laminate/engineered wood?

Question

My flip I will close on in a few weeks (the bank accepted my offer yesterday! YEEHA!) has concrete slab. I really want the look of hardwoods for living, dining room. Looks like I am stuck with some kind of floating floor due to the concrete slab.

Any recommendations for products you guys have used that look like real hardwoods and dont break the budget?

Jon Holdman · Answer

My first bit of feedback would be to forget about what you want. You say "I would not want the laminates in my own house".  Doesn't matter.  Forget it!  You're selling this house, and you have to consider what your buyer's want.  The way you phrase your statements sounds like you're letting your personal preferences and taste guide you, and that's dangerous to your wallet.

The best way to answer this question is to go look in the neighbor's houses.  Go to open houses in this neighborhood.  Get your agent to set up showings and go look at all the nearby listings.  If these all have solid hardwood, that's what you need to do.  If they have exotic hardwoods with fancy inlays, that's what you need to do.  If they all have laminate or pergo, that's all you need to do.

Once you understand the competition, you can evaluate the cost tradeoffs.  If the competition all has laminate, its unlikely doing anything nicer will earn you an extra nickle in selling price.  Its a detail an appraiser just won't consider.  OTOH, it might attract a buyer quicker, and that is money in your pocket.  If you're going to spend $1000 for a laminate floor and you can do engineered or solid for a few hundred more, it might be worth it.  If it doubles the price, its probably not.

I don't think anyone will disagree that solid hardwood looks best, then engineered (which looks just like solid unless you look close), then laminate, and then pergo (synthetic laminates.)  But you shouldn't be using your taste or any of our tastes to influence your decision.  Look at the competition.  Look at the cost.  Make the choice that makes you the best profit.  Do this on every decision on your fix and flip and you'll be OK.  Don't fall into the homeowner mentality of "I really love such and such, and it just costs a little more".  That "little more" is cash you're taking out of your pocket and giving to your buyers.

Unless you're doing the work yourself, you have to consider the labor cost, not just materials.

Joel Owens · Answer

I can tell you as a real estate broker most buyer when they walk in are looking down first!!

Then they go up to the middle and the top last.

If I am a buyer I care about what surfaces I will come into contact with and live with everyday.Other parts of the house that are functional but I don't come into contact with I don't care about as much.

Nothing is worse then putting cheap flooring in a rehab for selling.First you have to define what updates "means" on your flip. To you it might mean replacing one or two items.To a buyer it might mean the whole thing is turn key to pay the price you will be asking.

Otherwise they will just go for a partial fixer themselves at  a much lower price.I see it many times where rehabbers run out of money and start half-as#ing the last half of the reno.

That is a sure way to be stuck with a future rental.Flooring,Kitchens,and Baths set the tone for most buyers along with layout and size when they walk into a property.

Here we go but I will tell you I can't stand laminate.I have never heard a buyer say "Oh it's laminate this is so nice".It's cheap for a reason in that it's not that desirable.

I can see for rentals in my area but not for flips.In my area big tile is put down more than laminate.If the costs is only a little more you want to spend on the things that pop.

If you and 4 other properties have the same layout and price but you have the nicer floor,kitchen,and bath then most likely they will go for yours.

Exceptions would be yours next to highway,no yard,etc.

It doesn't have to be expensive just look expensive.

Eric Tomlinson · Answer

Dave-

Depends on what you are going to use the property for. Are you going to resell it or rent it. If you are reselling, what does your market look like and what are the comps using. A concrete slab doesn't mean anything when it comes to the flooring. Wood floors go on concrete all the time. Sure you could glue them down, but nice wood floors will go down on top of plywood that is nailed to the concrete and the wood nailed to the plywood. Here in my market I can get scraped hardwoods installed for 6 bucks a foot. But it all boils down to what makes sense for the flip you are doing. Don't get emotionally involved or you will spend too much.

Good Luck.

Stefan Forsberg · Answer

Hi Dave,

Any engineered wood has a sliver or real wood on top so it can be refinished, how many times it can be refinished depends on the thickness of the wood. I have seen people glue down hardwood on slab here in TX, personally I would never do it due to the moisture issues but you will probably get a few people saying it is ok.

I would choose engineered wood floating on top of a pad with waterproof membrane (like the ones you use under laminate. Remember that most of the time the core of engineered wood is MDF which has no resistance to moisture what so ever.

Dave Charron · Answer

You make a great point about what buyers are looking for when entering a house and I plan on obtaining that WOW factor in this house.  I am going to take down the wall between the kitchen and living room to create a more open feeling and install an island.  I plan on having this hardwood flooring all through this whole area to make it flow well.

I also agreee with not half axxing the last half of the rehab.  The finishing touches are what count, and I certainly wont run out of money.  Ive budgeted somewhere in the $22K range for repairs but do have more if needed.

Dave Charron · Answer

Thanks Jon, I will have to look in to what other comps in the neighborhood are doing.

Dave Charron · Answer

I am reselling this after rehab.  I would not want the laminates in my own house but after looking at some of them they do look like the real thing and probably wear better.  Im just not sure of buyers opinions on laminate vs real wood.  Some of the laminates are pretty cheap $1 to $3 sf. which makes them very tempting.

Lee G. · Answer

We just did 900 sq feet of laminate in a 4plex we bought. Lumber Liquators is always awesome. Their prices AND quality beat Home Depot or some other big box store. You'll find that engineered is typically much more expensive than laminate (about 0.75/foot more). You should also consider some of the upper end laminates as they'll have the underlayment already attached, which saves you the hassle of buying and laying underlayment.

And congrats on your accepted offer.

laminate/engineered wood?

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