Flooring Your House Flip: Vinyl, Hardwood, Engineered Hardwood, or Tile?

Are you currently flipping residential property? Despite what the HGTV shows might lead you to believe, house flipping and flipping commercial property takes a lot of investigation. To ensure you make the most money, you have to choose the best materials for each part of the flip.

The flooring choice is one of the most crucial decisions in any housing flip. It’s the same for flipping commercial property, too. If you select the correct flooring type, you can save time on your rehab and increase your profit margins.

However, pick the wrong flooring material, and you risk wasting time and losing money on your investment. The flooring can be a make-or-break part of any flipping venture, so it’s pivotal to know which flooring type is the best.  

The Best Flooring for House Flipping?

Before we get into materials, let’s talk about the must-haves of any flooring for house flipping. You want whatever flooring material you choose to check off all four of these boxes.

High ROI

The ROI is going to be a significant number when flipping commercial property or residential property. ROI stands for return on investment. It is the amount that an investment will bring back to you.

For instance, the average ROI of wood floors is 70%. That means that you would get 70% back of what you invested in the sale of the home. For the sake of simple math, let’s say you spent $1,000 on hardwood floors. You could expect to add $700 to the home’s value, thereby recouping 70% of your investment.

When shopping for a flooring type, you want to choose one that has a high ROI. Otherwise, you could lose money in the upgrade, instead of gaining it.

Durable

Durability is also a crucial factor for today’s home shoppers. Homeowners prefer hard surface flooring throughout their homes. People are living in their homes longer, so they want flooring that will last with minimal maintenance and upgrades throughout their time living in the home.

As a house flipper, you want to make sure that the flooring type you choose is low-hassle, low-maintenance, and durable for years to come.

On-Trend

Shag carpet was all the rage in the seventies. Homeowners wanted homes with shag carpets. Obviously, trends have changed, but if you’re looking to fix-and-flip quickly, it’s essential to be aware of what’s trending in home flooring.

Right now, homeowners are looking for light-washed, or light-grained, natural-looking wood flooring. The look of wood floors has been on-trend for a few years and will stay that way for a while.

Easy Installation

Whether you’re installing the floor yourself or hiring contractors, you want the installation process to be straightforward. The easier the installation, the quicker the job is done, and you can list the home. The faster you list the property, the sooner you get the paycheck.

Easier installation is all about fast-tracking your profit. Getting stalled is one of the worst things for your bottom line in a house flip or while flipping commercial property.

Flooring Options for House Flippers

Now that you know what to look for, which flooring type fits the bill?

Vinyl & LVT

Vinyl and LVT (luxury vinyl tile) are a house flipper’s dream. Vinyl is a cost-effective, easy to install, durable material that contractors and homeowners love. LVT is steadily gaining market share over the other resilient flooring types, and for a good reason.

LVT can look like any other flooring type – for a fraction of the price. Vinyl comes in various options, but the luxury variety all click and lock together to create long-lasting, easy-to-maintain, high-quality floors. LVT’s design options make installation a breeze for quicker turnaround times.

Hardwood

There’s no denying that people love hardwood. There’s a reason that realtors say homes with hardwood have higher ticket prices. Hardwood is a raw and natural material that comes in a variety of grains and looks. Oak, maple, and teak hardwood floors are some of the most popular.

However, hardwood floors are the most expensive option. As we’ve already discussed, the average ROI is around 70%. When you’re flipping, you want to find things that are as close to 100% ROI as possible. Hardwood flooring might break the budget and hurt your profit rather than help it. Still, hardwood is an on-trend and durable option for house flipping.  

Engineered Hardwood

Engineered hardwood is another durable floor option for house flipping. It mimics the look of natural wood. How is it different from wood? Hardwood floors are solid pieces of wood. On the other hand, engineered hardwood has layers of hardwood and plywood to increase durability and prevent warping.

Engineered wood is slightly less expensive than hardwood but still a bit pricey for the average flipper. However, engineered hardwood is an alternative to hardwood floors that is safe in humid climates.

Tile

There’s no shortage of tile flooring options including, ceramic, porcelain, marble, travertine, slate, and granite tiles. The tile types vary in price, durability, and trendiness, but they have a few marketable similarities.

Installing tile is often cheaper than hardwood but more expensive than an option like vinyl. Tile flooring tends to be more durable than hardwood but slightly higher maintenance. Tile can mimic the look of hardwood if you choose tile flooring with a wood grain look, so you can ensure you’re on-trend.

The one downside to using tile as a house flipper is its ROI. Depending on the type, tile has a 55% – 70% ROI average (Marble has a less than 50% ROI). So, for flipping commercial property or house flipping, this ROI will be something to watch if you go with tile.

The Best Flooring Material for House Flippers

Taking everything into consideration, the best flooring for house flippers has to be vinyl flooring. Its price point, versatility, ease-of-installation, durability, and low-maintenance make it a clear winner for most people who want to fix and flip for profit.

LVT hits all the must-haves. Its low cost increases your ROI and profit margins. When well-maintained, LVT can last up to twenty years, so it’s durable. LVT can take on any appearance, including woodgrain, so it’s always on-trend. It’s also quick and straightforward to install.

Luxury vinyl locks together, and some options even have peel-and-stick capabilities for a quicker install. All of these features make vinyl flooring an A+ choice for your next house flip.

How to Buy Affordable Flooring

If you want to buy affordable flooring for your next flip, you’ve come to the right place. Whether you want vinyl, hardwood, or tile – we’ve got your back. We offer an expansive range of flooring options at the best prices on the market.

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