Twenty years ago you could walk into just about any house or apartment and find tufted carpet in a neutral colour throughout. Today, there are many stylish and beautiful flooring choices available each offering distinct benefits and drawbacks. If you have a corporate housing apartment that you are decorating in order to maximise your return on investment, flooring can have a huge impact. Not only should you consider the style of the flooring and whether it will attract the right clientele, you should also think about the rooms you are flooring, materials, durability, installation, maintenance, replacement or repair costs, building restrictions, and even time constraints.
We can all agree that not all flooring types are suitable for all rooms. Plush pile or berber carpets provide extra comfort and warmth to a living room or bedroom, but they are not the most intelligent choice for the kitchen or bathroom. Indeed, the nuances of flooring materials should make you carefully consider the type of flooring and where it is best installed. Bathroom or kitchen floors may be constructed from materials such as ceramic, stone, marble, vinyl, linoleum, and sometimes hardwood; while living spaces such as the recreation room or bedroom may feature carpeting, hardwood, or laminate. Also, before choosing the flooring for your corporate housing apartment, remember that laminate, vinyl, and linoleum are manufactured in a multitude of colours, styles, weights, and in some cases finishes.
Durability and maintenance of flooring should also be considered. While the durability of different floor types will vary, there are other factors that will influence durability. There are some key points to keep in mind. First, laminate flooring material with a composition wood backing is not advisable for the kitchen. Spills, water, and plumbing leaks in the kitchen can cause the flooring to swell requiring that it be replaced if damaged – and if you were unable to match the replacement to the original, it might mean replacing flooring throughout the unit. And when considering hardwood floors, consider that they must be engineered with the sufficient layers of protective polymer coatings to stand up to high traffic; and the underlying layer of wood must be thick enough to undergo refinishing, preferably at least twice as the average life expectancy of pre-finished hardwood flooring is about 7 years with only 2 coats. So, if you expect a lot of traffic on hardwood floors, it may actually save you money in the long run to pay for three or four layers of top finishing.
Maintenance in the long term will certainly be a factor when you are trying to choose the right flooring for a corporate housing apartment. Certain carpets such as Berber carpets can fray at the edge; thinly surfaced engineered flooring may be susceptible to scratches, and carpet cleaning expenses can add up over time. Ideally, you want to choose flooring that is easy and inexpensive to maintain while still appearing attractive and stylish. You should also think about the replacement and repair costs of your particular type of flooring. How long will the floor last? Is it easy to maintain? What will it cost to replace your floor? All these questions can influence the type of floor you intend to install. Contact Cryder house for more help.
Speaking of which, installation, building regulations, and time constraints should also be considered when you are choosing the right flooring for a corporate housing apartment. Hardwood floors must be laid on a level sub-floor so do your research before you start tearing out the carpet. Does your flooring material require specialist installation or can you do it on your own? The difficulty of installation will obviously affect your budget. Furthermore, certain strata buildings may impose their own restrictions on the type of flooring you can use. For example, some strata buildings require area carpeting over hard wood to reduce the noise associated with walking. There are also likely rules about the hours during which contractors can work and you may need permission from your strata to install new flooring. Check both your own and the strata insurance policies to ensure you are covered in case of a problem caused from outside your own suite. And finally, you should consider time constraints. If you have a month to get your investment ship shape, you do not want to choose flooring that will take 6 weeks to install. Vacancy in an investment property comes at a cost, so balance your renovations and time constraints with the costs of vacancy.
Many newcomers to investment properties often overlook the importance of choosing the right flooring. There are obviously many factors to consider beyond the look of the floor. However, once you have taken the time to consider the options available to you, you are sure to find stylish, durable flooring that meets all your needs.
