As a real estate investor, you understandably may be accustomed to replacing flooring in your properties periodically. Tenants can be hard on flooring, and most rental properties are decorated with low-quality or renter’s grade flooring that is designed to be replaced every few years. As you explore the best flooring for rental property, take a closer look at vinyl tile that perfectly mimics the look of wood flooring.
What to Look for in Flooring for a Rental Property
When you choose flooring for your investment property, you are making a decision that impacts the property value, your ability to demand a higher monthly rental rate, operating costs and more. A savvy property owner understands that that any materials installed in a rental property must meet a few essential criteria. These criteria include:
Durability For Long Term:
Flooring can take a beating through normal wear and tear. This may be from foot traffic, food and drink spills, furniture scraping across the floor and more. Durable vinyl flooring options hold up well when exposed to these factors and may continue to look great for a longer period of time. Vinyl flooring also is water-resistant, and spills can quickly and easily be wiped up without damaging the floor in most cases.
Easy Maintenance Flooring:
Any flooring product installed in a rental property must be easy to clean and easy to care for. A hardwood floor can be appealing from an aesthetic standpoint, but prospective tenants may be aware of how easily it can be damaged. Some prospective tenants may shy away from taking on such a major cleaning and maintenance task. Likewise, you do not want to install any type of flooring in a rental property that may easily be damaged through poor maintenance.
Affordability:
Your choice of flooring material should be affordable to install and should have considerable longevity. These factors directly impact your operating costs and your net profit as a property owner. Vinyl or laminate flooring usually has easy installation. If you are a hands-on property owner, you may install this flooring yourself with relative ease. Because it is durable and long-lasting, you may not need to pay for flooring replacement as frequently as you may with other floor materials.
Broad Appeal:
Your ability to rent out your property quickly and for top dollar affects your investment’s profitability as well. The flooring product that you select directly affects property appeal. Vinyl flooring with a wood finish has the undeniable charm of natural wood floors. Many potential tenants may be drawn to hard vinyl flooring because they perceive it as being easier to keep clean and because it may be better for allergy-sufferers than carpet.
Why Vinyl Tile Is Smart Option For Rental Property
You can see that vinyl flooring with a wood finish offers substantial benefits and may meet all of the criteria that you are looking for in new flooring for your rental property. By comparing it to carpeting, it may have more aesthetic charm and make the space feel higher-end. It also may be easier to maintain and resist showing signs of wear and tear as easily.
Vinyl tile is more affordable to install than most types of hard tile and real hardwood flooring. The price per square foot varies based on the specific features and qualities of the tile. In addition to the installation cost, the maintenance cost may be lower as well. For example, grout cleaning required with a tile floor is not necessary with vinyl flooring.
You may think that vinyl flooring would have a cheaper look than true hardwood floors or that it would not be available in as many styles. Design and manufacturing processes have evolved dramatically in recent years, so today’s luxury vinyl flooring has a beautiful look and finish of natural wood flooring. More than that, because it is available at a much more affordable price than hardwood flooring, you may be able to consider many more styles than you could afford if you choose hardwood floors for your rental property.
Tips for Selecting The Best Flooring For Rental Property
Now that you have decided to install the luxury vinyl floor in your rental property, you must carefully review the vinyl flooring options and select the specific flooring material that is right for your space. Numerous factors will impact your decision. Your main initial priority may be to find a gorgeous material that is priced within your budget. Appeal and cost are important factors, but there are a few other tips to follow when making your selection and before installing your new flooring material.
1. Focus on the rental property flooring material type.
Luxury vinyl tile is usually sold in sheets that are similar in size and shape to true hardwood planks or slats. More affordable LVT is often sold in 9-inch or 12-inch squares. While luxury vinyl planks are slightly more expensive, they may produce more authentic results than vinyl tile squares.
2. Pay attention to the flooring thickness.
Some vinyl flooring is very thin. While it is often more affordable to install than thicker vinyl flooring, understand that thicker material may hold up better to wear. In addition, some of the thicker vinyl materials have special padding on the bottom layer. These flooring options may buffer sounds to improve ambiance, and they may be more comfortable to walk on.
3. Select the finish for your rental property carefully.
The main types of vinyl flooring finishes are SPC, WPC, a no-wax finish, a urethane finish and an enhanced urethane finish. A no-wax finish may be less resistant to showing signs of wear, so the urethane and enhanced urethane finishes may be better options.
4. Think about installation instructions.
Luxury vinyl flooring installation instructions vary based on the specific material selected. Some vinyl floor slats or planks have a peel-and-stick installation process or floating. Others have an interlocking system that is similar to the installation process for some types of hardwood floors.
5. Review the warranty period.
Your flooring may be sold with a manufacturer’s warranty. This warranty may have specific requirements, such as the need for professional installation. In addition to differences in these and other requirements, the actual warranty period varies dramatically.
Installing luxury vinyl flooring that mimics the appealing look of hardwood flooring is an excellent way to improve your rental property’s appeal while containing installation and operational costs. If you have not reviewed vinyl flooring options recently, spend a few minutes exploring the many stunning styles available and picking out the right material for your rental property.
