So I have a client.......

In this market? Definitely put in new carpet. 90 percent of buyers will not be able to look past it. Half may not make it past the living room.

I would bet that not only are buyers looking for great deals, they are looking to score great deals on homes in perfect condition, depending on the neighborhood.

Mid-grade, neutral carpet should help a lot!

IMO, the carpet should be replaced prior to accepting the listing if the sellers can afford to do so. I've seen plenty of people walk into a home and quickly decide they didn't like the house based on something which is simple and inexpensive to replace, like the color of the walls. Many buyers don't have the vision to see past outdated cabinets, flooring, crazy paint colors, etc.

I would suggest that they put in new carpet before listing the house since most people that walk thru will be turned off by "nasty" carpet. The only other option is to give a "carpet allowance" as you advertise the listing so people know that they carpet will be replaced and the new buyer can pick the carpet.

Just my 2 cents.

IMO, the carpet should be replaced prior to accepting the listing if the sellers can afford to do so. I've seen plenty of people walk into a home and quickly decide they didn't like the house based on something which is simple and inexpensive to replace, like the color of the walls. Many buyers don't have the vision to see past outdated cabinets, flooring, crazy paint colors, etc.

So true SJ.

May I also add an another suggestion. The price of carpet has risen dramatically due to oil prices, and if at all possible, if the owner is handy or can afford to hire someone to replace the carpet with hardward or even pergo, it may not be terribly more expensive (unless they plan on putting a very low grade carpet in) and further, it will be easier to clean, especially while on the market since it is housing pets and children.

The tougher the market, the more perfect your listing needs to be, assuming the price is right.

who wants to put their house on the market. This home would primarily be a full time resident, not vacation. What to do? The carpet in the home is NASTY from pets and kids. So do they put new carpet in for potential buyers or give the buyers an allowance? They are realistic in the market and the price is not going to be inflated like some. ;-) What do you peeps think??? Thanks for any input.....IBD

IBD, tune into that show on HGTV, "Designed to Sell"

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/shows_hdts

They take a $2000 materials budget and stage the house for a strong sale and, if you can believe TV, it always works. The sellers always walks away with more money, and recoups the cost they put into the house to make it more palatable to the buying public.

Thanks for all the input. They were wanting to put in hardwood but did not want to deal with the mess. I will let them know your suggestions....;-)

I believe most people buy on emotion and not logic, and presentation fuels buying emotion. Spruce up the home within bounds of reason, and the money will be well spent.

Thanks for all the input. They were wanting to put in hardwood but did not want to deal with the mess. I will let them know your suggestions....;-)

IBD, have you looked the hardwood floors that you can get at Home Depot and/or Lowes? There are several pre-finished "click-it" floors out there that eliminate the mess and hassle. It's not half as difficult to lay a floor as it used to be.

The tougher the market, the more perfect your listing needs to be, assuming the price is right.

Well put! The less a buyer has to notice or think about the better chance to sell.

who wants to put their house on the market. This home would primarily be a full time resident, not vacation. What to do? The carpet in the home is NASTY from pets and kids. So do they put new carpet in for potential buyers or give the buyers an allowance? They are realistic in the market and the price is not going to be inflated like some. ;-) What do you peeps think??? Thanks for any input.....IBD

Leave the carpet in. Price the home below others but not by much. 10-15%. Folks walk through and think of getting a deal. Fixer upper. Not a lot of those left in the area. House we appreciate over long term in buyers mind. Sellers win with a fast sale and buyers win on a good deal.

Leave the carpet in. Price the home below others but not by much. 10-15%. Folks walk through and think of getting a deal. Fixer upper. Not a lot of those left in the area. House we appreciate over long term in buyers mind. Sellers win with a fast sale and buyers win on a good deal.

There are many opinions on the subject. My personal opinion is that a home in need of basic updates, eg- new carpet, priced only 10-15% below competing listings (many of which are over-priced), does not necessarily equate to a fast sale, nor do most buyers think they are winning a good deal in such a case.

As a potential buyer, I am all for a fixer-upper, but going into a house with gross pet stuff (especially smells) would really make me look elswhere. Paint colors are one thing, but you always think "how deep does the "yuk" go??? If it's really bad, get it out!!😀

I?m not an expert, and I?m certainly not a Realtor, but I?ll throw in my opinion.

We listed a house that we owned in Tallahassee with a Realtor who had an excellent reputation. We installed new carpeting, painted the interior, touched up the landscaping, etc. Months passed and we didn?t receive an offer ? the Tallahassee market wasn?t too bad at that time.

Whenever I stopped by to check the house, I just didn?t like the look or feel of the front door. The handset was almost ten years old, the finish had deteriorated and it felt kind of cruddy to me. One day when I wasn?t especially busy I replaced the handset with a new top-of-the-line entry set. I also replaced the door hinges with very attractive solid brass hinges. Now things felt right. The house sold a few days later ? maybe first impressions do mean a lot.

We later found out from neighbors that the people who had lived in our home before we bought it were running an unlicensed Yorkie puppy mill inside.

Take the old carpet out, scrub down any slab concrete with bleach, and deal with any subflooring smell issues before putting new carpet down. Sale will go much smoother, and you'll be glad you did. When we bought, average time for a home to go under contract in our area was about six weeks. Our future home with the flooring issue taken care of, and a realistic price, got three offers in two weeks.

As a potential buyer, I am all for a fixer-upper, but going into a house with gross pet stuff (especially smells) would really make me look elswhere. Paint colors are one thing, but you always think "how deep does the "yuk" go??? If it's really bad, get it out!!😀

Make an offer.