How To Choose New Flooring Like A Pro!
Carpet | Vinyl & Tile | Recommended Stores
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Best & Worst Places to Shop for New Carpet?
The
good and the bad? Most carpet retailers are honest and reputable but there are
those who are dishonest, unscrupulous and will take advantage of unsuspecting
homeowners!
After 30+ years in the carpet business I've encountered dozens of sneaky sales tricks, advertising gimmicks and measuring scams!
Homeowners deserve to get a fair and square deal on all aspects of buying new carpet. It is not a fair deal if you get a discount on installation, but overpay for the carpet and padding. That's why I've come up with the best answer to... "Are there any reputable carpet stores near me?"
This
free report explains how I rate various carpet retailers, wholesalers and
resellers on a Scale from One to Five. (Five
is the Best!) I use my 40+ years of hands-on experience in the flooring industry as my guide. My
goal is to help you make wise and informed choices.
Here's My Countdown to Number #1
#10 Buying Carpet from a Private Party
1/5
I'm not talking about buying used carpet. If you're on a tight budget and looking for a way to save money on carpeting, buying new or virtually unused carpet from a private party might be an option. There are numerous situations where people decide to replace their new or relatively new carpet, simply because they want a different color or style to suit their taste or match their furniture. Can something like this be a viable option for you? If the moon and stars align perfectly, then maybe...
For example, Mary and Joseph Smith just bought a brand new home and before they move in they want to remove the brand new carpet the homebuilder put in, and install hardwood floors throughout. The carpet they are removing is virtually brand new so they decide to try to sell it. They have about 100 square yards of carpet total and they are asking $300 for it all. That's just $3 per square yard. Sounds good so far, right?
Since the carpet is brand new and it looks pretty nice, you are thinking about buying it. The Smiths already had the carpet removed from the home. It's now rolled it up into five or six larger rolls along with a bunch of smaller pieces removed from the bedroom closets, hallway and stairs. The carpet is sitting in the garage in a big pile ready to go.
Before you whip out your wallet, you need to make sure there will be enough carpet length and width to fit into your rooms. This means rolling out the larger rolls to measure and see exactly what you are getting. Are there any rectangular holes in the carpet from floor heat vents? Did they cut the carpet into smaller pieces as they were removing it? Are the rooms in their new home basically square or do their rooms have unusual angles? Your thorough assessment really matters when it comes to re-cutting the carpet and ensure you have enough material to fit into your rooms.
Even if you determine there will be enough carpet to fit your needs after trimming, the amount you agree to pay for the carpet should be next to nothing. In fact, they should pay you to haul it away. This is regardless of any perceived value you may have for the carpet. It really doesn't matter if the carpet originally cost $50 per square yard, it's not worth a fifty cents a square yard after being installed. Why? Even if you get it for free, you will end up paying a very high price to handle, manage, transport, re-cut, re-seam and reinstall the carpet.
You can find carpet deals like this occasionally advertised in local newspapers, thrifty nickels or online marketplaces offered for a good price. However, keep in mind that you will need to hire someone who is willing to install the pre-installed carpet. Many installers refuse to re-install new or used carpet at any price, even if it looks like it was never walked on. You can count on the installation costing you a lot more because the installer has to contend with many challenging issues like unusual carpet sizes, dealing with nap direction, creating new and managing preexisting seams, and serious problems with re-stretching the carpet. Don't be surprised when the installer's estimate is three or four times above the standard going-rate.
Additionally, if the carpet has been used at all, even just for one month, check the carpet backing carefully for any signs of water damage especially pet stains. Despite all these potential drawbacks and many more, buying new or slightly used carpet can potentially save you money on your flooring needs. Personally, I would never consider doing this. It's like opening Pandora's Box, you won't know what type of nightmares and headaches await you, until it's too late.
#9 Wholesale Flooring Clubs
3/5
These are Carpet, Flooring and Surface Suppliers for Trade Professionals and their Clients. Most are franchises and are locally owned and operated. Most Wholesale Clubs have corporate websites and feature local showrooms with knowledgeable staff to assist homeowners with material choices.
Homeowners
can visit their showroom and buy products from these wholesale distributors only
if they are invited by a trade member. Members typically include
builders, contractors, remodelers, installers, interior designers, architects,
real estate professionals, and more. Some carry a larger selection of products
to cater to home remodeling of all types. Others limit their products to carpet,
flooring and window treatments. Here are some examples of wholesale clubs:
-
Contract Furnishings Mart or CFM
-
ProSource
-
Cascade Pacific Flooring Distributors
-
The Floor Club
-
Complete Flooring Source
-
Keystone Flooring Products
Homeowners
can only gain access to their showroom
and all the benefits they have to offer by working with a paid member of their
Wholesale Club. This could be a carpet installer, a real estate agent or a
remodeling contractor to name a few. Wholesale
Clubs are real handy for contractors who want to have a nice place to send their
clients. Personally I think the Trade Members are the real winners here.
Qualified
Carpet Installation
Homeowners
may be required to make arrangements to obtain qualified installation for any
materials ordered through a Wholesale Club, and pay for those services
separately.
#8 Home Improvement Warehouses
2/5
I
buy many household items, tools and supplies from sources like Home Depot and
Lowe's but I would never buy new carpet or flooring from them mainly because they...
1) Use private labels to prevent you from comparison shopping,
2) Farm-out their installations to other companies,
3) Require payment in-full upfront at the time of purchase,
4) Charge a fee to measure your home.
Should you ever have a carpet defect or installation problem they will likely tell you to contact the installation company directly or contact the carpet manufacturer directly to seek a remedy. Basically, you are on your own to file a warranty claim. The process of you contacting the carpet manufacturer or the subcontracted installation company can take weeks or months to get a remedy, if ever.
If you must buy from a home improvement store, be prepared by documenting everything from start to finish. Take before and after photos of the carpet and keep all receipts for the original carpet and padding purchase and required professional cleanings. If you don't, you could easily end up stuck with a carpet that you are unhappy with and a denial letter. Learn more about buying carpet from home improvement stores.
#7 Flooring Outlet or Carpet Warehouse
CP
Rating:
If you want to do-it-all-yourself and save a lot of money... create a detailed diagram of your home with all the room measurements and bring your truck, some rope and maybe a tarp if it is raining! These local carpet outlet stores offer low prices and have dozens of rolls of carpet in-stock. They cater mostly to homeowners on a tight budget, landlords and property managers and DIY homeowners.
If
I were looking for the absolute cheapest carpet, a local carpet warehouse or
outlet store is where I would begin my search for discount Carpet Stores near
me. Local
Carpet Warehouse Retailers have plenty of inexpensive, lower-quality, defective
or second-grade materials.
Have them roll out the carpet before you agree to buy it to make sure there are no obvious defects. You would be wise to read their guarantee carefully to make sure you know what you are getting into. Get everything they promise in writing before you sign on the dotted line because once you buy it, you own it. no refunds.
The main problem when buying carpet from this type of retailer, is that they rarely have the same type, style or color of carpet available. That means if you need to buy more of the exact same carpet you bought today, it may not be available for you to buy tomorrow. Once a roll of carpet is sold, the same type, style and dye lot (color) may be gone forever. No two rolls of carpet are exactly the same. There will be differences in color or style that may only become obvious after it is installed in your home.
These dealers may offer in-house installation or they might just hand you a list of local installers for you to call and hire on your own. If you have to arrange for your own installation you must negotiate with the installer and pay them directly. In the end, if you pay just $12.99 per yard for the carpet, don't expect it to last forever. Even though you may get a great deal on discounted carpets, always remember that there is always a reason why it is being sold at a significant discount.
#6 Buying from a Carpet Installer
CP
Rating:
Some
carpet layers have longstanding relationships with local carpet dealers or may
have a way to order new carpet and padding at near wholesale prices from local
suppliers. Carpet layers often end up with sizable leftovers from bigger carpet
jobs because carpet so many salespeople over-measure their jobs.
If
you find an installer who has some leftover carpet
or other flooring materials available at a very low price, you need to
understand that they have a limited supply of those materials and have no way of
getting any more of the exact same color or style.
As
with any contractor you hire to do work on your property, I suggest you check
references, verify their contractors license and business liability insurance to
make sure they are all current and up-to-date.
#5
Franchised
CP
Rating:
These franchised carpet dealers are often locally-owned but are hooked up with a national carpet distributor or co-op to increase their buying power and decrease their shipping costs. They put private labels on all their samples to prevent you from comparison shopping at other local carpet stores. Some re-brand their carpets and may not reveal the actual manufacturer of their products.
It is often much more difficult to get carpet the manufacturer specifications from these franchised resellers, and it makes it much more difficult to comparison shop their products. Still, you can still negotiate a fair deal if you know what you are doing and don't rely on their salespeople to make choices for you.
Many
co-ops do not provide installation
so you may have to locate a good installation crew and pay them separately. You
will have to work a bit harder to schedule and orchestrate everything, and may
end up paying a little more buying from a franchised flooring dealer. They
usually have a list of local carpet and flooring installers for you to call and
they do offer a wide range of quality flooring products.
#4 1-800 Carpet Wholesalers
CP
Rating:
These
are carpet and flooring wholesalers who will send you small carpet samples
through the mail. You must buy their carpet virtually "sight unseen"
(other than a small swatch) unless you live close enough to visit their
warehouse.
"The cheapest place to buy carpet is not always the best deal"
#3 Online Carpet & Flooring Retailers
CP
Rating:
Need
Hardwoods, Ceramic Tile, Luxury Tile or Laminate Flooring?
These
online companies move a lot of product and can be a smart way to go if you are
careful and do your homework. They have a lot more flooring products than
just carpet for sale. The
most common problem I hear about is poor quality materials they might offer.
Buying first-quality hardwoods is much more costly but the outcome is much better than if you buy a "second-grade" product. It's hard to know how much material to order when you have no Idea about the amount of unusable product they will be sending you. It can be a real nightmare when you have to re-order more materials because you did not have enough to finish the job due to the amount of unforeseen waste.
You
can save money buying from an online flooring wholesaler as long as you know
exactly what quality or grade of carpet you are buying and know in advance
exactly how the entire buying process works from start to finish.
Shipping
costs can be high
too and if you are not happy with the product you
order you may have to pay dearly to ship it back and also pay a hefty
re-stocking fee.
#2 Shop-at-Home Carpet Retailers
CP
Rating:
Many people love the convenience of not having to travel from store to store in search of the perfect type, color and style of carpet or flooring and prefer having samples brought to their home. Shopping at home makes matching colors easier under the optimum lighting conditions in your home. Many locally-owned carpet dealers are now offering shop-at-home services and this can a smart and convenient way to go for those who don't want to drive all around town and deal with conflicting and confusing salespeople.
There are many reputable carpet dealers that offer quality products, knowledgeable salespeople and reasonable prices but they are harder to find today because the shop-at-home concept is still a fairly new concept. I have several reputable locally-owned shop-at-home retailers listed in my Preferred Carpet Dealer Directory that I am proud to recommend. Best places to buy new carpet and flooring? I've got you covered!
There are a few nationally advertised shop-at-home flooring companies that I do not recommend because they sell inferior products, have unreasonably high prices and use high-pressure salespeople. I'm sure you have seen some of their TV commercials that offer discounts that sound too good to be true. Please avoid TV offers like getting three rooms of flooring for the price of one.
#1
Locally-Owned
CP
Rating:
With a good selection of carpet remnants stood up along the back wall, some in-stock rolls of carpet on display, a neat and tidy showroom and a good selection of first-quality brand name carpet samples to choose from. I believe buying locally is the safest way to have your carpet replaced and also get a fair price on carpet, padding and qualified installation.
These
long-standing neighborhood carpet
and flooring retailers order first-quality carpet directly from the
manufacturer. They provide first-class customer service, have fair & square pricing, have
knowledgeable and helpful staff, provide free accurate measuring and guaranteed
installation.
Not
all locally-owned flooring dealers are honest and reputable.
There are quite a few unsavory carpet retailers out there. The problem is, it's
hard to tell the good ones from the bad ones.
Secrets To Your Carpet Success
Not only must you obtain qualified carpet installation, you must also choose the right grade of carpet and padding too. Just as important is making sure you buy from an honest and reputable carpet and flooring dealer. These are just a few of the secrets to choosing new carpet like a pro! Homeowners want to know, is there any honest and reputable Carpet Stores Near Me?
Learn more:
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How Much Does Carpet Cost
-
Is Free Carpet Installation A Scam?
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Print My Carpet Shopping Form
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Reputable Carpet Stores Near Me?
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Print my free Carpet Shopping Form
