Flooring issue

[CornedBeef451]

Can anyone offer any advice please?

We needed a quick and cheap flooring solution for our downstairs hall as we're putting the house up for sale.

We've ordered vinyl flooring off a roll thinking it would be easy to mop as it is a high traffic area by the back door and is the main place the cats leave their sometimes bloody offerings. Who knew the easy wiping up of blood and entrails would become such a design feature!

It looked like it was concrete like the bathroom (upside down house) but it turns out most of it is tiled and all the edges of the tiles are destroyed from the carpet gripper nails.

The (cheap) company we ordered from doesn't prep the floor if it's uneven so now I don't know what to do.

Would it best to hold off on fitting and get someone else in to prep the floor? Switch to a different kind of flooring that's more robust and uses underlay? Put down carpet again and hope it doesn't get too bloody but we are moving into spring and therefore highest chance of dead things? Or is there some other magic option?

Thanks in advance.

If cheapest is a carpet, I do that in a blood-disguising colour and/or use a big rug. Take up for photos and viewings.

@SwedishEdith I like your practicality!

DH has just suggested we stick with the vinyl as we don't walk on the edges of the hallway anyway so it might be ok.

You can put underlay underneath lino.

Washable mat by the back door? There's lots of different sizes/designs/colours in Dunelm, e.g. www.dunelm.com/product/marvel-global-diamond-washable-doormat-1000187061

My cats liked to poo on that when the kids were little and fiddled with the cat flap locking them in!

@axolotlfloof that's good to know. I'll call the shop and see what they suggest.

@PhilofDelphia I would do that but they like to drag their presents along the hallway and leave them outside my bedroom door so it would have to be a full hall runner.

I feel loved but disgusted by their gifts and it has made me extremely wary of any mysterious things on the floor if I go to the loo at night!

I'm currently levelling a floor in preparation for laying vinyl (uneven floorboards are the bane of my life right now!) If it's just the edges that are uneven would you consider using an instant plaster filler (you can get a can from screwfix for just over a quid) and then you could just fill in the seam along the edge before laying? Would be cheaper than buying carpet if you've already ordered the vinyl?

@mummabubs that's a good idea. I've just cleared about 1.5m and the bits of various layers are very uneven but only for about 3 inches at each edge.

There is an alarming section under the back door which I haven't properly investigated yet. It looks like they did a bodge job on fitting the UPVC door.

Thanks for the advice everyone. It was a bit of a rush job so they've put the vinyl down but not sealed it in the two worst parts and I am retrospectively shoving filler in the holes.

Not ideal but it definitely looks better than the stained, fraying carpet. It should look fine for a while and then if we do move the next owners can do something nicer, and if we don't move at least it's wipe clean for the incoming mouse innards season.

Thanks again for the advice.