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Buying a condo is a big deal, especially if it is your first condo. Second to buying your first condo is making it feel like your home. As you well know, how much you pay for your new condo will impact the work and budget you’ll need to put into remodeling your new place. When funds are limited, it’s best to take remodels slowly so that you don’t go housebroke. It’s also important to think about making updates that will make your condo feel unique to you AND add value in the event that you plan to sell in the future.
One upgrade that will always add value – whether it is a condo or a house – is new flooring. Traditionally, hardwood flooring helps homes sell faster and for more money. Likewise, hardwood flooring tends to come with a slightly higher price tag if you go the route of solid hardwood. And, that price increases if the wood you’re looking at is of a more exotic type or comes in a trending look and/or color. Fortunately, there are also many other flooring options for budget-conscious renovators to consider. For some ideas on wood-look flooring, check out the variety of vinyl flooring options.
In order to find the best flooring choice for you, follow these five steps:
Step 1: Research Your Options
There’s more to new flooring than simply hardwood. When you’re replacing your flooring on a budget there are lots of options to choose from, including engineered wood, tile, laminate, luxury vinyl plank flooring, and more. Luxury vinyl plank flooring has grown in popularity due to its realistic wood look, texture, and easy-on-the-wallet price tag. In addition to price, you also need to know the pros and cons of each type of flooring you’re considering. For example, vinyl plank flooring compared to wood flooring and most laminates is water resistant and easier to maintain.
Step 2: Determine Your Installation Preference
Flooring has advanced to the point where DIY-friendly options are now widely available for homeowners, which helps reduce costs by removing the need for professional installation teams. DIY flooring options, such as Click-Lock vinyl offered by GoHaus, do not need to be adhered to the subfloor and lock into place with an interlocking mechanism around each vinyl plank.
Step 3: Sample Your Favorites
Once you’ve done your research on companies and materials, you need to do your due diligence and get samples of the flooring you think is best for your condo. Samples are the single best way to know for sure if you can live with (and walk on) the flooring for years to come.
Step 4: Understand Your True Cost
This step is most important in staying within budget and is often overlooked by first-time renovators who are then surprised by all the extra costs that creep in during the project. True cost applies not only to the cost of the product, but also includes items such as shipping & handling, installation tools & materials, and professional installation (if you go that route). All of these costs totaled add up is the true cost per square foot of a remodeling project such as flooring. This is the cost you use when you shop and compare various flooring solutions.
Step 5: Verify Your Supplier’s Reliability
Once you’ve gone through these four steps and narrowed down your flooring choice, there is one more step before it’s time to place your order. Use your online tools to verify that the supplier you picked is reliable and will stand behind their product for years to come.
Check your HOA rules, especially if you are on an upper floor. Many have noise mitigating requirements.
Thanks PR, excellent point. This is especially important if your condo is in a highrise apartment building.