What Kind of Flooring Increases Home Value?

Which type of flooring provides the best value to home sellers?

At the end of the day, you need to consider more than just which type of flooring buyers want most. If you’re prepping your home to sell for the highest value, you have to factor in your home’s current condition, and the cost of various flooring options weighed against the potential increase in value for each option.

To help you make an informed decision, reference this table to consider the cost and potential return on investment (ROI) for each potential flooring option.

Flooring type	Cost per square foot	ROI	Pros	Cons
Hardwood (new)	$6-$12	High	• Natural look • Longevity	• Scratches easily • Water resistance
Hardwood (refinish)	$2-$7	High	• Newer finishes • Less expensive	• Scratches easily • Water resistance
Luxury vinyl tile (LVT)	$3-$18	High	• Easy installation • Very durable	• Vinyl aesthetic • DIY mistakes
Luxury vinyl plank (LVP)	$2-$7	High	• Hardwood look • Very durable	• Vinyl aesthetic • DIY mistakes
Ceramic or porcelain tile	$8-$15	Mid	• Water resistant • Great aesthetic	• Installation is hard • Can break easily
Exotic Hardwood (new)	$10-$30	Mid	• Luxurious • Sustainable	• Very expensive • Hard to maintain
Engineered hardwood	$4-$9	Mid	• Less expensive • Water resistant	• Less durable • Harder to refinish
Natural stone	$2-$30	Mid	• Looks luxurious • Can re-polish	• Hard to install • Ongoing resealing
Vinyl composite tile (VCT)	$2-$11	Mid	• Water resistant • Easy installation	• Less luxurious • DIY mistakes
Carpet	$0.50- $9	Low	• Most comfortable • Warm and cozy	• Wears easily • Pets and allergies
Laminate flooring	$3-$7	Low	• Durable • Easy installation	• Water damage • Hard to maintain
Linoleum	$3-$12	Low	• Easy installation • Low cost	• Looks cheap • Less durable

Which rooms matter most when it comes to flooring and home value?

Contrary to what all those home renovations on HGTV made you think, not every room needs to have the ideal flooring. There are definitely rooms where it matters more than others. Additionally, the ideal type of flooring may be different for each room.

The main areas of the home, such as the entryway, living areas, dining areas, and kitchen, are typically the first that buyers will see and will set the mood and tone for the rest of the home. Getting the flooring right in these areas is the first priority.

Ashlynn Petrocco, a top real estate agent in Dallas, Texas who’s sold homes in as few as seven days, explains that buyers want to see hard surfaces in the main areas of the home. “Wood flooring or even laminate,” she says, “and anything hard surface over the carpet.”

While Singsheim agrees that hardwood or a similarly-looking luxury vinyl flooring option is best for the main areas, it can be tasteful to use a nice marble, stone, ceramic, or porcelain tile floor for the main entryway and/or mudroom. “Tile flooring, in general, has always been popular. These are great for landings inside doorways and can be used in tandem with other floorings when done well.”

As for the bedrooms (especially on the top floor), believe it or not, carpet is still a good choice. “A lot of people still use carpet on the second floor instead of the first,” explains Singsheim. “It can help reduce noise, especially when there are young children. It’s more comfortable in areas where you may be spending more time on the ground, and it keeps the floors warmer.”

So while hardwood may be more aesthetically pleasing, it’s okay to choose comfort in bedrooms.

Here are a few general tips when considering flooring for various rooms:

1. Opt for hard surfaces instead of carpet, except in upstairs bedrooms.
2. Choose hardwood for its aesthetic appeal, but luxury vinyl can look just as good at a lower price.
3. Keep your flooring consistent throughout the home as much as possible.
4. Introduce tasteful variations where appropriate, such as in a bathroom or entryway, but don’t let different types of flooring meet in high-traffic areas.

How do you get your floors ready for the home sale?

Excessive wear and tear on the flooring will drive buyers away, so it’s important to focus on getting your flooring right before listing the house.

Singsheim cites the condition of the floor as one of the main reasons that buyers walk away from a sale. “It’s a big expense for a lot of people… It’s not like painting or other things that can be done after moving in. With flooring, you can’t move in until it’s done.”

Here’s how to get floors ready for an open house:

Evaluate the carpets with a critical eye

Carpets aren’t really en vogue today, but whether or not carpeting works in the home depends on where it’s located. “If the carpet is in the bedroom and in good condition, then that’s OK. Buyers are OK with carpet when it’s clean,” explains Petrocco.

When looking at carpets, think of how buyers would feel and try to see the floors with fresh eyes.

Ask yourself these questions to determine if your carpets are in good shape, and be honest.

1. Would you think the carpet was recently installed if this were the first time you saw it?
2. Would you walk barefoot through the house?
3. Would you let a baby play on the floor?
4. Does the 5-second rule apply if you drop your favorite snack on the floor?

If the answers to these questions leave you shaking your head, then it’s time for a replacement. Petrocco summarizes her rule on carpeting as follows, “If you’re going to keep the carpet, make sure it’s fresh.”

Repair hardwood floors

Proper hardwood floor maintenance may considerably increase a home’s value. But, completely redoing hardwood floors is an expensive undertaking if you don’t plan on staying in a home. Rather than making that kind of investment right away, work with a real estate agent to see what can be done to treat the floors first.

A combination of quick fixes and conditioning might be all it takes to get antique floors looking like they just came from the sawmill. “Depending on the condition,” Petrocco says, “Murphy’s Oil Soap or any other floor conditioning can go a long way, you’d be surprised.”

At a bare minimum, here are ways to bring back tired hardwood floors:

1. Make sure floors are even, not creaking, and individually damaged pieces are repaired or replaced. Here’s a quick video tutorial on repairing wood floors.
2. Clean and treat worn floors to give them a new sheen. Even a little bit of effort can go a long way in making old floors look brand new. Check out this tutorial with a video on how to do that.

Consider flooring alternatives

Synthetic home materials are getting better all the time, and flooring is no exception.

According to 50 Floor, luxury vinyl is as popular as hardwood floors in floor remodeling projects. Floor Covering News, a national research-based publication, recently reported the strong market share of resilient flooring, a blanket term used for most synthetic options.

In 2023, it represented 34% of total dollar sales and 35.55% of volume, the same as the previous year’s total dollar sales and up from 31.64% volume share. To put things into perspective, the resilient market accounted for only 11.9% of dollars ($2.206 billion) and 15.7% of volume (2.73 billion square feet) in 2013. This means that over the last decade, more people have chosen vinyl and other hardwood flooring alternatives.

“Not only is luxury vinyl flooring cost-effective, but it comes in so many different and modern patterns that it can pretty much go with anything to get the feel of an updated home without a huge expense,” says Singsheim.

Faux-wood vinyl flooring is cost-effective, easy to install, and offers a huge variety to choose from. Not all vinyl is soft; some are highly scratch-resistant and have pet-proofing qualities that will go a long way with buyers.

Partner with a top agent who knows what buyers want in your market

Just like walls and surfaces, floors should be at their best during home showings. While hardwood floors are generally preferred, there are more synthetic options now than ever before to give your home a modern look without a huge expense.

Set aside time with an agent during initial meetings to determine what the floors in your home need. Whether it’s a quick clean or a full replacement, it’ll pay off when the buyers arrive.

HomeLight’s free Agent Match platform can connect you with a top-performing real estate agent in your area with the experience and intuition you need to help you make the best decision regarding your flooring. A proven agent will know how to determine the current condition of your floors, whether they need attention, and which remediation options will give you the best return on your investment.

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