Is that tiles on the floor at the bottom of the stairs? I would take the carpet off the stairs and paint them with a couple of coats of floor paint in a similar cream to the tiles. The carpet is tatty and adds nothing to the appeal of your property. At least the painted finish would look fresh and a new owner could easily add carpet or a runner if they want.

I like the idea of a "carpet allotment" at point of sale - especially if your home is working in the lower price range for your area. Potential home buyers will be happy to hear that they get a little bit of something they want without paying for the improvements they don't want.

If you are going to do it, do it all. The bedrooms, hallway and the stairs. If you don't it will look like a hodge-podge of flooring and the purchasers will probably negotiate a lower price despite the upgrade.

Cancork Floor Inc - when you say offer a carpet allowance, do you mean for just the stairs or all of the areas (4 bedrooms, hallway, vanity area of master bath) covered by the same carpet?

I think it might be less expensive to just rip up the carpet on the stairs and paint the stairs.

Yes, pollyannagal, it is tile. I think I agree that painting would be less expensive than offering an allowance for all of the carpet. If the new owners don't like it, they can repaint, resurface or carpet what they would like.

How does the rest of the carpet look? How old is it? If its the same age as the stair carpet, the buyers are either going to want a carpet allowance, or will discount their offer to compensate for replacing all the carpet. Painting the stairs won't change that, so I'd save your energy. Just list it with that in mind. What does your realtor recommend?

Rocketjcat - the rest of the carpet was installed at the same time, we've been here for 17 yrs and it's at least that old. The rest of the carpeting is in great condition. The only wear showing at thus time is on the stairs.

Are there hardwood floors under the carpet? If so, that's a huge selling point and will offset the negativity around the old carpet. Is the wood under the stair carpet actual hardwood flooring, or is it just unfinished wood? If its finished hardwood treads, i might pull up just the stair carpet and leave the rest. If its just plywood, like a basement stair, you can't paint it to make it look good, it will still look like basement stairs. Give a generous carpet allotment, since no buyer is going to move in with 17 year old carpet, and will ding you on the price anyway, but I can understand how disruptive it would be to replace all that carpet while you're still occupying the rooms. What does your realtor advise for your particular market and price range?

Painted stairs would look fine as they're going from a hard surface (could look a bit odd between two carpeted floors) and with a bit of sandpaper and filler you should be able to get a good finish even if they look very rough when the carpet is taken off. Unless every other surface in your home is sparkling brand new it will not look out of place.

If the other carpets are in a good condition I would leave them and not draw attention to their age (which leaving the worn stair carpet in situ would do) or make potential buyers start worrying or finding things to argue about price. Offering an "allowance" says that you have overpriced the house in the first place and opens the way to demands for further reductions. We work on the basis that the asking price of the property reflects the condition it is in so you wouldn't ask a price and offer a discount on something that is easily visible to a viewer. If a survey identified a problem that would need fixing then it's time to negotiate and start making "allowances" on the price.

If you are at the very top,of the market then all new carpets etc might be necessary to attract interest, but for the vast majority of normal family homes the important thing is to make the house look clean, well cared for and inviting. Speak to your agent and see what sort of competition you are up against with other properties in your area.

Some buyers are funny - we sold a house last year that was recently refurbished and in excellent condition and one interested party insisted that they would have to take at least £50,000 off for the remodelling that they wanted to do to change it to their taste. We sold it at full asking price to someone who liked the house how it was (no doubt they will have changed some things to make it their own) and suggested that the other couple kept looking for a house that suited them better.

yep if you are selling at the top end of the market replace with new carpert, if not then remove carpet and reveal hardwood if it can be stained polised etc or painted do that

Carpet allotment = EVERTYHING. You offer a price range to the buyer with several colour options and when they purchase they choose their colour/capret and you have it installed.

A 17 year old carpet in today's world is going to be ripped out. Personally, I search for homes with carpet (even new carpet) because I don't feel bad about ripping them out. A laminate/hard surface floor I feel bad about removing...'cause I put cork down no matter where it is.

The fact is, the colour and age of the carpet = removal. To get the stairs looking nice, you are going to spend several hundreds (if not a $1,000) removing, stripping, sanding, resurfacing and painting the stairs to get it ready for sale. And the clients will probably want the price dropped because the rest of the upstairs has 17 year old pink/peach/salmon coloured carpet that is 17 years old.

I would talk with your relator to find out the most cost effective options. The nice thing about the carpet allotment is you don't have to 'live' through demolition/installation headaches. Everything would be done once you move out. With the money made on the house, you will have ready cash to have the chosen carpet installed...or they may want laminate/hard surface installed anyway. I would talk with a realestate professional before doing deciding on any renovations. They will be able to guide you through the "what sells" list and you can choose where/when to spend your money.