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The flooring you choose for your rental property has to strike the right balance between budget, durability and what’s most attractive to tenants. Here are the three most popular options, with prices quoted for a standard 3-bedroom house:
1. Carpet
The cheapest option is a basic felt-backed carpet that doesn’t need underlay, but these will only last 2-4 years. Our advice is to go for a better-quality hard-wearing carpet, which should last 5-10 years and cost between £3,500 and £5,000.
Tip: Always have a good-quality underlay and don’t be tempted to lay carpet on top over other floorings.
2. Laminate
Because of the noise of shoes on laminate, it’s best to avoid putting it above the ground floor. If you have a flat, you might be restricted on what flooring you can have, so check your lease.
Scratch-resistant laminate works well in entrance hallways, as that’s an area of high traffic. It’s also good if you have tenants with pets or children, being easy to clean and good for allergies.
Although you could fit a property for under £3,000, cheap laminate can chip quite easily and will quickly start to look tatty. If you spend around £5,000, you’ll get a better quality that should last around 10 years.
Tip: Always use a carpenter to fit laminate floors, no matter how ‘easy to fit’ the manufacturer says it is!
3. Vinyl
Vinyl is no longer the cheap-looking option it once was. It’s come a long way in recent years and now comes in a huge range of colours and styles. Landlords tend to choose it for kitchens and bathrooms because it’s easy to clean and, most importantly, moisture tolerant in a way that laminate isn’t.
Go for a darker shade and a tiled floor effect with a ‘mottled’ pattern that will hide any marks. That should give you a stylish look that will last as long as laminate, for around the same price.
Tip: If you can stretch your budget a little bit, go for luxury vinyl tiles, which tend to last slightly longer and look even more realistic than sheet vinyl.
Finally…real wooden flooring
If you’re aiming at the higher end of the market, real wooden flooring makes a great impression and should last for the lifetime of your investment. Real wood can be repeatedly sanded and re-varnished if it becomes stained or scuffed, however it is a bigger investment. You can expect to pay upwards of £10,000 for a standard 3-bed home.
Tip: Use a reputable retailer that knows the difference in quality between different wood options. Importantly, make sure someone visits the property to assess the atmosphere so that you get the right type of wood.
If you’d like any advice on what type of flooring will best suit your target market, just call into your local Your Move branch and one of the team will be happy to discuss your options.
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