Are you looking to exponentially increase the value of your home before you list it on the local market? Maybe its time to do something to set you home apart from the rest. New flooring is a great place to start. Not only do new floors add warmth and life to a home, it can also drastically alter the appeal that your home has to viewers. With such a variety of materials to choose from you can create an entirely new home with a theme that viewers will remember.
There are a few kinds of flooring that are very popular these days; laminate, hardwood, tile, linoleum, and concrete flooring for the warehouse look. These types of flooring can heavily influence the atmosphere and feel of your home so be sure to plan the theme of your home carefully before you go ahead with the floors.
Tile floors are great for high traffic areas like the kitchen, bathroom and landry rooms. Tile comes in numerous styles and types that can mimic some of the world's most beautiful and well known stonework like terra cotta. Tile also lasts for a very long time and is extremely hard to damage or discolor. With the right space, concrete floors can look fantastic. This kind of flooring is most prevalent in warehouse lofts and conversions. Needless to say, it is almost impossible to damage concrete without the use of a jackhammer, not exactly your common kitchen tool.
Now we move on to the most popular family of floors; wood. Hardwood floors are a beautiful way to add value and aesthetic quality to a room. That being said, hardwood can be quite expensive to install. One must also be careful to keep hardwood dry and clean as water or moisture can discolor and warp the wood. Also the density or hardness of a wood can have an effect on the longevity and appearance of hardwood floors. Laminate flooring has become immensely popular as a cheaper alternative to hardwood. Laminate floors are easy to install and can look almost exactly like hardwood, with the bonus of being easier to maintain and clean. The final surface is linoleum. This surface is utilized largely in kitchens and bathrooms due to the longevity and waterproof nature of the material. It is the most cost effective of the choices, but does not have the visual and aesthetic qualities of the woods or tile.
The floors are one of the most visual aspects of a home. Being that there is no larger "utilized" surface in your home, its a good idea to spend some time carefully planning your floors. The money you spend will easily be justified when your home shows better and sells for a higher price.