Property investor says carpets add value to homes

A high-quality carpet in very good condition can add value to the home.

When selling a home, there are some improvements that both add value to the property and make it more attractive to buyers. A fresh coat of paint and upgrades to the kitchen and bathroom, for example, can all make a positive difference. However, the state of the floors also matters. There has been a trend for hardwood flooring in recent times, but high-quality carpets in North Wales and Chester homes also attract buyers.

According to Real Simple, Ben Wagner, a property investor, said:

“Carpets add a whole new experience to any home due to their comfort purpose.”

Wagner said that carpets should match the overall decor theme of a room. They also have insulation properties that help reduce energy bills and dampen sound.

It is important for the carpets to be in good condition. If they aren’t, homeowners should have them professionally cleaned, or better still, replace them with new carpets. New carpets will add value to the home and will make it easier to sell. The best type of carpets to increase the value of a home is wool, which adds a touch of luxury and warmth to any room.

Some buyers prefer wood floors for the main living areas, but like the feel of bare feet on bedroom carpets.

Neutral, light-coloured carpets are advised, as bold colours are not to everyone’s taste. Avoid using carpets in bathrooms and kitchen areas, as they can trap bacteria and turn mouldy if wet.

How to clean carpets after Christmas

When celebrating Christmas, spills on carpets in Chester and North Wales homes can make them look stained and dirty. Amongst the most common issues for carpets at Christmas are fallen pine needles from Christmas trees and spilt wine. Fortunately, these can easily be dealt with.

Pine needles

Pine needles can become embedded in the carpet pile. To remove them, Henry Paterson, the Senior Operations Executive at house cleaning specialists Housekeep, recommends first using a dry foam carpet shampoo that is left on overnight to dissolve the sap adhesive that sticks pine needles to the carpet. Then, brush the carpet and vacuum it to remove the needles. If any stubborn needles remain, press on them with the sticky side of duct tape to lift them up.

Wine

Spilling wine is a hazard at Christmas. Ideally, as soon as wine has been split, you should blot the spillage with a paper towel or a dry cloth. For white wine, use a mixture of warm water mixed with a tablespoon of white vinegar and a tablespoon of washing up liquid. Apply a little of this solution at a time with a clean cloth and the stain should disappear.

Perhaps the best way to remove red wine stains is using WD40. Apply WD40, then blot the stain to remove it, before using a steam cleaner to clear up the WD40.

A quality carpet should last many years and survive many Christmases – provided it is cleaned regularly. If stains or spills are promptly treated, they will not cause irreparable damage.

Top reasons for a solid wood floor installation

A time-honoured choice, hardwood has remained a popular choice for many homeowners to this day in both traditional and modern homes. Requiring a professional with skill and experience to install it, this type of floor is also luxurious due to the natural wood harvested and finished to create its boards.

Although there are one or two challenges to installing a solid wood floor within homes, the many advantages of this flooring choice have sealed its enduring appeal. Below, we’ll outline some of the key reasons why property owners are still picking this longstanding solution for the rooms they live in.

Outstanding aesthetics

While many floor types like luxury vinyl tile (LVT) and laminate seek to mimic hardwood, nothing compares to the natural texture and rich grain found in real wood. Renowned for adding a sense of warmth to homes, a hardwood floor can transform indoor spaces by bringing a sense of our natural world indoors.

A vast array of different woods like oak, ash and cherry are used for wooden flooring to name but a few. These wood choices can then be stained and finished to create different appearances. The combination of the rich range of raw materials and numerous treatments allows homeowners an incredible selection of different floor styles, enhancing the chance that they’ll find a floor uniquely suited to their personal taste.

Leading interior designers are quick to extoll the numerous virtues of real wood that help them in their work. Timeless and tasteful, a real wood floor can work effectively with almost any kind of décor, furnishings, and fittings.

Increasing the value of a property

As a sought-after floor solution often viewed as a luxury, a hardwood floor can add value to a home. As a result, the investment a property makes in buying and installing a solid wood floor can serve them later when it’s time to sell. Costs involved in adding the flooring to a property can be recouped later when its price tag can be increased to reflect the choice of real timber boards.

One floor for always

If properly cared for, a hardwood floor can deliver a lifetime of use to its owner. Updating the flooring is not something you want to be doing again and again, and as a result, many property owners see the wisdom in installing an option that is built to last.

Not only is natural wood incredibly robust, but it can also be periodically refinished by a professional who will sand it down and finish it. This process effectively restores the wood’s natural beauty to its original state when it was first installed and should be performed every 7 to 10 years during the floor’s active service life.

To sum up, installing solid wood flooring can add an exceptional appearance to a home while raising its worth on the housing market. Built for a long lifespan, a hardwood floor can be enjoyed for a lifetime provided it is given the care it deserves.

Top winter benefits of installing an artificial lawn

Among the many reasons why property owners with outside areas opt for artificial grass as a covering is its superior resilience in different seasons. Among the harshest times of year for real grass lawns, winter presents unique challenges for homeowners. As a result, many people are now seeing the wisdom in installing a synthetic lawn instead. Read on as we explore just some of the advantages homeowners can appreciate when they select an artificial option instead of natural grass.

Artificial grass in winter

Even the best natural turf lawns will experience damaged grass blades and dead patches under the poor growing conditions typically occurring during wintertime. From harsh frost and limited sunlight to colder temperatures, the elements can quickly take their toll. This means that for the winter months, laws will often look drab, patchy, and unsightly.

An artificial lawn suffers no such issues and can remain looking green and vibrant even when the weather is gloomy. Made of robust materials, it can hold up exceptionally well under winter conditions. While winterising a regular lawn is hard work involving frequent maintenance, synthetic grass needs virtually none. This means less time spent out in the cold when you’d prefer to be inside.

Coping with snow and rain

It goes without saying that lawns suffer severe stress during the winter months. When the temperature plummets, compacted snow and freezing rain and sleet can cause damage or even kill grass. By the time spring rolls around, many homeowners find their lawn can look a little bleak. Evergreen artificial lawns have been designed to cope with snow, sleet, and rain. Cleverly engineered perforated grass fibres and permeable underlays allow rainwater and melted snow to seep safely through to the ground below, preserving the lawn’s condition and aesthetics.

No more dead patches

Owners of a real lawn experiencing winter kill will find that when dead patches of grass occur over the coldest season, they can take many months to naturally fill in. In some cases, it may be necessary for these attacked areas to be reseeded and entirely new turf may even need to be laid. Artificial grass is far hardier and was created by experts to withstand the harshest climates while keeping its vivid colour and lush texture.

A safer and cleaner garden over winter

Homes with children or pets will find artificial grass can make life easier over winter. When snow and sleet melt, the grass beneath can get muddy. As a result, when pets and children play outdoors, this muck can get trampled inside. In the winter months, weather conditions can make walking your dog difficult but with an artificial lawn outside, you can still allow them some outdoor time. Ready to use all year round and easy to clean, artificial grass is exceptionally suited to pet lovers.

Finally, while regular grass can become slippery and unsafe from this process, artificial grass can effectively filter out excessive moisture, making for a safer environment for children to play on.

Why is vinyl tile flooring ideal for a home office?

Since March last year, many business professionals have enjoyed the benefits of being able to work from home. From drastically reduced travel time to being able to spend more time with family while working in an environment ideally suited to them, people have been quick to appreciate remote working advantages.

However, homeowners continuing their career from their private residence also soon realised that their dwelling was not ideally set up for home working. This led many to adapt spare rooms, outbuildings, and extensions into built-for-purpose offices. Read on as we explore why vinyl tile flooring makes an excellent option when fitting out a home office.

Low maintenance and easy to care for

When you need to focus on office work, you need area that is easy to keep clean and tidy. Vinyl tiles are incredibly simple to care for, making for a light cleaning routine. A daily sweep and light vacuuming are all that’s necessary to keep tiles dust free, and a damp cloth or mop can handle any spilled coffee or lunch.

Exceptionally durable

Investing in a home office comes at a price, but vinyl tiling is affordable and hardwearing. This ensures the cost of setting up is returned through years of use when vinyl is chosen. If you’re worried about the wheels or castors on your desk chair damaging flooring, vinyl tiling is a perfect solution. Able to stand up to heavy use, it will ensure you don’t end up with an unsightly office floor covered in scuffs or scratches.

Stylish appearance

Luxury vinyl tiles (LVT) can resemble natural wood and stone for a stylish office space at far more affordable prices than the real materials. It can also be found in an extensive range of colours and patterns to suit the existing décor present in a room, or can be tailored to your individual taste.

Vinyl tiles can be bought in different sizes and shapes, which can be useful for smaller home offices, adding a sense of space and creating a more productive working environment.

Practical properties

Vinyl tile flooring also has intrinsic attributes that make it ideal for a home office. Its cushioned layers combined with an underlay can be particularly effective at dampening noise. This means that whether you are pacing the floor of your office working out a problem or engaging in a video conference call, you can keep your work life separate from your home. This means more privacy for you and less disruption for other members of your family.

To sum up, vinyl tiling will offer you an office flooring that is robust and simple to care for, while creating a stylish but practical area where you can work undisturbed. With an impressive selection of options to choose from, you can be sure that whether you want a modern looking office or a more traditional and timeless appearance, a vinyl tile flooring can answer your ambitions and is well worth considering.