Should You Replace Carpet Before Selling Your House? Signs, Alternatives, & Profit

If you’re planning to put your home on the market, you might be wondering if it’s worth it to replace your carpet before you sell—or if you should just let the next homeowners choose their own flooring once they buy the home. 

Should You Replace Carpet Before Selling Your House? 

In a lot of cases the answer is yes, you should replace carpet before selling your home. Replacing flooring before selling is one of the most common pre-listing home improvement projects for a few different reasons. 

A survey from Coldwell Banker found that 80% of home buyers would prefer to buy a move-in ready home.¹ Today’s buyers want a house that requires minimal work for them. Removing carpets with faded pet stains or an out-of-touch style will help reduce the number of renovations new homeowners need to do and may convince them to make an offer.  

Not only can replacing carpet before selling help buyers get closer to the move-in ready home of their dreams, but also it usually pays off to rip and replace. In many cases, replacing carpet can increase the value of the home. According to one report, new wood flooring can yield a whopping 188% return on investment.²  

When to Replace Carpet in Your Home

Although replacing carpet increases home value, it can still be hard to know when to start from scratch and when to give your existing flooring a little love. Especially if you already replaced the carpet at some point, you may hope to skip this update, but will it cost you? Here are some telltale signs you may need to replace the carpet in your house before selling.  

Carpet is Showing Signs of Wear and Tear 

In 2021, the median length of homeownership was 13.2 years, but most carpets only last between 5-15 years.^3,4 Especially in areas of high foot traffic, your carpet may be on its last leg.  

Common signs of carpet wear and tear include: 

• Padding missing in certain spots 
• Damaged or ripped sections 
• Old stains that won’t come out 
• Faded coloring 

If your carpet is exhibiting any of these signs above, it may be best to swap it out and look into replacing your carpet flooring before selling.

What Should I Replace Carpet With?

If you are ready to replace the carpet before selling your home, the next step is deciding what flooring to pick. There are a few different options to choose from. Keep in mind that the best flooring to increase home value may not be what is best for your situation, so do your research before making your decision. 

New Carpet 

Option one is new carpet. Carpet is still common in bedrooms, basements, and family rooms because it is cozy, dampens sound, and provides insulation. It is also cheaper than other flooring options. While new carpet increases home value, it is typically not as much as some other flooring options. If you do opt to replace old carpet with new carpet before selling, we recommend a neutral color that appeals to a broad set of buyers. 

Luxury Vinyl Tile 

Another option is luxury vinyl tile (LVT). LVT is a waterproof flooring material. It is a popular option for kitchens, bathrooms, and basements. It can look like hardwood flooring but is much easier to maintain and costs a lot less to install. While the material is durable and stands up to water well, it’s softer than hardwood and tile.  

Hardwood 

Hardwood flooring is a popular and trendy carpet replacement that can be found throughout many rooms. Because it can usually be refinished and has a high return on investment, it tends to be a good choice for many homeowners wanting to get rid of carpet before selling. 

Tile 

This type of popular flooring can be made of stone, ceramic, or porcelain. Because of its versatility, it can be a good option for kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms, and various other spaces. 

If you aren’t sure what to replace your carpet with before selling, that is okay. At Curbio, we help homeowners like you determine what is best for your specific situation.  

How to Maximize Profit When Replacing Carpets Before Selling  

Replacing old carpet before selling your house may just be the start. If you are looking to boost your return on investment, these other updates could also help.  

Two big trends in home design are open floor plans and consistent flooring. As such, it may make sense to replace additional flooring in your home to make your property move-in ready. Such an update can have a dramatic effect on the aesthetic of your home and also help you achieve a higher price point. In the photos below, you can see how installing consistent flooring in this home made it feel bigger and more cohesive. Plus, this improvement helped the homeowner sell for $81k more! See the full case study here. 

If you’re already looking to replace carpet before selling your house, you should also consider other improvements you could make to boost your sale price. From painting the interior to renovating your kitchen before selling, we are equipped to handle various home improvement projects to get a property on the market sold faster and for more. And the best part? You do not have to pay until closing. Have your real estate agent start the process by submitting a request for an estimate.  

Sources: 

1. Coldwell Banker (2020). “Guiding You Home” Survey Key Findings  
2. National Association of REALTORS® (2022). Remodeling Impact Report 
3. The Zebra (2021). Average length of homeownership: Americans spend less than 15 years in one home 
4. HomeAdvisor (2022). Carpet or Hardwood Floors for Bedrooms, Living Rooms and More