HGTV's Christina Hall Names The Floor Choice That'll Hurt Your Resale Value
Never underestimate the power of flooring. While floors might not sound as exciting as furniture, wall colors, or decor, your home's flooring can drastically impact your house's resale value. So, it's a good idea to be aware of which options to avoid if you don't want your home to lose desirability because of the floor choice. For instance, travertine flooring is a high-maintenance material that's outdated and inconvenient in the 2020s.
"Like 15 years ago, everything was really heavy like travertine. It was kind of like travertine on brown and everything felt very dark ... I think when buyers look at that style, it's harder to fix because travertine's a hard material to get rid of," HGTV's Christina Hall told Parade. When you invite potential buyers into your home, you don't want anyone to think, "This flooring is so 15 years ago," do you? Thus, to prevent your floors from appearing drab and negatively affecting your home's value, take Hall's advice and avoid travertine.
Christina Hall recommends using samples to your advantage
Once you rule out travertine when looking at new flooring options, it's your best bet to listen to the HGTV star's other flooring-related advice, too. After all, she has a flooring collection, The Christina Collection — @christinacollectionfloor on Instagram, so she's always on top of everything floor-related. One of Christina Hall's simple flooring tips for the research and shopping phase is to be diligent and carefully consider the samples rather than make an impulsive commitment.
She posted a video explaining the importance of testing samples in your home on her flooring collection's TikTok account, @thechristinacollection. "It's really, really a good idea to get the samples and take them home with you. Different lighting looks different in all different types of houses, and also the way flooring plays off your current paint color ... what you think would look great online could look totally different in person," Hall said.
Even if you think something you see online or in a store is your dream flooring, don't ignore the expert's advice by rushing the research process, as not seeing it in the space with a sample could lead to significant regret. Think of it like this: if you wouldn't impulsively commit to a wall paint color without at least testing a sample first, have the same mindset with flooring.
She suggests staying consistent, too
Not only does Christina Hall recommend avoiding travertine flooring and advise carefully examining how flooring option samples look in your home, but she also recommends committing to the same floor type for the whole home. On TikTok, @thechristinacollection shared a video, and Hall explained, "The good thing about running flooring through the entire house: it makes the spaces feel bigger and more cohesive." She noted that her flooring line is perfect for any space in every home, helping you achieve that consistent look.
Therefore, if you want to re-floor every room in your home, it can be counterproductive to opt for hardwood floors in one room, stone flooring in a different one, and a tile look in another, for instance. Moreover, if you already have a flooring type you love in one room but want to get rid of travertine or another outdated look in a different room, consider sticking with the floor type you like and adding it to the other space. Also, if there's flooring you're interested in, look into how much installation would cost before getting too excited and taking samples in case it's more expensive than your budget allows. For example, if you want hardwood, expect to pay anywhere between $3 and $12 for each square foot of installation. Just don't choose something dull and out of style!