Personal / Rental Home Flooring

[Joseph Novak]

Hello everyone,

I know there are a million of these threads already asking the same question, but I believe my situation is a little different than the others.

I'm 22 years old and will be closing on my first house on the 15th! I'm excited, but also very nervous. 

The house is a 3 bedroom split-level home. Attached you can find a few pictures.

I'm still unsure what I plan to do with this house exactly. I will most likely live there for 5 years before selling it, and I plan to rent out the other 2 bedrooms. Because I'm living there and the renters will hopefully be friends (and respectful), I did plan to put carpet throughout the entire upstairs and downstairs level. The main level I wanted to do allure ultra, but they don't have the shade I'm looking for so I'm searching for alternatives.

If you guys feel carpet is a terrible idea please talk me out of it. In my rental agreement, it will state no shoes on the carpet if that means anything. I feel that because I'm living there and no pets allowed, the carpet won't be too bad after 5 years especially if I go with some decent carpet. Last resort, I will require a security deposit that could be used to replace the carpet. 

Again, for the main level, I'm not sure of what type of flooring to go with. I'm terrible when it comes to making decisions like this. Attached is a picture of an ideal shade I'm looking for. This flooring will exist in the kitchen and front room. Pictured is pre-finished hardwood.

Thank you in advance!

- Joseph Novak

Ideal carpet/wood-like floors

Front Room:

Kitchen:

[Chuy Gonzalez]

If you put carpet down now, and you will be there 5 years with tenants, you should plan on replacing the carpet at the 5 year mark. The pictures of the place look pretty good...is the current flooring useable? Why not just keep whatever is there?

Im moving away from carpet...Im tiling a class "c" empty unit I have right now...except the bedrooms are getting some sort of vinyl plank that looks like wood..hopefully something on sale : ) . Tenants dont care for carpet like owners do...so carpet is always a temporary solution.