Help! Long post about renovating a house to sell.

9 years ago

Hi!

I'm hoping people can help guide me. My mother passed away and my sister and I inherited her house. It is in South Florida, and we didn't sell for a couple years because the market is so depressed.

Long story, but my dad (they were divorced) is staying in it and helping us fix it up to eventually sell. Her house was sort of typical for many older ladies--somewhat run-down and outdated.

Her floor was terrazzo, which sounds nice, but is in terrible shape and I hate the color. She had decent carpeting in half the house.

Now, despite being run-down, her house in a neighborhood that is pretty squarely middle to upper-middle class.

I need to put in new flooring to make anyone want to live here, but I'm debating laminate vs. engineered wood. I want to make it look nice and it's a great house for someone with kids--centered around a patio and a pool.

I know laminate turns people off, but honestly, anything would be an improvement. I don't want to do tile because it gets too cold to the touch.

Thoughts? Have people who installed laminate had bad experiences or do they hear that clicking noise I hear about when walking? My dad has a small dog.

(He will probably also be vehemently against laminate and will tell me it will never sell that way.) I just have so much work to do on this house, and I need about 2200 sq. feet of flooring--so it's not cheap!

Comments (8)

live_wire_oak
9 years ago
Neither. Market as "original terrazzo floors can be restored". They are a HUGE feature that you really should explore the cost of restoring yourself. That would really add to the appeal of the home.
gregmills_gw
9 years ago
Just curious but why did you ask about engineered? Why not solid Hardwood?

Like you said "anything" would be an improvement. But to get top dollar for the house laminate wont do that. A lot depends on how much work the subfloor needs. A sound subfloor is the key for any finished floor. No one wants to buy a house that has new floors and hear squeeks. Just a tip. Good luck!
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writersblock (9b/10a)
9 years ago
What LWO said. Especially in S FL those are a feature, not a drawback.

EDIT Get a quote from a terrazzo restoration company.

This post was edited by writersblock on Thu, Jun 12, 14 at 18:34
lucillle
9 years ago
"Her house was sort of typical for many older ladies--somewhat run-down and outdated."

Just wondering why you and sis didn't help renovate while she could enjoy?
Lars
9 years ago
Can you post a photo of the existing terrazzo? I agree that renovating the terrazzo might be the best choice, and I would never consider laminate or engineered wood.

Do a check of houses for sale in the neighborhood and see what types of floors they have and what kind of prices the houses go for. In my neighborhood, houses with real wood would sell for higher than ones with engineered wood, but then no one uses engineered wood in my neighborhood that I have seen. If you do a cheap reno, you will get a cheap price, and the extra money you spend for real wood should make you even more money and make the sale go faster - unless the prices in your area are depressed.
tomatofreak
9 years ago
South Florida is known for terrazzo floors; they're not easily found anywhere else. By all means, get someone out who can clean and fix any problems. Don't cover up that floor!
helenahandbasket1
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks to everyone for your answers!

Restoring means massive dust and clearing everything out of the house, so it's not something I would want to do while my dad lives there. They grind off the surface of the floor.

As for the other questions: Hardwood is not good in the humidity of South Florida. Hardwood is not used here at all. Most houses have tile, but I would only put in tile to sell it, since I find all cold, hard floors (like terazzo) unpleasant except in small doses.

And, geez, Lucille, way to be judgmental! That's quite frankly, a long story and none of your business. I'm just asking about flooring, but thanks.

This post was edited by helenahandbasket1 on Sun, Jun 15, 14 at 10:59
glennsfc
9 years ago
My advice to you is don't do anything to it, other than clean it up. Most buyers want to decorate how they would like. In my opinion, all you need do is to provide a house that is in good repair outside and inside and clean.