Interested in putting an Ikea kitchen and finished but unstained concrete floors in our new home. Budget is a big concern but I was wondering if this would hurt resale down the road. What do you think? Not sure if this factors into your answer but the price of the house will be about $200,000. Thanks for your input.
I have an Ikea kitchen and get nothing but complements. I've had two realtor friends tell me it will be an asset when selling.
I would not do concrete. I love it, but there are so many people who don't I think it would be a big negative. We are putting in wood tile, and even that is a bit of a risk because it's trendy.
I'm not a Realtor. However, I STRONGLY suggest you remodel your home YOUR liking - unless you are going to sell in the next 2 years. If you are just buying the home - and that's what YOU want AND you plan on living in the house for the next 5 years - yes. Do what you want.
If you plan on selling in the next 5 years - go to homes for sell in your area and see what they have. If they don't have concrete floors? I wouldn't put it 'em in.
IKEA Kitchen - YES!!! We're considering it. We have several friends who have IKEA kitchens and they are BEAUTIFUL!!
Good luck!
I've lived with concrete floors twice in 2 different homes, both after parts of the house flooded.
I hated it. It was so cold and uncomfortable to walk on. The house was colder over all. It made the house echo and sound really hollow. I was over the moon when the carpet could finally go back in!
I would never consider doing that *on purpose*. I would look at a house that did it on purpose and wonder what was wrong with the house. I would not buy it unless it were cheap enough to be able to spend money to put flooring in it.
If this is a fad in parts of the US then I honestly think it's a weird one.
Ikea kitchen cabinets. I have seen some that I really do love and if I had the money to redo my kitchen that's highly likely what I would love to do. I don't see why those would cause you problems unless you went with something really off the wall.
I suggest you call and talk with local realtors. Every market is different. What would work in another place may not work in your area.
I'm not a realtor but I do believe it's according to what generation you are marketing to and how the style fits with the rest of the house.
If its a modern esthetic in a modern, edgy house in Austin in a new trendy neighborhood, yes, it could be ok. If the customers were young, that would work.
If you were in the regular burbs, not so much. Good Ikea choices, yes. Raw concrete floors, no. It won't work for a traditional family or empty nesters, IMO. At least not here.
I am not a realtor but I own several properties. I would put in the Ikea kitchen but not the concrete floor. I would go with a flooring that is more common and easy to maintain. Concrete floors are nice when done properly but they are a more personal choice and that could hurt resale.
I am not a realtor but I do work in a building with stained concrete floors. They are pretty when they are first cleaned. As time goes on they become dull and you can see the scuff marks.
If I were to view a home with this type flooring I would not buy it even if it had all the trappings. I would be wondering how much it is going to cost me to put in a floor especially after I just purchased the house. This is not something that everyone wants to do as money is usually tight or it would go over the total purchase price budget.
Better to be safe than sorry. Or you can do it and then redo the floors when you do decide to sell down the line. But remember you may not get your asking price to include the redo of the flooring.
Good luck to you.
the other S.
Re: resale down the road. How far down? five years? five months? I only say that because flooring can be added later if you find you need to make a few upgrades when ready to sell to meet the market at that time.
My 2 cents, furnish and remodel a home for your tastes and when you are seriously ready to sell, then consult a realtor.
Very easy to lay hardwoods or tile in the kitchen (yucky to have carpet in the kitchen).
I'm not a realtor, and I agree with Marda about consulting a professional in your area. I'm on the south east coast, and the idea of unstained concrete floors brings to mind a house still under construction. Not something I would want to move into. Maybe it is different in your area, though. I'm not cutting edge, I'm sure.
But I can tell you this: "I" would never buy a $200,000 home that had unstained concrete floors, unless there was a reason they were that way (the home was un-finished and I expected to spend another large some of money finishing it; or the home was finished except the flooring had not been installed yet, so as to be determined by the buyer, etc.)
But a lived in home that the finished floor WAS unstained concrete? Nope.
My parents had not fully finished the basement of their home when they moved in. But they did stain the concrete floors. Now, they have hard wood on them. It was a work in progress, but they never put furniture down before there was something on the concrete.
