Getting new carpets - please explain it to me like I’m 10 years old

[MikeWozniaksMohawk]

I’m in my late 30s yet have never had to get new carpets. How does it work when your rooms are all full of furniture? What do you do? We need most of the house doing (4 bedrooms, landing and stairs, and a couple of downstairs rooms). Is it a case of doing a room at a time? Please someone talk me through the process!

Move and pack away as much as you can, especially small stuff, but they can normally move other stuff around. They'll probably do a room at a time.

When I've done whole houses I'm already in, they've normally arranged to do it over two or three visits, and it's a case of emptying whole rooms (but not whole floors).

Great thread.

We couldn't move some of our furniture, the sofas. What happens then?

I had all my house done at the same time. I emptied all drawers and cupboards. Had to take the bed apart and put it in the landing but the fitter moved the furniture around as he went along.

ETA carpets depends on use. I got a 100% wool carpet which was moth proof. I bought underlay etc online and just hired a fitter for the day.

Ask whoever quotes you how much they'll help. Some will move a couple of heavy things within reason.

Some will expect the existing floor removed first, too. Some will lift the existing flooring for a charge.

It depends how small/big/modern/old-fashioned the firm is. Some employ carpet fitters directly and others just contract to them.

What if you’re infirm or disabled and can’t physically move/dismantle the furniture? What do you do then? Just thinking of how my mum would cope.

When you say you can't move them so you mean they are permanently fixed to the floor? If you mean you don't have anywhere to put them then just ask the carpet fittings, ime they move them around as they work

Move as much as you can. I used a local firm and when I've not been able to move things they will. They fit a room at a time so you can move things around.

I couldn't clear a room by myself any more (spinal issue). If I didn't have enough healthy family to help, i would phone a couple of local "man and a van" services and handy man services. Most of those guys are quite flexible about how they turn a £.

I was young when this struck, though. If you have the option to plan, you catch up on those jobs before you get too far into old age. It's worth thinking about.

We had new living room, study, hall stairs and landing done on one visit then bedrooms done on another. We moved most things but the fitters were happy to move sofas and beds. The rooms are large enough to move items from one side to the other.

Thanks LiterallyOnFire. My mum has so many jobs that need doing - all our other family have died and she's left with a big old neglected house full of jobs that need doing, including the loft clearing out, carpets replacing, heating system needs replacing and we have no idea where to start. I guess we'll contact some handy men who can hopefully help? It's just so daunting everything that needs doing!

Sounds overwhelming.

Some local authorities do offer subsidised and vetted handyman services to retirees. Might be worth a Google.

I’m glad I’m not the only one who doesn’t automatically know how these things work! I wish adulting came with an instruction manual. Thanks for all the help PPs!