| Why Hardwood Floors |
|
Hardwood
floors are a growing trend. Hardwood flooring is gaining tremendous
popularity with today's home buyers. Wall-to-wall carpet used to
dominate the new home market, winning as much as 80% of all floor
covering sales in the 1980s. But in the 90s, carpet has lost more than
a quarter of its market share, and hardwood flooring is growing
dramatically.
A Wall Street Journal article recently noted home buyers' shift to hardwood flooring. "During the past decade, young adults and baby boomers have rejected the notion that practically every room needs carpeting," it observed. It's easy to see why home buyers want hardwood flooring. First, it's a durable investment. Instead of having to replace carpet every five to seven years, home owners can enjoy hardwood floors for a lifetime, and their family will treasure it for generations to come. Wood also can be cleaned more thoroughly than carpet, which can trap dust, dirt, allergens, germs and microscopic insects in its fibers. As people become more concerned with their health, they naturally prefer the easy-to-clean surface of hardwood floors. There are solid practical reasons why home buyers increasingly insist on hardwood flooring. It adds strength to the home's structure. It provides better insulation than carpet. And it significantly increases a home's resale value. But the most important reason of all is hardwood flooring's warmth, character, and rich, natural beauty. It enhances any room, complements any furniture, and offers limitless choices in species, colors and patterns. Hardwood floors mean faster home sales. In a national survey of more than a thousand real estate agents, 90% said hardwood floors influence how fast a home sells! Agent after agent in every area of the country agreed. "There is a perception today they don't build homes like they used to. When people see hardwood floors instead of carpet-covered plywood, they feel the entire house was built with superior building materials." - a Pennsylvania agent "Wood looks more expensive than carpet and is perceived as denoting a well-constructed home." - a Midwestern agent "Home buyers looking at a carpeted house always ask, 'What's under the carpet? Are there hardwood floors?' - a Southeastern agent "In Miami, people love hardwood floors." - a Miami agent These agents know what makes homes sell fast. And time after time, hundreds of them said the same thing: hardwood floors. A Connecticut agent summed it up perfectly: "All buyers want hardwood floors." Hardwood floors also add value. Hardwood flooring doesn't just help a home sell faster. It helps it sell for a higher price, and the increase is greater than the added cost of wood flooring. In a national survey of real estate agents, 58% said homes with hardwood floors bring higher sales prices. How much extra is hardwood flooring worth to home buyers? The National Association of Realtors says the difference can range from 2% to 10% of the market value of the house. |
