Do Hardwood Floors Increase Home Value?
When considering ways to improve your home by installing new floors, whether to sell now or in the future, you’re probably wondering if hardwood floors increase home value. The only possible answer to this question is a resounding “YES!”.
Hardwood floors are a valuable investment that can significantly add to the value of your home. The next question is usually, how much do they increase home value? That’s harder to answer, since many factors beyond the flooring come into play. However, we can examine the key reasons why hardwood floors tend to increase a home’s value.
3 Ways Hardwood Floors Increase Home Value
Many buyers prefer homes with real wood flooring, and this preference is reflected in home prices. Depending on market conditions and the condition of your home, hardwood floors can add up to 2.5% to your home’s sale price. However, even more than the dollar amount, they make a strong visual impression that gives your home an edge over the competition.
Hardwood Instantly Upgrades Your Home’s Look
Hardwood floors are beautiful, period. They are a luxurious addition to any home, and regardless of your taste in wood or aesthetic sense, hardwood floors automatically warm the house. They’re coveted by the real estate market, and that is one of the reasons they increase a home’s Return on Investment (ROI).
Whether you plan to spend the rest of your life in your current home or sell it one day, it’s an investment. It may be one that you leave your family, but it is an investment nonetheless. Hardwood floors help that investment to appreciate, much like having a valuable piece of art or a bottle of wine.
Besides the natural beauty, those with allergies or asthma tend to benefit from homes with hardwood floors because they don’t trap dust as well as carpet does. Dinginess and dust-laden fiber have no place here, which is another reason they increase ROI.
Hardwood floors increase home value due to their sheer elegance, as well as the built-in benefit for those who are more sensitive to dust and pollutants.
Hardwood Last Longer Than Other Flooring
When someone purchases a new home, they typically remove the old carpeting and install a new one. While this is inexpensive initially, it isn’t in the long run and is far more challenging to keep clean. Carpet accumulates dust, dirt, and dander. There is no way around that, no matter how many times you give it a deep clean.
It also stains, wears, and tears much more often. While it is true that no one can definitively answer how much hardwood floors increase home value, it certainly reduces the time spent scrubbing stains. This is another reason hardwood floors increase a home's value: their longevity.
Yes,
hardwood floors need to be refinished periodically, but only every ten years or so. To preserve the floor beneath while carpeting, you’d have to tear out and install new flooring to address any stains or damage to it. All that work for something that doesn’t really increase the value of your home and will be put out on the curb if you sell it anyway.
It’s better to pay for something every ten years to keep the floor healthy than have to get a new floor every time a piece is damaged. Hardwood floors can last for over a century when properly maintained, and they require minimal upkeep. No one would buy a home with one-hundred-year carpeting; that just sounds gross.
Hardwood Makes Your Listing More Competitive
It was touched on a bit earlier, but replacing old carpeting with a new one doesn’t do much beyond the new angle. If you already have hardwood floors or are considering installing them before selling your home, you have the opportunity to say “new hardwood floors.”
Hardwood floors, freshly sanded or
refinished, convey to potential buyers that the flooring is in pristine condition and ready to last for at least another decade before requiring further investment.
The fresh hardwood angle is a great way to market your home, but it increases the value in and of itself. Much like many things are updated around the house before selling, the redone hardwood floors convey longevity rather than freshness.
Less Time on the Market
Hardwood floors are a more popular option for real estate agents and homebuyers. Having them installed not only creates a warmer environment while you’re living there but also helps to sell the home faster and for more. As mentioned earlier, do hardwood floors increase a home's value? YES!
You can sell your home for more and faster with a bit more costliness in the very beginning. That is what scares people off from installing hardwood floors: the initial installation is more expensive than carpeting. It saves you a lot more money in the long run, and you’ll probably profit when you sell your home.
Installing hardwood floors is also a good idea if you’re looking to flip houses; the whole goal here is to make a profit. Knowing that hardwood floors increase home value, it would probably be best to have different hardwood floors in different rooms.
Enhance the aesthetic value of the house and provide homeowners with more choices. If they don’t like them, they can always restain the wood. You don’t have that option with carpeting. If you don’t like it, you pay for a new installation.
So.. Do Hardwood Floors Increase Home Value? The answer is YES!
Those are three very good reasons why hardwood floors increase a home's value. Whether you want to pass the house down to your family, flip it, or sell it and move to something better, having hardwood floors can be beneficial. You have the warm and luxurious beauty of wood to live in, less time spent keeping dirt and dust from settling in, less money over a more extended period, and you can make more off the home if you decide to sell. It is literally a win in all directions with hardwood floors.
The first reason alone might be enough to answer whether hardwood floors increase home value. Simply put, they’re beautiful.
How Much Do Hardwood Floors Increase Home Value?
You’re probably wondering how much hardwood floors actually increase home value, and that’s a fair question. It’s not a reason why they add value, but it helps understand how much they do.
While there’s no exact formula to measure the impact of hardwood floors on home value, experience and market trends offer some insight. On average, homes with hardwood flooring can sell for about 2.5% more than those without. That’s a solid boost.
Still, it’s essential to keep things in perspective. Hardwood floors are just one part of what makes a home appealing. Poor layout, a sloppy flooring job, or outdated finishes, such as old tile or wallpaper, can negatively impact your overall value. So don’t expect the floors alone to carry the sale. Buyers will take the whole package into consideration.
Considering the reasons above, it’s clear why hardwood floors can help increase a home’s value. If you’re thinking about selling and don’t have them yet, it might be worth the investment. That 2.5% bump can yield a substantial return.
Your Trusted Partner for Hardwood Floor Care
At Black Forest Hardwood Floors, we specialize in
high-quality hardwood floor installation, sanding and refinishing, maintenance coats, and dust-controlled services. Our goal is to help homeowners upgrade with long-lasting results that match their lifestyle and design goals.
Don’t settle for flooring that holds your home back. If you’re ready to add value, style, and comfort to your home, we’re here to help.
Reach out today to learn how we can install or restore hardwood floors that help you make the most of your home.
