Even though the housing and rental market is constantly fluctuating, current trends show vacancy rates for homes at 1.8% and rental vacancies at 3.5%. Those numbers are very low, which means there might not be much to choose from if you are looking to buy a home or rent an apartment. You might feel pressured to sign the contract despite the property’s condition. There’s always another potential renter or buyer waiting in line behind you, right? Keep in mind, however, that a poorly maintained property is usually an indication of poor service from the landlord, rental agent, or property manager when your home needs repair. Therefore, inspecting the carpet can offer plenty of insight into what sort of value you will receive for your hard-earned rent money.
Tell Tale Signs in Carpet
Some rental firms or realtors might cut corners on getting a place ready – covering over damage, hoping you don’t notice. If you are looking at a home, apartment, townhouse, condo, or other place for living, it’s important to keep an open eye. Here are some things to look for.
- Look for discolorations – you might notice the carpet getting darker near corners, indicating possible mildew or mold. Poor attempts at cleaning pet accidents also leave stains or changes in carpet color or texture. Cigarette burns are typically replaced with patches of carpet from elsewhere in the house, like closets, instead of recarpeting a room. Careful observation is required to detect patches.
- Smell for strong odors – tobacco and nicotine smells are notoriously difficult to remove. They often get embedded not only in the carpet, but in walls and other flooring. Instead of replacing the carpet, properly cleaning the property, or painting the walls, the owners or management company might have used solvents to mask the scent of smoke or pets. Take a deep breath and trust your nose. Don’t be afraid to get down on all fours and take in a whiff. Does it smell musty, or heavy with solvent? What you smell could inform you not only recent history of the place, but what was done to deal with it.
- Check behind any furniture – in a furnished home, unless the furniture is moved, the carpet underneath is likely not vacuumed. That helps to indicate how often any furnishings get relocated, giving a better understanding of carpet wear. Check along floorboards and doorways for filtration soiling and lanes in high traffic areas.
- Feel with your hands – brush your fingers along the fibers. Does the carpet feel like you could lounge around on it? Or is it falling apart, or does it feel dirty? If it feels bad, it probably is bad.
Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions. When was the carpet last replaced? Was it cleaned after the last tenant left? Although the housing market is challenging for renters and buyers, it’s important to make sure you don’t end up with issues that might challenge your health and safety later on.
If you would like more information on what to look for with carpet in a rental property or house on the market, you can call Preferred Carpet Care in Redding. If you are a landlord or management company and need carpet cleaning, repair, or advice we are here for you! We are happy to supply our experience along with tips and pointers. If all parties agree, we can even inspect the carpet on the property. To find out more, give our office a call or schedule an appointment online.