Generally, 3 ¼” to 5” width planks look more contemporary. Planks that are wider tend to give a more rustic look.

Location, Location, Location

Hardwood continues to grow in popularity for kitchen floors, especially because open concept floor plans are what everyone is wanting. In addition, there has been a growing trend toward adding hardwood in entryways and powder rooms.

What’s Out?

Bamboo. Soon the days of bamboo will be gone. Bamboo does not hold up well – to water or foot traffic. Generally, it’s a cheaper alternative to hardwood and most cannot be refinished, so they really aren’t sustainable. Bamboo has been widely pushed by cheaper big box stores, and because most are made in China, they have a lot of adhesive and may have high levels of formaldehyde. Customers are getting smarter and realizing this.

What’s In?

Luxury Vinyl Planks continues to be the IT product. “It’s the fastest-growing portion of the industry in the past two years,” according to Scott Humphrey, chief executive of the World Floor Covering Association, a trade group based in Anaheim, Calif. Humphrey said this flooring category has developed thanks to extraordinary photo technology that mimics wood (or just about any other material) so closely that you have to look twice to see that it’s vinyl. LVP products come in a wide range of styles and thicknesses, which makes it an attractive choice for just about any budget.

Carpet

Carpet continues to be the quickest and most affordable choice for sellers. It’s important to understand not only what type of carpet buyers want, but where they want to see it.

Cut loop carpet

Cut loop carpet is a mixture of cut pile and looped fibers to form a pattern, and this continues to grow in popularity. More and more patterns are being introduced by manufacturers to match a wide variety of décor styles.

Plush/cut pile carpet

This is no longer your mother’s carpet. Even though it’s the most traditional carpet available, it’s undergoing a change. The introduction of soft fibers has rejuvenated this product category.

Where should it go?

Buyers expect and prefer to see carpet in bedrooms and on stairs. Carpet in living areas is still fine with most buyers, although the trend is leaning toward wood or luxury vinyl plank.

Ceramic Tile

The trend is big – Literally

Tile in formats larger than the standard 12-by-12 inches is growing in popularity because it adds a level of sophistication and spaciousness to rooms.

Faux-Wood Tile Continues to Grow in Popularity

Wood-look tile continues to gain ground as an alternative to real wood. First, it can be less expensive than hardwood, even engineered hardwood. Second, it’s easier to care for. And third, it’s more durable. On the downside, perhaps, is the noise level. Tile is slightly louder than wood to walk on, and of course, it’s harder, so standing on it for long periods can cause faster leg fatigue. Many buyers, though, are willing to trade those things for the ease-of-care and durability that tile offers.

Still have questions about flooring? Give us a call or send us an email! We have several vendors we work with you who specialize in helping homeowners select and buy the right flooring for your home. We’re here to help!

(Source: CSC Floors)