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Original poster

Moving house for the 1st time - would you replace carpet if it were you?

24 replies

mrshippy · 30/05/2009 23:13

Hello

After living in our 1st home for 6 years, we are moving house. I'm used to washable floors that you can clean, but the new house is totally carpeted. They are quite a non-offensive beige, dont appear dirty and can't be more than three years old. We are going to be skint after this move, but I really want to replace them. If you were me, would you bother?

OP posts:
Fimbo · 30/05/2009 23:15

If they look ok, get someone in to clean them professionally.

ToughDaddy · 30/05/2009 23:22

we had same thing two years ago. Left nicely furbished house with wooden floors for beige inoffensive newish carpets. Our children are asthmatic with allergies so it was a concern. Two years in we haven't replaced them but hope to do so soon. We have plans for new house. Even paid architect and obtained planning permission as soon as we moved in. But alas, I think we will end up doing something completely diff. Makes sense to live in house for a couple of years to be sure of what you want. It can change over time; you see different options and diff needs. I tested a carpet steamer recently (Vaporetto) and thinking of getting one.

Well done on the move; it is a good time to be moving, I think unlike when we moved two years ago at top of market.

ToughDaddy · 30/05/2009 23:46

check out this one

Original poster
mrshippy · 30/05/2009 23:56

that looks good Toughdaddy, thanks!

OP posts:
Original poster
mrshippy · 31/05/2009 00:13

still wish we had the cash to replace them though!

OP posts:
ToughDaddy · 31/05/2009 07:22

I know. Nothing beats wood. You will get there eventually, don't worry. Have you looked at the cheaper but effective engineered wood e.g. made by Khars

slackrunner · 31/05/2009 07:39

I prefer wood too - but I agree with the others that a professional clean followed by steam clean maintenance will stop them getting manky quickly.

slackrunner · 31/05/2009 07:41

PS - if it's any consolation we're about to offer on a house with the most manky carpets imaginable (70s swirl!) and we're skinters too

ToughDaddy · 31/05/2009 07:46

slackrunner- are you moving area or to bigger house? I think we should have stayed put and extened our hse even further. But I guess we were running out of garden space

slackrunner · 31/05/2009 07:55

Both TD. There's no room for use to extend in the current house due to the nano sized garden, plus dd is wheelchair bound so our 3 storey much loved victorian townhouse needs to go as it's massively impractical for her. However, onwards and upwards - we have fallen in love with an Edwardian money pit swirly carpets, polystyrene ceiling tiles, damp and all. Fingers crossed we can swing it.

ToughDaddy · 31/05/2009 08:07

I know what you mean. We left lovely 1940s that we really did up for Edwardian money pit. It is a long hard road to adjust but light at end of tunnel. Just make sure that you deduct from your offer the things that need fixing per the survey. We have done drains, trees, damp. Just done windows and now doing the pointing which really makes a difference.

It was a sellers market when we moved. Goodluck

ToughDaddy · 31/05/2009 08:08

Edwardians are great for light and space so good for dd in wheelchair. you will not regret.

slackrunner · 31/05/2009 08:17

LOL at the list of drains, trees, damp!

Yep - my parents had an Edwardian money pit when I was about 10. Fortunately for them they trebled their money on it in 3 years (they managed to sell just at the end of the 80s boom), but it really did take money, sweat and tears to do up. My dad has not commented on my e-mail to say that we have found a money pit just like that one - I think he thinks we're bonkers. However my defence is exactly your point - dd needs that sort of space for her wheelchair/ to move around on the floor, so a smaller but beautifully done up house just wouldn't work for us. Fingers crossed the vendors aren't delusional - the house has been on/off the market for over a year now.

ouchitreallyhurts · 31/05/2009 08:34

we are moving into an edwardian money pit too! thing with ours is, the beautiful wooden floors have been covered with the most disgusting floral carpets, coated in dog hair (bluegh) so will be coming out asap!!

ToughDaddy · 31/05/2009 08:38

the market is buyers market slack- so walk away if they don't deal. There is always aanother one if you are patient.

Ouch- not sure what the floorboard are like here. scared to have a look but i dram that they are the perfect, most beautiful wood and i don't want to find out otherwise

ouchitreallyhurts · 31/05/2009 09:37

don't blame you toughdaddy! we have are also choosing edwardian for the wheelchair friendly aspect - lovely rooms that can take a 3 point turn unlike current house that has lots of dents in the walls!

Non offensive beige mrshippy is good for if you have children, certainly until they grow up then you can remove and replace to your own taste

pasturesnew · 31/05/2009 09:41

I would live with them for a while and use the money you would have spent on them to go on holiday! Although it might be worth pulling up a tiny unobstrusive corner just to check you haven't already got some fabulous original tiling or wooden flooring underneath that would not be too expensive to restore?

slackrunner · 31/05/2009 09:47

sorry mrshippy - we seem to have monopolised your thread with chat of Edwardian money pits!

We're going back for a 2nd viewing this week (trying to play it cool - haha), and then will offer after that. Will have to walk away if needs be as we can't afford the full asking price (and it's ridonculous anyway)....

ToughDaddy · 31/05/2009 15:29

mrshippy and slackrunner- nice to have a surface that you don't care too much about to trample on when moving. But becareful with that kind of thinking; it is nearly two years in and we haven't done wooden floors as planned yet as we are doing the fundamentals of the Edwardian house first.

Original poster
mrshippy · 31/05/2009 22:21

Hey that's OK Slackrunner,interesting comments. We have done the opposite though, traded in our 1950's money-pit for a less than 3-year-old house. Quite Funky design, nothing that need doing (considering we have NO money after sale - a good thing). On three levels, built into a hill, location closer to family. I think I'm just a big wimp, because we have gutted this house and done everything to our taste - wood everywhere. Can't really do that in new one. Maybe I'll end up a beige convert. Don't like other peoples dirt though - although mine is fine!

OP posts:
ToughDaddy · 31/05/2009 23:36

sounds great. I like the idea of nesting in a hill.

Original poster
mrshippy · 01/06/2009 00:05

it's a bit crazy...from the front it looks like a pokey two up to down town house with a garage out front. Then you walk inside, down the hall to the kitcehn, and find yourself really high up (has a balcony). Stairs to the right go up to bedrooms and down to Lounge, utility room, toilet etc. Very funky, but I find the idea of our car being parked above us when we are in the lounge a bit wierd. Yes...v.excitewd about new house

OP posts:
ToughDaddy · 02/06/2009 00:27

youir house sounds like mine from outside. But when you get inside mine there is no balcony or anything exotic, alas. Actually, people are always suprised how spacious it is once you get inside. Nice to be understated from the front.

TDiddy · 01/08/2009 08:46

how did you get on Mrship? And Slackrunner?

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