Budget carpets

[Thingsthatgo]

We have a LOT of areas to carpet. It is going to be expensive. I would like something neutral and hardwearing throughout, and I don't mind if it is all the same.
Please tell me your best money saving tips... is it cheapest to source the carpet and underlay myself, and find a fitter?
What type of carpet would you recommend? (I don't like the shiny ones that leave hoover lines).

I don't know if they still do it - but many years ago a friend went direct to the Wilton carpet factory and had whole house done. I don't know if they arranged the carpet fitter or if she did that.

I’ve always found it best to go to carpet right and buy off the roll for lower priced. They have some hardwearing ones. They have different quality of underlay so you can pick the price you want to pay. Fitters prices are always comparable to independent people you would have to source yourselves too. They have pricier carpets in the sample books which we have used in this house in some rooms.
We unfortunately went for an independent to carpet the larger areas and, despite it being pricier, we haven’t been happy since they were laid and they are wearing terribly-despite being advised they were hard wearing. I’d go back to carpet right next time. We are on our 3rd house so have bought quite a lot of carpet over the years!

We have a place that sells roll ends of all sorts of carpets quite cheaply near us. We had to carpet and underlay around 100 m2 in 2019 and bought all 80/20 wool mix very high commercial grade (probably left over from a hotel) for around £1500. We used our own carpet fitter.

Alternatively, could you look at one of the online carpet companies and get samples sent to you?

Roll ends will be the cheapest way of doing the smaller rooms and possibly the bigger ones too. Try designer carpets online shop and get a local fitter. We managed to carpet three small double bedrooms including fitting for about £100 a room.

Ok, so roll ends sounds like a great plan.
We have two large doubles and two small doubles, a box room and two HSLs (that's what the guy in the carpet shop said is carpet fitter lingo for hallway, stairs and landing!).
I can maybe take a while to gather the carpets together, it doesn't need to all bought at once and spread the cost a bit.
Thank you for the help

If you are looking at cheaper carpets, make sure you invest in decent underlay. bad underlay can make expensive carpets feel cheap, and cheaper carpets feel more expensive.

Best advice I had was not to skimp on the underlay. You don't need the most expensive, but don't go for the cheapest either. An average priced or cheap carpet will wear more slowly and feel better underfoot with a decent underlay. I always used Carpet Right and found them to be good value.

Yes, good underlay is key to making the carpet feel nicer and last longer! Also, good underlay may well outlast the carpet, so you can reuse it next time you recarpet. Of course, that benefit is only relevant if you plan to stay in this house for a long time.

I'm seconding roll-ends. The most wonderful carpets I've ever had came from a tatty little garage-type place in Tooting: I just wandered in as I passed it daily. Turns out they sold remainders from carpeting contracts to posh hotels, embassies and the like. They also gave me a fitter who was brilliant at making the available pieces fit seamlessly in my spaces.

No such carpeting wonderland here, so I'm seconding Carpetright too! And the remarks about underlay. I just got some local fitter to lay it here, as it was a standard job with normal off-the-roll products.

Just resurrecting this old thread.. I'm at baffled the carpet quotes!! 2 bedrooms and stairs (small hall / landing at the top) prices are coming in at £1600-2k this is from two local independent businesses. To be fair I haven't bought carpet in years but frigging heck.

Do you know what sort of quality the carpet is? We've just been quoted by an independent for a mid price carpet. 2 large double bedrooms, 1 box room, hall, stairs, landing, another flight of stairs. £2.5k in the south east.

@Thingsthatgo interesting! Both shops (independents) didn't state price per sqm which I also found odd..! Tapi at least had the price per sqm on the carpet samples which gave me a vague idea. Both were mid range, one of the shops had two types of underlay, the other just said underlay was included - but no idea what thickness. I've decided to go to Tapi and speak to them.

Well fuck me sideways! I've had another quote today. Best yet.. £3097

In my btl houses I buy LL carpets in dark grey and put a good underlay under them. Every room is painted white. It might be a bit boring but it's clean and fresh. These carpets last about 4 years. Then I just change with more of the same. The carpets cost £6 SQM and underlay about £4.50 SQM. If you buy a lot you might get it for combined £10 SQM.

I used Paul Parker Carpets in Hull.

Fitting is included.

We used an independent shop, as we have children and we ourselves are clumsy the carpet is bleach cleanable 100% poly prop but feels amazing, so soft and like an 80/20. My friend had her carpet eaten by moths so that is never going to happen with mine and the quality is brilliant.

It is now £19.99psqm but we went for the 70oz Sirius in the lounge, it is too deep meaning it flattens underfoot and shows every footmark when you walk on it after hoovering. We chose the 50oz Orion for the bedrooms. It is much better as less pile depth, still feels great and looks good on stairs, you have to bend the carpet sample 90 degrees to see how it will look on stairs. I have had mine down now around 5 years, looks good. This is mine https://www.onlinecarpets.co.uk/collections/invictus-carpets

Underlay go for the best you can because that makes a difference and in future you can replace the carpet and keep the underlay. Mine is Cloud Nine or equivalent. The independent fitter from the carpet shop had a price per m2 and a different price for stairs etc as they take more time, all prices were in plain view to make it easy to calculate costs. I needed a 5m roll for the lounge as we didn't want a join which can limit where you buy from as not all places do it. We used 4m roll for the bedrooms etc. I had all bedrooms, landing and stairs done and they basically waited until I was ready to do the next room and book me in so I could plan and move furniture. Mine is expensive, you could easily knock at least £5psqm off the price and get a good carpet.

Keep shopping around.

I'm going back to the guy that quoted prices but gave no written estimate - purely to see if he can shed some light on the underlay being used and if the prices he flippantly quoted verbally included door bars and grips and ask him to write it down or email me. I'm hell bent I'm getting fleeced somewhere 🥴 the longer this goes on the more money I've stashed away at least.. I feel stupid not realising this was such an investment!