White carpets - I need your views urgently!

[AuntLucyInPeru]

Hi all. Major barnstorm in the Peru household. Independent verdicts needed

We're redecorating and dressing a 4-bed contemporary house we own (built 2004) in a village just outside a big Eastern university town. We need to pick carpet colour now. Carpets are in every room apart from the entrance hall and the through kitching-living space (which has laminates).

DH has picked white carpets, on the grounds that this is almost exclusively what showhomes (Barratt Homes etc) are using this year.

I say that white carpets might look good in showhomes but no woman would ever pick them, and women buy houses, so we should go for something a bit more beige.

We have a standoff.

Ladies of MN, I leave it in your hands. Are white carpets the right choice in a house which is being 'done up' for sale?

We don't live there, so no prob about damage in the period leading up to sale.

The thing is - you can't compare a barratt show home to a normal home. They have spend thousands and thousands of pounds on designers and their amazing furniture/lights etc.... and you, as a viewer are drawn to the 'wow' and 'omg, wow' items they have around the house, to dress it. And - the viewer wouldn't even notice the colour of the carpets!!!!

A normal house (no matter how lovely the things were in it) - wouldn't have that UNNATURAL wow appeal that a barratt show home would have. The viewer wouldn't be under the illusion - that a barratt showhom can give... and they would look at the carpet, and notice what colour it was. Some would think, 'fab new carpet', but some would think OMG white carpet - and there would be an instant red flag!

Why would your husband want a potential red flag, the moment the viewer steps into the house!??

4 bedroom house - would most likely sell to a family! Why would your husband want to alienate most of the market????

Play it safe. x

Barratt homes is hardly aspirational though!

Do people really find Barratt homes aspirational/smartest/now/cool? Really?

All the new builds around me have wooden floors and stripey carpets on the stairs and landing.

Tell him it's not the 70's and if he doesn't agree leave him!

Depressingly, Barratt homes prob are pretty aspirational for buyers who are looking for a 4 bed in the south east for under £275k.

Thecokemachine - how much are those homes? If the 4 bed version is under £300k then I will put that site forward as evidence that white carpets are not ubiquitous in new builds!

White would be striking but i wouldnt.
I dont think the Barrat argument compares because I'm pretty sure Barratt let you choose your own colour of carpets/spec in the actual house you buy, so putting it in their show houses probably doesn't put people off as there's likely to be an agent there following them around saying "obviously you wouldn't dream of going for white carpets in your own one!..."

Good point MrsMagnolia ref having to ask viewers to take off their shoes...

No, not white. If I was viewing, I would be thinking, we can never have chocolate, red wine, beetroot, baked beans, or Ribena ever again!

Also, the house we looked at had quite a dark hallway and stairs. The walls were painted white but something odd happened to the lighting and my dh thought the carpet looked pink. I didn't think they looked pink personally but could see they had a pinkish tinge. My dh refused to consider it with those carpets!

So, what are you going with/ How can you possibly still be losing the argument. Not one person (I don't think) has said go for white. Your dh is being thrashed by the people who make the decisions

White carpet would have me looking for ways negotiate a drop in the asking price to factor in replacing them.

My argument to your dp would be as follows: the south east is festooned with barret stylee new builds. If that is what a buyer wants, they will buy off plans at a discount. We aren't going to be attracting these buyers therefore we need to tailor the place to appeal to sensible buyers with small children. Thus no white carpet!

A friend has white carpets in her flat. It is on the top floor and there are not lots of children or animals. The house we rent has awful beige carpets that suck in every ounce of dirt. It also has hideous magnolia walls. It all looked clean before we moved in. A white carpet has to be clean. All the time. It is a status symbol because you can afford to keep it clean. All the time. I'm not sure how fashionable it is to spend your weath on keeping white carpets white. Unless you're a celeb.

I would agree with a previous poster that said the Barrat show home isn't what people buy, they are what people see. Most buyers will choose their own spec, and I would imagine most don't go for the white carpets.

You on the other hand are hoping to sell your house, as it is. White carpets would be an expensive mistake in my opinion. What will happen after the plumber/first viewer walks all over the place with mucky shoes? Then you're a bit stuffed really.

New builds we've looked at have been £550k+, we're in East London so nothing really fancy. Stripes seem to be the trend for stair carpets?!?!?

I agree with those who have said that white is naff.