Will laminate flooring increase my home’s value?

Most people will want to do everything that they possibly can to increase the market value of their homes. It can sometimes be presumed that this is an issue only for those with immediate plans to sell and move elsewhere, but that is certainly not the case.

Of course, it does apply to homeowners in that position, but your home is an asset and maximising its value is always a good idea. You may want to move in the future and being able to get the best price for your current home will help you with that.

Flooring is one part of the home that can potentially be upgraded to improve its market value. Laminate is a popular floor choice, but is it one that will increase the value of a home?

Laminate: A Choice for Increasing Value?

Essentially the answer to that question is: yes, with some reservations. Laminate is a floor choice that can closely replicate the look of other desirable types of material like hardwood, at a much lower cost to the customer. That makes it a very popular selection for people who want an attractive floor on a restricted budget and strong visual appeal can certainly help boost the value of a home.

However, there are issues with it that can act against that. There are some key factors that determine whether laminate will increase or decrease the value of your home.

• Location

• Condition

• Quality

• Design

Let’s take a closer look at each of them.

Location

This is one of the most important factors. What rooms within the house you are fitting laminate floors in will play a big role in deciding what effect it has on the value. Laminate is best suited to rooms like kitchens. That is because it is an easy type of flooring to wipe clean.

It can also now be a good choice for bathrooms due to new technology that provides it with a coating that protects against water damage. Excess water should still be removed from the floor fairly quickly though, to prevent longer term degradation.

On the other hand, if you fit laminate in high traffic areas like a living room where people will pay particular notice to the floors, it could act against the overall value. That is because scratches on laminate cannot be refinished as they can with hardwood.

Condition

That brings us to the next point – the condition of the floors. If kept in good condition, laminate floors can be very attractive to the eye, but if they are fitted in rooms that have heavy footfall and become discoloured or scratched, that will not increase your property’s value. The location and condition of laminate floors are closely linked to one another.

You can take steps to protect laminate floors by sweeping them on a regular basis. Take particular care to remove sand and small pebbles or stones that can get lodged in boots or shoes and cause the surface to get scratched. Cleaning should be done carefully with a damp, rather than wet, mop and a gentle brand of floor cleaner.

Quality

The next thing that can determine the impact of laminate floors on property value is the overall quality of them. Opting for high grade laminate will ensure it lasts longer and continues to look good years after it was installed. There are things that you can do to make sure you get good quality.

For one, look for the AC rating. This will tell you how durable the laminate is, with higher ratings like AC3 or AC4 being better quality. The texture will also be important if you want laminate that looks like hardwood. Embossed laminate floors will replicate the feel and the look of wood most closely.

Always buy your laminate floors from a reputable company with many years in the business and a good word-of-mouth reputation. That way you should be able to get the answers to any queries you have before anything is installed in your home.

Design

The design of the laminate flooring is the last major factor that will determine their effect on the value of your home. A laminate floor that has been manufactured to look like another type of material will be better than one that has not.

Laminates are created through a manufacturing process that involves blending together several layers – a base, core, decorative and wear layer – and you should make sure that the decorative layer is effective. This is what people will be looking at and you want it to be as attractive to the eye as possible.

Choose a design and a colour that work well together as aesthetic appeal does a lot to enhance the value of a property.

Laminate floors can increase value if you choose well and look after them properly.