Value on a flooring remodel

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Planner01
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Value on a flooring remodel

Post by Planner01 »

We are starting to renovate a new house we purchased a few months ago. We are in our mid 40s and we are planning to live here for good. However life is unpredictable so I always keep that in mind when making home updates in case we ever to need sell. We’ve done extremely well in previous homes as far as profits. This home is in a premier, luxury neighborhood in a very good location of the city. Outstanding schools. We also got the best lot in the neighborhood looking over water and part of the golf course with no homes to see (except our side homes) from the back. It’s a picture perfect view. However the house has not increased in value in 15 years. It’s a custom home and it was built as a 3-bedroom house with two loft areas (the original plan calls for 4-bedrooms with a loft area). The first owner wanted to see the view from all angles of the house, hence why he left this other area open. The home is valued at $1M but it sat on the market for a while because it needs to be updated and the fourth bedroom added. So we got the house for a VERY good price!

We hired an interior designer to assist me in design and selection, as well as a general contractor. We are being very conscious of our choices as I want to update it nice but also ensure we won’t be gold plating the house and spending so much more than what’s worth. Although I hear it’s difficult to over improve in my neighborhood as many homes go for upwards $2-3M.

Looking at the flooring options and considering climate living in Florida here are our options for the areas that will not be covered in hardwood:
- Polished marble: looks so fancy. $2400 more for the materials and $3k more for installation than the least expensive option.
- Honed travertine: $1800 more for the materials, $3k more for installation than the least expensive option
- Polished porcelain tile: 48x48 - looks nice but it’s still tile. I am not sure it adds value to the house as other materials would.

We want to make sure that we bring the house to where it should be as far as updates without going overboard. Having said all this, for the money I think the first two options would be best, marble or travertine, as they would add a lot of value to the house.

Now I am quite aware that we won’t get ROI dollar per dollar, not even 50%. That’s not the point. We just need to update the house with the best materials and value we can get for the money.

Do you have any thoughts on the value of this materials and the value they could bring to a house of this price range in a medium cost of living city?
Carefreeap
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Re: Value on a flooring remodel

Post by Carefreeap »

I don't think it will matter. In 10 years it will probably need to be re-done anyway because it will look dated.

Care and maintenance would be my priority. Do you have kids or pets? Natural stone will need to be regularly cleaned and sealed. I also am concerned about anything "polished" because it can be very slippery when wet.

It sounds like a cool house. Enjoy it!
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mkc
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Re: Value on a flooring remodel

Post by mkc »

Planner01 wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 10:26 am

Looking at the flooring options and considering climate living in Florida here are our options for the areas that will not be covered in hardwood:
- Polished marble: looks so fancy. $2400 more for the materials and $3k more for installation than the least expensive option.
- Honed travertine: $1800 more for the materials, $3k more for installation than the least expensive option
- Polished porcelain tile: 48x48 - looks nice but it’s still tile. I am not sure it adds value to the house as other materials would.
Are any of these areas wet areas (baths, kitchen)? If so, polished is very risky for slip hazard (particularly for children and as one gets older). You want to look for a flooring that has a good wet COF rating (greater than 0.60)

Marble and travertine are absorbent and will stain if not regularly sealed. Not the best choice for kitchens or bathrooms. Marble is soft and will scratch, so that highly-polished look can be difficult to maintain. Honed (and sealed) would be lower maintenance than polished.

Does the architectural style of the home warrant highly polished? Super traditional/ornate or ultra-modern? Don't ignore the style of the home when choosing materials or they will look "dated-trendy" and out of place almost instantly.

There are some fantastic marble-look porcelain tiles out there, particularly in a matte finish.
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Planner01
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Re: Value on a flooring remodel

Post by Planner01 »

Carefreeap wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 10:40 am I don't think it will matter. In 10 years it will probably need to be re-done anyway because it will look dated.

Care and maintenance would be my priority. Do you have kids or pets? Natural stone will need to be regularly cleaned and sealed. I also am concerned about anything "polished" because it can be very slippery when wet.

It sounds like a cool house. Enjoy it!
I understand what you mean but I am hoping if we go with classic materials like hardwood and maybe travertine, it would be look good for many years to come. Regular tile can get dated quickly.

The tile will go in the main areas of the house like the foyer, dining, living rooms, kitchen, and family room. Hardwood up the stairs, office and the loft area. Carpet in the bedrooms.
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Planner01
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Re: Value on a flooring remodel

Post by Planner01 »

mkc wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 10:43 am
Planner01 wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 10:26 am

Looking at the flooring options and considering climate living in Florida here are our options for the areas that will not be covered in hardwood:
- Polished marble: looks so fancy. $2400 more for the materials and $3k more for installation than the least expensive option.
- Honed travertine: $1800 more for the materials, $3k more for installation than the least expensive option
- Polished porcelain tile: 48x48 - looks nice but it’s still tile. I am not sure it adds value to the house as other materials would.
Are any of these areas wet areas (baths, kitchen)? If so, polished is very risky for slip hazard (particularly for children and as one gets older). You want to look for a flooring that has a good wet COF rating (greater than 0.60)

Marble and travertine are absorbent and will stain if not regularly sealed. Not the best choice for kitchens or bathrooms. Marble is soft and will scratch, so that highly-polished look can be difficult to maintain. Honed (and sealed) would be lower maintenance than polished.

Does the architectural style of the home warrant highly polished? Super traditional/ornate or ultra-modern? Don't ignore the style of the home when choosing materials or they will look "dated-trendy" and out of place almost instantly.

There are some fantastic marble-look porcelain tiles out there, particularly in a matte finish.
Good points. The house has a Mediterranean style, that’s why I am considering travertine (honed and sealed).
mkc
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Re: Value on a flooring remodel

Post by mkc »

Planner01 wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 11:03 am
mkc wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 10:43 am
Does the architectural style of the home warrant highly polished? Super traditional/ornate or ultra-modern? Don't ignore the style of the home when choosing materials or they will look "dated-trendy" and out of place almost instantly.

There are some fantastic marble-look porcelain tiles out there, particularly in a matte finish.
Good points. The house has a Mediterranean style, that’s why I am considering travertine (honed and sealed).
Given the style, if you want it to look "timeless", that would be travertine (or travertine-look color-body porcelain). Just avoid "pink-beige" colored travertine which can be very difficult to decorate around (unless you happen to really like "pink-beige").

Audition the samples in-situ with a piece of white paper behind/underneath them so you can get a feel for their undertones in your natural (and artificial) lighting (the white paper so you aren't comparing them to the existing flooring). And for flooring, as large a sample as you can get, and audition it flat on the floor, not leaned up against the wall. You want to see it laying horizontal. View it at different times of the day, including with artificial light at night.
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jabberwockOG
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Re: Value on a flooring remodel

Post by jabberwockOG »

In our previous larger home we put in about 2800sq ft of honed travertine from Turkey, installed in a Lyon pattern. It was fantastic - easy to care for, and did not show dirt. Do not install polished marble or travertine on floors - it is a maintenance headache.

Something like this -
https://www.arizonatile.com/en/products ... mbled-lyon
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Planner01
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Re: Value on a flooring remodel

Post by Planner01 »

Thank you all. DH brought a sample of a light color travertine and we both love it. Good pricing too. Listening to advice and going with the honed tile.
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Watty
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Re: Value on a flooring remodel

Post by Watty »

Planner01 wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 10:26 am Do you have any thoughts on the value of this materials and the value they could bring to a house of this price range in a medium cost of living city?
The choice of flooring may make your house easier to sell someday but realistically any of them will likely have zero impact on an appraisal of your house.

When you bought the house you likely had an appraisal done so take a look at it to see if there was a line on the appraisal that subtracted a dollar amount that was subtracted for having something like old orange shag carpeting on the floor. If not then it will be very difficult for some new flooring to add value to the appraisal.

A big reason for this is that the person doing the appraisal likely does not know much about what flooring was in the houses that were used as comparable sales in the appraisals. The appraiser is likely just interested is seeing if the flooring is damaged and if it is appropriate for neighborhood.

Converting space for a fourth bedroom is a lot different since that would show up on the appraisal worksheet. It may also add to your property taxes. Be sure to follow the building code and get all the needed permits, there may be special requirements for bedrooms space and they may be different than when the house was originally designed.
Normchad
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Re: Value on a flooring remodel

Post by Normchad »

Planner01 wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 11:02 am
Carefreeap wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 10:40 am I don't think it will matter. In 10 years it will probably need to be re-done anyway because it will look dated.

Care and maintenance would be my priority. Do you have kids or pets? Natural stone will need to be regularly cleaned and sealed. I also am concerned about anything "polished" because it can be very slippery when wet.

It sounds like a cool house. Enjoy it!
I understand what you mean but I am hoping if we go with classic materials like hardwood and maybe travertine, it would be look good for many years to come. Regular tile can get dated quickly.

The tile will go in the main areas of the house like the foyer, dining, living rooms, kitchen, and family room. Hardwood up the stairs, office and the loft area. Carpet in the bedrooms.
I really do agree that e erythimg eventually looks dated and becomes undesirable to others. This is true, even if it’s high end materials, that are installed correctly, and are maintained in perfect shape. Tastes just change…..

The good news though is this frees you up to choose whatever you like best. Because in ten or twenty years, nobody will care.

Make it the home you want to live in.
Tree Guy
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Re: Value on a flooring remodel

Post by Tree Guy »

I ignore the trends and styles that come and go over the years. Marble is classic and never goes out of style and I would go with the honed as mentioned above.
Jack FFR1846
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Re: Value on a flooring remodel

Post by Jack FFR1846 »

Part of the value difference calculation comes from what's in the house now.

For example, if you're replacing laminate tile with marble, there's a clear upgrade.

If you replace hardwood in the bedrooms with a nice carpet, that's a downgrade.

How you live in the house and use it can help choose material. Our house has hardwood downstairs installed in 1984 when the house was built. The original owner and we (second owners) leave our shoes on the porch. Because of this, the floors are in great shape, 37 years later. If we were social butterflies, having people traipse through our house on a weekly basis, I'd find another material. Your choice of something like marble could work although it wouldn't work in the style of our house or our lifestyle. But high heels won't hurt it.
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