What type of flooring for Rental property?.

Question

Hey BP,

I have been following BP for quiet some time. We are finally about to make our first rental investment (hoping the offer gets accepted), which will be in the Bay area.

The property is a SFR and is slightly dated,

- The carpets are old and have some stains

- Appliances are old but are still functional

- Door and Closet doors are old, but fairly clean.

My question to the BP community is:

- What is the most cost effective way to deal with the carpets?

. - Put down new carpets?

. - Lay down Engineered Hardwood?

. - Lay down Solid Hardwood?

I am hoping to laydown the Hardwood flooring myself, I do not have a ton of experience laying hardwood floors but I am fairly handy and have built the deck in my backyard have laid a stone patio, so I feel sorta confident :).

I will not be able to lay the carpets, so I will need to hire someone to do it.

- The Appliances. (Oven and Dish washer)

. - Should I leave them as is, or should I get them replaced.

- The Doors.

. - Should I leave them as is, or should I get them replaced.

Blake Maloney · Answer

Hey Aaron! I agree with Trenton. LVP or click-and-lock laminate are probably the most suggested and most cost effective way to do a rental. Unless you are putting in high dollar oak flooring you will quickly get scratches and dents from your tenants. Moving furniture, pets and multiple people can wear quickly on the finish of your hardwood. Engineered hardwood is usually difficult to scratch and costs thousands less than real hardwood floors. Also, even though hardwood floors can be refinished multiple times, it can cost literally thousands of dollars for a normal SFH. We have actually had instances in our homes where it would cost more to refinish the original hardwood than it would to install brand new engineered hardwood in the entire house.

Trenton Miller · Answer

Here is my opinion on this matter. 1. You've already identified that the carpet needs replacing. If you choose to install new carpet, know moving forward that IT WILL need to be replaced much sooner than engineered or hardwood flooring.2. This question comes simply from a cost perspective. Yes hardwoods are MUCH nicer. However engineered flooring is MUCH cheaper. If you are looking to do this installation yourself make sure you do your homework. What pattern are you using, does underlayment need to be put down, do I need a moisture barrier etc. Simple short answer, I would do the upgrade and install engineered flooring.3. If the appliances are working as intended and are not an eyesore, I would leave them alone until they break, and install one or both at that time. 4. I wouldn't spend money replacing doors/closet doors if they are functional. Throw a coat of paint on it and call it a day.

Gavin Hamels · Answer

As @Yaohua Li said, LVP is a great option for this type of rental property. It can be installed throughout the whole house and gives a clean upgraded look without the high cost of hardwood. For durability and wear look for an SPC product with a wear layer of 12Mil or 20Mil. Often these come with interlocking/click installation which should make it reasonably easy to install since you are handy. A few Youtube videos should give you all the instruction you need. Additionally, many of these products come with a foam underlayment already attached to the boards which helps with sound especially if there is a second level. If the subfloor is good you can also get away with an 8Mil glue-down product with no underlayment if you are looking for the most economical option.

Yaohua Li · Answer

I would say LVP is best for rental property. It's water resistant and can be used in kitchen/bathroom, which means you don't need multiple kinds of flooring for the entire unit. My employer for the day job offered me corporate housing (> $200 / day for a month) and I later think it should be LVP used there since the same material was used throughout the entire unit. It's also simple/cheap to install. No underlay needed. And installation won't be very dusty, when the plank is being cut (less need to clean up afterwards). LVP is much more water resistant than hardwood/engineered/laminate. It's more scratch resistant than hardwood/engineered but maybe a bit softer than laminate. Honestly, I would use LVP in my own house as well, when I re-floor. Current house's laminate has huge issue and big cracking/squeezing noise.There are plenty of videos on youtube that can compare these types of floors for you.

Yaohua Li · Answer

Aaron Hunt · Answer

Thank you @Yaohua Li Do you have any experience with using any specific LVP? I would love to get some recommendation.

Aaron Hunt · Answer

Thank you @Blake Maloney that helps. I will look into engineered flooring.One other question for the BP Community, what home insurance company would you recommend for home insurance (This is a rental property)

Aaron Hunt · Answer

Thank you for providing the feedback @Trenton Miller, I agree and most likely will do that. However I have a question on Engineered wood, I am reading that Hardwood floors are more durable since they can be refinished 4 - 6 times, so in comparison, is it still value to install Engineered wood, since they cannot be replaced? We plan on holding on to this property for atleast 10 to 15 years.One other question for the BP Community, what home insurance company would you recommend for home insurance (This is a rental property)Thank you all.