San Francisco Real Estate - Residential

Making improvements to your San Francisco real estate - hardwood vs. wall to wall carpet

A reader asks:

We have wall to wall carpet in the bedrooms and on the stairway and are wondering if we should replace the carpet or put in hardwood floors. Which do you think is a better choice? We got the estimates for both, and hardood floors are much more expensive to have installed. Do you think we can recapture the cost of the hardwood floors when we sell?

Our reply:

Of all the flooring choices, hardwood floors can last the longest. In fact, the floors in many homes in San Francisco are now well over 50 years old and still look great. Plus, by reacting with air and sunlight, their appearance actually improves over time as they fade, or darken depending on the type of wood (as in cherry wood floors), to a very desirable patina. Hardwood floors can also be refinished and they are generally easy to maintain. And there are many choices when it come to the type of wood you use; from bamboo to cherry to pecan or the more common oak.

When it comes time to sell your home, hardwood floors are a major selling point and will increase the perceived value of your home substantially. According to realtors, hardwood can add 8% to 10% to the price of a house. In a $750,000 house, that means $60,000 to $75,000 more on the selling price.

- Janis Stone

posted by SFResidence.com @ 7:49 AM