You made up your mind, found some gorgeous new digs and even staged your furniture (in the hopes of attracting that adorable young family you just know will love the place). Simply put: You're ready to sell your damn house, already.
But wait—before you do so, veteran real estate agent Noemi Bitterman of Warburg Realty has something she really wants you to deal with: Your old wall-to-wall carpeting. Yep, according to Bitterman, wall-to-wall carpeting can be a major deterrent to prospective buyers.
As Bitterman puts it, old carpeting is full of "dirt, allergens and a whole lot of 'I don’t want to find out'"—and this is the case no matter how clean you are. Instead, she suggests pulling it up and even springing for new hardwoods to sweeten your home's appeal, if necessary: “All buyers want beautiful wood flooring because it translates to clean and organic under bare feet,” she insists. (Which makes sense to us. Who wants hand-me-down carpets? It's like a big ol' sponge of the prior resident's mess.)
Sorry to add one more task to your prep list—but trust the pros: This task pays you back.
