The Bedroom Flooring Choice You'll Regret When It's Time To Sell, According To Our Real Estate Expert

The importance of the right bedroom flooring cannot be overstated. It has the potential to make or break the feeling in your bedroom, create or impede comfort, and impact your home's appeal to future buyers. And while walls can be repainted and lighting quickly switched out, few elements are as labor-intensive to replace as flooring, which is why you want to get it right the first time. Considering all these factors, House Digest consulted real estate expert Ryan Fitzgerald to determine the best flooring options for the bedroom based on his extensive experience in the field. "When it comes to bedrooms, you want to nail that cozy, relaxing vibe. After all, it's where you start and end your day, so the flooring choice is huge," says Fitzgerald. "I always tell my clients and readers the same thing: when you're thinking about resale value, certain flooring types are just real crowd pleasers."

Fitzgerald is right. Research from the National Association of Realtors shows that buyers are more likely to pay more for specific types of flooring, but it's necessary to consider cost, maintenance, lifestyle, and other factors. A seasoned realtor, owner of Raleigh Realty, and a regular contributor to Forbes and U.S. News & World Report — Fitzgerald spoke with us exclusively regarding the best and worst bedroom flooring options. Below, Fitzgerald breaks down his selections and reveals factors you might not have considered to help homeowners select a firm foundation for comfort and future profit. 

There is some good advice to sell your home faster when the time comes and not have it sitting on the market for months. First, you'll want to ensure that buyers can imagine themselves in the home, meaning that the flooring you choose should mirror your ideal buyer's style, lifestyle, and persona. As such, Fitzgerald's exclusive advice to House Digest is to avoid bold trends and polarizing flooring styles like whitewashed wood and opt for more universal materials and neutral tones. Fitzgerald says that inconsistent flooring material and color palettes throughout the home will cause you to regret your decisions when trying to sell. "Buyers can get thrown off by abrupt transitions from room to room. Keeping it consistent and flowing gives your home a much more cohesive, thoughtful look," he advises. "You want buyers to be able to envision their personal touch, not feel like they're inheriting someone else's very specific, potentially dated aesthetic choices."

Following Fitzgerald's advice, homeowners should find a sweet spot between what they love now and what will still feel fresh for buyers later, with ease of maintenance as a foremost concern. With all these considerations, carpeting in the bedroom may lead to future regrets. "That plush white carpet might look heavenly now, but if you've got pets or messy kids, it's going to look downright grungy in a couple of years," says Fitzgerald. "Don't just consider that upfront cost. Factor in long-term cleaning and wear issues, too."

There's nothing like classic hardwood flooring for luxury, ambiance, and increased home value. "Hardwood floors have an inherently warm and inviting feel that can work wonders for making a bedroom feel like a tranquil oasis," says Fitzgerald in an exclusive interview with House Digest. Although it's elegant, some things homeowners should consider before installing hardwood flooring in their home include its steep cost, susceptibility to expansion and contraction with changing climates, and hardwood's cold underfoot feeling during winter months. Fitzgerald offered alternatives to emulate hardwood's aesthetic without the cost: "Engineered hardwood can be a smart compromise. You get that same beautiful wood look but at a much more affordable price point. The key is just making sure you go with a high-quality product so it doesn't look or feel cheap."

Finally, for those looking for a cost-effective alternative with fewer maintenance requirements, Fitzgerald recommends opting for luxury vinyl and not being scared away by traditional misconceptions about the look and quality of "vinyl" floors. "For folks looking for something a little more low-maintenance but still warm and cozy, luxury vinyl planks or tiles can be the way to go. The higher-end choices are really impressive in terms of looking just like real wood or tile," he advises. "Unlike natural materials, luxury vinyl is completely waterproof and a total breeze to keep clean. As a dad, I can't tell you how many times those water-resistant properties have saved me from spills and accidents."