Replace it if the carpet is stained, matted, smells of pets or is more than about 10 years old. Clean it if it is under five years old and simply dirty. And in a Lynnwood rambler or split-level, lift a corner first, because there is often oak underneath that is worth more than any new carpet. New neutral carpet is one of the cheapest changes that transforms listing photos. Labor is $0.99 per sq ft stretched in, $0.45 per sq ft to tear out and haul away the old carpet and pad, and $30 per stair, with the carpet and pad quoted at the free estimate. We will also tell you honestly if cleaning or refinishing serves you better.
Every spring we get the same call from Alderwood, Martha Lake and Meadowdale: "We are listing in six weeks, the carpet is tired, do we replace it or just offer a credit?" Lynnwood buyers right now are mostly first-timers and light-rail commuters comparing your house against new townhomes with fresh floors. Tired carpet is the first thing they photograph and the last thing they forget. But replacing it is not always the right move, so here is how we walk sellers through the decision.
Find out in 30 seconds
Replace, clean, or refinish what is underneath?
Answer three questions about the carpet you have now.
What Lynnwood buyers are comparing you against
New townhomes near the light rail
Much of the Lynnwood buyer pool has just toured new construction around the City Center station with vinyl plank main floors and fresh carpet upstairs. Your 1978 split-level does not need to match that, but 15-year-old beige carpet next to it looks like work.
First-time buyers with no cash left
After a down payment and closing costs, most Lynnwood first-timers have no budget for floors. A house that needs carpet on day one gets mentally discounted by more than the carpet costs. That gap is the whole argument for replacing before listing.
Inspectors and pet odor
Pet urine soaks into pad and subfloor. New carpet over a contaminated pad still smells in August. If a dog lived on it, the pad must go and the subfloor may need sealing, which is a detail buyers' inspectors specifically sniff for.
The oak underneath
Alderwood and Meadowdale ramblers from the 1960s and 70s were built with oak strip floors and carpeted over in the 1990s. Refinished oak is the single most requested feature in local listings. Check before you buy carpet.
Your four options, honestly compared
| Option | Best when | Downside |
|---|---|---|
| Replace with mid-grade neutral carpet | Carpet is stained, old or smells; plywood subfloor underneath | Money spent up front; must be done before photos |
| Professional cleaning and restretch | Carpet is under 5 years old and intact | Does nothing for crushed pad, traffic lanes or odor |
| Refinish the hardwood underneath | 1960s to 80s house with oak under the carpet | Takes 3 to 5 days and the house must be mostly empty |
| Offer a flooring credit instead | You are out of time or selling as-is | Buyers overestimate the cost, discount harder, and some lenders limit credits |
Our labor is published: $0.99 per sq ft stretched in, $1.29 glue-down, $30 per stair, $0.45 per sq ft for tear-out and haul-away, 500 sq ft minimum. A 1,100 sq ft upstairs with 13 stairs is 1,100 x ($0.99 + $0.45) + 13 x $30 = $1,974 in labor, plus the carpet and pad you choose.
Scope your Lynnwood carpet replacement
Carpet Installation Calculator
Real Wills Flooring labor pricing. Carpet and pad are quoted separately once you pick the style you like.
Which carpet to buy when you are selling
- Mid-grade, not premium. Buyers cannot tell a 40 oz nylon from a 60 oz one in a showing. They can tell new from old. Labor is $0.99 per sq ft whatever grade you pick, so put the difference into the pad and the color, not the top tier.
- Polyester or triexta texture, short pile. Both are stain-resistant, come in the right neutrals and photograph cleanly. A short textured pile hides footprints and vacuum lines during showings.
- Warm greige or light taupe. Not white, which shows every showing. Not dark, which shrinks a 1970s bedroom. Ask to see the sample against your wall paint in daylight.
- A 6 to 8 lb rebond pad. New pad is most of why new carpet feels new underfoot. This is the one place we push sellers not to go cheap.
- Do the stairs and hallway first. If budget is tight, the stairs and upper hall are what every buyer touches. Bedrooms can follow in the same color if cash allows.
Mistakes that waste the money
The expensive one: Ordering carpet before anyone checks what is under it. We have pulled up brand-new carpet in Martha Lake to find clean oak that could have been refinished for the listing. Lift a corner in a closet, or have us look at the free estimate before you commit.
- Replacing only one bedroom in a slightly different color. Buyers notice the mismatch and assume the rest is next.
- Installing new carpet over the old pad to save a little. Odor and crushed spots come straight through.
- Scheduling install after the photographer. The photos are the listing; the carpet has to be in before the camera.
- Choosing a trendy pattern or a bold color. You are decorating for the widest possible buyer, not for yourself.
- Waiting until the week before listing. Order to install is usually one to two weeks, and spring in Lynnwood books up fast.
How to line it up with your listing date
- 6 weeks outFree in-home estimate. We lift a corner, check the pad and subfloor, and tell you whether carpet, cleaning or a refinish is the smart spend.If oak turns up, see our guide to refinishing before a sale
- 5 weeks outPick a neutral from the samples in your own light and sign the firm written quote. Carpet is ordered and the pad is confirmed.Lead time is usually 1 to 2 weeks
- 3 weeks outTear-out and install, usually one day for three bedrooms and a hall, two days with stairs and a living room. Old carpet and pad hauled away.Tear-out and install labor on 1,100 sq ft with stairs runs about $1,974
- 2 weeks outPaint touch-ups, staging, photos. Fresh carpet under bright listing photos is the payoff.Vacuum once before photos, no cleaning needed
Pre-sale carpet questions from Lynnwood sellers
Asked at estimates in Alderwood, Martha Lake and Meadowdale, and at our showroom on 196th.
Does new carpet increase the sale price of a house in Lynnwood?
Is it better to replace the carpet or give the buyer a credit?
How do I know if there is hardwood under my carpet?
What color carpet sells a house best?
How long before listing should I schedule carpet installation?
Can I just replace the carpet in the worst rooms?
Get an honest answer before you list
We come to your Lynnwood home with samples, lift a corner, and tell you whether to replace, clean or refinish. Firm written price on the spot, free, no obligation.
Wills Flooring serves Lynnwood, Everett, Seattle, Sammamish, Edmonds, Kirkland, Snohomish and the rest of Snohomish and King County from our Lynnwood showroom. See our carpet installation service, published price list, what is under your carpet, carpet vs hardwood for resale and how far out to book carpet installation.
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