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Hello – new to the community here but hoping you experts out there will have some advice for me. We will be putting our house on the market soon and have done regular maintenance so it’s in pretty great shape – new roof, new windows, new siding, new HVAC, updated baths and granite, etc.

My dilemma comes with the carpeting. It has taken a beating with our faithful dog in his last years and it simply must be replaced, as well as the subfloor treated. In addition, my mother moved in with us a couple of years ago and her room’s carpet has also suffered. I can replace the carpeting in the public areas once our dog is gone, but I don’t know what to do about also carpeting my mother’s room (which is the Master BR) while it is on the market.

Should I go ahead and re-carpet her room when I do the rest of the house and put that sticky plastic shield down in her wear places? Hate to leave it as is and offer an adjustment since it’s so stained and pulled (did I mention her cat?), especially since it’s the MBR.

Any advice would be most welcome! I’m also afraid to pick a new carpet color/pattern, but probably will call a decorator in to help on that. I know neutral is the way to go, but I hope to find something that already goes with the wall colors since I just painted a couple of years ago. (Walls in LR are butter yellow, in DR mocha below the chair rail).

Many thanks in advance!

Melkat ~ Welcome to the Real Estate boards!

I get where you are coming from but have to say that I hope the joy you have received from sharing your home with your dog and your mother far out-weigh any problems that may be. I know what I am talking about ~ we will need to replace the entire flooring in our Maine Coon's Room when they are gone. Small sacrifice for the joy they have brought into our lives.

Okay, first things first. You are most likely going to hear from MANY posters - DON'T RE-CARPET! Instead, put in hardwood throughout - it seems to be the theme of the day. Myself, I like carpet in bedrooms but, hey, that's just me.

If you do decide to go ahead and re-carpet, it only makes sense to do all of the rooms at the same time and, no, don't put down any "sticky shields" in your Mom's room. Might be a tripping hazard and would also send a negative message to her...

Instead, do it all at once ~ make the floor look new again. You can always call in a professional cleaner once you actually are on the market. In the meantime, enjoy your home as it was meant to be ~ for you, your dog and your mother ~ don't live your life anticipating the likes or dislikes of imaginary buyers.

Before committing to any specific upgrades, I suggest you review both the comps (actual solds) and listings (active plus off-market), including both categories' days-on-market to determine the average or expected upgrades in your area, at your price point. (BTW, although homes with nicer, tasteful and relatively generic upgrades may sell faster, it's usually at not that much more **$ per square foot, especially after considering upgrade costs IMHO.) That way, you can take care to avoid overimproving your property.

WRT the flooring, it's true that consistent flooring throughout should make your home feel larger. After reviewing the other properties, I would consider my options, including no change/only cleaning the existing floor, carpeting and various types of wood products, including laminate, hardwood, bamboo and cork. Incidentally, some of the alternative wood choices may have benefits for your pet and urine issues.

Thinking about the master, even if you do carpet everywhere else, you might want to consider upgrading it to some type of wood product and then placing easily washable rugs over sensitive areas. The rugs could then be removed for showings.

All of the above is JMHO and best of luck to you -

Many thanks, AB and IR, for your prompt responses! We had thought about hardwood in the main areas but are concerned because we have a hardwood semi-circular foyer that also includes the powder room - I'm guessing we would have to replace all that as well since it would be difficult to match up. But maybe that's the better idea.

Our precious pet is fading fast and will not be with us long, I fear. Days, probably. We've tried the professional pet cleaning with no results on the smell issue. If not for the smell, we would probably just clean it since it's dark carpet and shows no stains. The MBR is quite light, however. Sigh, lots of turmoil on the cusp of a move!

Thanks again for your advice and support.

Melcat, I understand what you are going through, we have a small dog who has no sense of the difference between indoors and out. We will need to replace all the carpeting we have when he is gone, actually should do it sooner.

If your plans are to place your home on the market in the next few months I would suggest recarpeting all the bedrooms and hallways at the same time. I don't see how much damage the cat and your mother's (walker? Wheel chair?) can do over 6 months.

With the cat - is it clawing or litter box issues? If clawing, take kitty to a groomer and have her nails clipped or capped once a week or as needed. If it is litter box related - Plastic under the box. Then when showing the house, scoop it all up and put kitty elsewhere during the showing.

As a pet owner, i have found during the years, that having a floor that is not carpet, has saved me from lots of problems.
I have area rugs but not full carpets.
Anytime that you have a pet, you have to expect accidents from any animal.
It all depends on your budget and your circumstances, and of course the comps in your area. All of these need to be consider when you make your decission.