Flooring Renovation Strategies in Dallas Areas

A large number of our clients had been investing in older properties which often require flooring to be replaced, here are some feedback we had collected based on our own experience as well as from tenants and clients directly.

Flooring is a great investment for your property

First of all, new flooring does add significant value and appeal to properties, cost to install new laminate floors are not really that expensive in Dallas due to availability of suppliers and contractors available, and competition can drive down the price, you can compare with different contractors and there are often sales happening. Some investors want to save money and do not want to replace their old carpets or floors, this will affect rentability and resale value of their properties.

12mm or 9mm laminate floors

I often use 12mm laminate floors, they are slighly more expensive but much more durable, the cost can be between 15% to 20% more depending on the area. Some of our clients used thinner laminate floors, and there were incidences that they could not sustain the tear & wear within one year. In one example, a tenant was on wheelchair for 6 months and the hallway was damaged after just 6 months and floors need to be replaced, in another case was caused by pets. We now advice our clients to use 12 mm laminate floors as a standard.

Laminate or Carpets?

Laminate is now in much higher demand, carpets are cheaper but they can generally only last for 12 to 24 months, landlords usually need to replace new carpet when tenants move out. Majority of tenants have pets in Texas, and they do cause more damage to carpets than laminate floors.

What about bedrooms?

This is a very common question asked by our clients, and it really comes down to personal preference. My own preference is laminate floors and use rugs, as many kids do want to sit on rugs. Some tenants prefer to have carpets as we do have cold winters in Texas. We asked these questions to our property managers, and majority of them would go for laminate floors due to maintenance, in some cases, we will put laminate floors all the way to the hallway but remain carpets in bedrooms.

Tiles or Floors for Kitchen Area

I see a lot of properties where they install laminate floors in the kitchen areas as they can provide a more modern look, also lower the cost, as tiles can cost 10% to 20% more than laminate floors. We had several incidents that I would like to share with you. One of our clients’ properties in Mesquite has a leaking dishwasher, and water got underneath the timber floor (in this case, it is actually hardwood floor), they replaced the kitchen floor and then water leaked again – she had to replace them within 3 months, she replaced them with tiles this time in case the water issue happens again, it would be easier to replace a few tiles than entire floor.

Water can often leak from either dishwasher, faucets, garbage disposal or fridge waterlines – all these can go underneath timber floor and floors will start to swell, it can also go underneath the walls which often links to dining room or laundry areas.

Water issues are unpredictable issues, I am now advising my clients to use tiles for kitchen areas for this reason.

Don’t forget your wastage area when you do budget

Clients often forget to include closet (wardrobe) areas or closet areas along hallways, generally speaking, we will allow 10% to 12% extra materials for these areas, and this can surprise clients sometimes as these are not shown in the MLS layout or floor plans often, and they will question where are the areas coming from. In many properties in Texas, walk-in closets (wadrobe) are inside master bathrooms – you do not need to put tiles inside these areas, you can use carpet or laminate floors for these walkin closets.

About Thomas Su Group

Thomas Su Group is licensed through Keller Williams Preston Road Dallas office. Thomas Su Group specializes in helping international and interstate investors buying in Dallas areas. Its clients include investors from Australia, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Great Britain, Saudi Arabia, Latin America and India. We have also helped interstate clients from California, New York, Illinois, Florida and Georgia.

PLEASE CONTACT US IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN BUYING OR LISTING PROPERTIES IN DALLAS, TEXAS

Thomas Su – Realtor (English & Chinese)

Thomas Su Group

Keller Williams Realty Preston Road

Email: rwp1688@gmail.com

Phone: (469) 347 1839

 

Denise Gonzalez-Rubio (English & Spanish)

Realtor

Keller Williams Realty Preston Road

Email: denisegrubio@kw.com