Developers, home flippers - please stop with the luxury vinyl planks on main levels

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand people saying you can't get hardwoods at that price point? Our house cost $600k and is almost all hardwood. That was 3 years ago (now it's worth $700k), but we are also inside the Beltway, so I see no reason why, if it were 20 minutes farther out, it couldn't be had for $600k.

Unless you mean... when it's an older house that had hardwoods and the floors need to be completely replaced for whatever reason, or it's a newer house built without hardwoods?

For an updated home, it is difficult.

[Anonymous]

It’s “luxury” for Springfield. Appropriate

[Anonymous]

I don’t get the hate for LVP. It appeals to a lot of young families, which makes sense given the material’s price point, durability, and range of styles it can be found in. Some folks on here may prefer carpet or tile to LVP, but for the most part I think a lot of buyers prefer an all hardwood-like look.

We picked engineered hardwoods for throughout our home except for the basement (carpet). But I may have considered LVP if I hadn’t been able to find the look I like. Would I use LVP on the main floors of a 2M home or whatever, no. But most folks aren’t considering a 2M home

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand people saying you can't get hardwoods at that price point? Our house cost $600k and is almost all hardwood. That was 3 years ago (now it's worth $700k), but we are also inside the Beltway, so I see no reason why, if it were 20 minutes farther out, it couldn't be had for $600k.

Unless you mean... when it's an older house that had hardwoods and the floors need to be completely replaced for whatever reason, or it's a newer house built without hardwoods?

The market has changed in 3 years. Even your house at $700k is now out of the price point.

[Anonymous]

https://www.ambientbp.com/bamboo-flooring-cost.php

I got my bamboo floors, the hardwax ones, from those people. Looks like they don't do hardwax anymore. Makes sense. It's kind of fussy to maintain and the cleaner is more expensive. I like it because it's forgiving. but the other stuff is also good.

Just checked Cali bamboo.. they also don't sell hardwax floors anymore. I cant find anyone who does, but I wouldn't trade mine for a regular finish. Still, though, bamboo or cork are good alternatives to lvp and those are good companies

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This flip in our neighborhood ripped out all the original oak flooring and put in LVP. It looks so cheap.

https://www.redfin.com/VA/Alexandria/8901-Linton-Ln-22308/home/9828119?1280460695=variant&600390594=copy_variant&231528114=variant&1077477207=control&utm_source=ios_share&utm_medium=share&utm_nooverride=1&utm_content=link&utm_campaign=share_sheet

Because the LVP is all running sideways, I suspect they didn’t rip out the old floors, and just laid the LVP on top, which is even worse.

[Anonymous]

The LVP in that house isn't the problem. It's that it's horrible LVP. One of our neighbors sold at 1m+ a few weeks ago and had more expensive LVP on the main level and it looked totally fine. I went to the open house.

I also saw a few other homes with LVP in them and all really looked fine - similar to a neutral tile you see in some homes but easier to tear out and change if you want to do that after you purchase.

I'd rather have hardwood of course but I'd rather have bad LVP than bad tile for the reason above.

[Anonymous]

I recently saw an episode of post-Flip or Flop on HGTV. Tarik said that, for a house that you are flipping, it's cheaper and faster to put LVP over the original hardwood, than to refinish the original hardwood.

I was pretty shocked to hear him say that. It seemed like such a shame.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The LVP in that house isn't the problem. It's that it's horrible LVP. One of our neighbors sold at 1m+ a few weeks ago and had more expensive LVP on the main level and it looked totally fine. I went to the open house.

I also saw a few other homes with LVP in them and all really looked fine - similar to a neutral tile you see in some homes but easier to tear out and change if you want to do that after you purchase.

I'd rather have hardwood of course but I'd rather have bad LVP than bad tile for the reason above.

+1

Bad tile is the worst type of bad flooring, IMO. God, the expense and mess to change it.

[Anonymous]

I only have it in my mud room. Basement has carpet. Too cold without it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I recently saw an episode of post-Flip or Flop on HGTV. Tarik said that, for a house that you are flipping, it's cheaper and faster to put LVP over the original hardwood, than to refinish the original hardwood.

I was pretty shocked to hear him say that. It seemed like such a shame.

Not surprised in the least. There are plenty of examples of flipped houses where the previous sale photos are still available. Flippers frequently install it over hardwood instead of refinishing.