I have pets. Is it okay to have a solid floor, like tile or terrazo, on my living room floor and just put a big rug on it instead of carpet? Do you thik that will hurt the resale value of the home?
I myself hate carpet in my house. I see more and more people leaving the carpet out now days. And if you have pets, if there is an accident, it is easier to clean up if there is no carpet. You can still vacuum the hard floor, and it should keep dust down in your house because you can mop it and that helps. On top of that when ever mud is brought in it is easier to get up as well.
It's a personal preference really. I do not like tile in the living room and would not buy a home that had such. As far as hardwood floors, I'd put carpet (because that is what I prefer) over it if I bought your home and would not be as big of a problem as tile.
I would prefer terrazo flooring. Most of my life, I've lived in homes with wall to wall carpeting -- I hate it. You can't easily change colors, decor and the floors never gets really clean unless you rip out the rug and install a new one. I prefer area rugs (flexibility possibility to remove) over stone, tile, or wooden floors. Easier to clean thoroughly and preferred if someone in the household suffers from allergies. Also, if the home is being shown to prospective buyers, clean rugs don't hold objectionable odors or the animal scent that might make the house harder to sell.
I don't have a single carpet or rug in my entire house. They are too hard to keep clean with pets and kids, and they collect dust and debris. It shouldn't hurt the resale value of your home, as long as you use high quality materials that would appeal to the masses. It is YOUR home now though, and my feeling has always been to do what you want in your own home. If you need to change it later, go ahead and throw down some carpet or have a carpet allowance when you sell.
Carpet is a matter of taste. In many cases there is a allowance given by the seller of a home to a buyer for carpet. Very seldom does a buyer keep the carpets installed by I seller. I've even seen a seller install new carpet just to have the buyer rip it all out before they move in. Save your money and buy a through rug.
