Design Priorities: Flooring
“There are many advantages to upgrading your flooring with the builder versus waiting until you close on the home and doing it later. Some advantages are:- Addition of a warranty with the builder
- Convenience
- If you have a mortgage, you can roll that upgrade into your mortgage versus having to come up with the money afterwards
- No additional labor costs for removing the existing floor and installing the new floor later.”
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Megan Borchart
D R Horton Homes
Romeoville, IL |
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According to our designer council, flooring is one of the top three upgrades to consider during the homebuilding phase. One of the main reasons is because re-installing flooring after you move into your house can be an expensive and inconvenient process:
- Paying full price for flooring again
- Paying for labor to remove existing flooring
- Paying for installation labor for new flooring
- Potential to damage surrounding surfaces (which builder will not cover)
- Loss of builder warranty
- Hassle of moving your furniture for a length of time which limits your lifestyle
Our design experts agree that flooring is one of the more often overlooked selections in the home-buying process while it is also one of the most important. Flooring is the stage on which we live and sets the tone for each and every room for years to come. All flooring selections should be made at the same time in order to assure that the home buyer likes the transitions from room to room and surface to surface. High quality flooring pays for itself because it lasts longer and saves the home buyer from early replacement hassles and costs. In many cases, high quality flooring will not need replacement for re-sale purposes. Always check the warranties to see whether or not the warranties are transferable to a new owner.
For a completely finished look, it is better to finalize all of your flooring options at the same time. Start with carpet because it often dictates the color scheme throughout the entire house and is commonly placed in high-traffic areas.
When choosing the right flooring for your new home it's useful to understand the different materials available, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each type.
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