Wood, laminate, or vinyl flooring—what do buyers want in San Antonio?
What Type Of Flooring Attracts Buyers?
When selling your house, every detail matters, especially the flooring. Choosing the right flooring has a big impact on the value and appeal of your property. Aside from aesthetics, buyers consider maintenance, durability, and current trends. Understanding the preferences of buyers is highly important when selling. Let’s look at a few options.
Solid hardwood flooring
According to Jennifer Ott on Houzz, “In a world where trends come and go, hardwood floors remain a timeless staple, adding warmth and character to any space.”
When buyers walk into a San Antonio home, one of the first things they see is the flooring. Hardwood floors add value. In fact, most real estate agents say that houses with hardwood floors are easier to sell and that they sell for more than houses with other types of flooring.
- Hardwood floors look warm and sophisticated.
- High-quality wood floors are durable, but they are susceptible to scratches and dings. People with young children or pets may want a more durable type of flooring.
- Hardwood flooring can last for generations and be refinished several times by sanding it to remove superficial imperfections from wear.
- Hardwood floors are easy to maintain and keep clean, requiring only sweeping, dry mopping, and occasional resealing.
Hardwood floors normally cost $11–$25 per square foot, according to data from HomeGuide.
Laminate flooring
Laminate flooring for homes became available in the 1980s. It has a top layer made of hard, transparent plastic, and the bottom layer is a moisture-resistant backing. It is more affordable than hardwood floors. Laminate can realistically mimic the look of hardwood as well as stone. For San Antonio homeowners wanting to sell their houses, laminate can be installed over an existing floor, making the process easier and less expensive.
This flooring is appealing to many San Antonio buyers due to its low maintenance and higher resistance to stains and scratches. Mopping with a damp mop and sweeping are all that is needed to take care of laminate flooring. Since it’s highly resistant to moisture, it can be used in basements and areas of high humidity without warping like wood does. Its durability makes it appealing to busy families with children and pets, and it is resistant to spills and lots of traffic.
Even the most expensive laminate flooring is usually more affordable than solid hardwood. Laminate flooring generally costs $2–$5 per square foot, with the most expensive laminates costing around $10 per square foot, according to ThisOldHouse.
Vinyl flooring
Durable and budget-friendly, many home buyers appreciate vinyl’s moisture, scratch, dent, and stain resistance as well as its easy maintenance. Mopping and sweeping is all that is needed to keep it looking good. It has a slight give to it when walking on it, making it easy on the feet.
Unlike laminate flooring, vinyl flooring is made mostly from PVC. It not only comes in plank form but also tile form, and can mimic hardwood, tile, and stone. Patterns, grain textures, and color variations are printed and embossed on it to create many finishes. Like laminate, vinyl flooring can be installed on old flooring. Installation methods do not require adhesives, and it’s easy to install.
Lovers of white oak floors appreciate luxury vinyl plank floors that imitate this wood. The vinyl doesn’t scratch like white oak does. Comparing the lifespans of laminate vs. vinyl flooring, vinyl typically lasts 10–20 years, outliving laminate, with costs around $5–$9 per square foot, according to USA Today.
Engineered hardwood
This type of flooring has a veneer of quality hardwood on top of many layers of low-grade or recycled wood, laid at cross-angles, and has the advantage of looking exactly like hardwood but with greater moisture resistance. Since the layers are bonded at cross-grain, this solid wood alternative doesn’t shrink and expand from temperature variations and humidity like solid hardwood does. That means it’s much less prone to warping and cupping than solid wood.
San Antonio buyers who have small children and animals in the house expect spills and accidents, and engineered hardwood offers moisture-resistant advantages. It’s also eco-friendly since much of it is constructed of recycled wood and manufactured using sustainable practices. Engineered wood is a top choice among home buyers.
Engineered hardwood generally costs $3–$16 per square foot, according to The Spruce.
Sell your house without putting down new flooring.
For San Antonio homeowners looking to sell, keeping the existing floors can sometime be a better option. Why deal with the hassle and upfront costs of new flooring materials and installation? Selling your home “as is” can save time and effort. We Buy Ugly Houses® buys houses with faded, scratched, and torn floors, as well as houses with other issues, including foundation problems. We also buy updated houses from people who just want to avoid the hassles of selling a house via a real estate agent or FSBO (for sale by owner).
It's easy to sell a house “as is” to We Buy Ugly Houses. Simply reach out to us to book a free, no-obligation consultation with us at your property. One of our friendly San Antonio property buyers will visit you and take a tour of your house, answering your questions. We can sometimes provide a quick, convenient offer on the spot! If you accept our offer, we can potentially close in as little as 3 weeks, and we’ll do our best to work with you to choose a closing date that best meets your needs.
We’ve been serving house sellers across the country since 1996 as a trusted off-market home buyer. We've helped thousands of home sellers nationwide over the years. Contact us today to find out how we can help you, too.
