Most of us have been there. You order something online you get all excited for it to come, it takes ages, and when it finally get to you it’s nothing like you expected and now you’ve got to go through the awkward returns process.
Buying a new flooring is an expensive and disruptive process, so you don’t want any extra stress during the buying process. Here’s a few tips to make sure that you’re completed satisfied and avoid encountering any problems along the way.
1. Make Sure You Know Exactly What You’re Looking For
There are thousands of flooring options out there, so there’s no point going in not knowing what you want – it’s a mind field! Is it something cheap that you’re looking for or are you going down the luxurious route? One you’ve decided on your priorities, then it becomes a much less daunting task! It’s not just flooring type that you need to be clear on, after you’ve decided that there’s plenty of colours, finishes (such as bamboo hardwoods) and sizes to choose from – which is a whole different ball park!
2. Order Plenty Of Samples
Any good online flooring retailer will offer some sort of sample service and you should make good use of it. You may be eager to enjoy your flooring straight away, but it’s important to be sensible about it.
No matter how good the pictures are or how much you might trust the company, you can never really know what it’ll be like until you’ve seen it in the flesh and can compare it against your interior. If you order a few of the same samples then you can get an idea of what the natural variation looks like in your interior. Most companies don’t charge for samples either – perfect!
3. Don’t Forget Your Budget
Like anything, flooring differs on price and you need to get an idea on how much you want to spend before getting too deep into looking. Don’t torture yourself at products that are way out of your budget – it’s easy to get tempted! It’ll also narrow down the options significantly, so all the options don’t seem too overwhelming!
4. Check The Features Of Each Flooring
Flooring isn’t just about aesthetics, in fact, it sometimes it has to come second. Your flooring is going to be staying a while, so you need to be sure that it’s going to satisfy your practical and maintenance needs. Something that you need to be aware of is whether it works with under-floor heating.
Natural materials such as solid wood aren’t compatible with under-floor heating, as they warps and swell under changing temperatures. Flooring such as engineered wood, laminate and luxury vinyl tiles are completely fine with underfloor heating so make sure you’re aware of this before you start looking.
5. Don’t Book Your Fitter Before Your Flooring Comes
This is mistake a lot of people make. It makes sense – you want to get your flooring down and sorted as quickly as possible so it makes sense to book your fitter the day your flooring is due to arrive. However this can cause you extra stress!
Sometimes there can be issues with delivery and it doesn’t get there the day it’s due and you’ve still got to pay your fitter…see the issue? If you’ve purchased wood flooring then it needs to acclimatise for several days before it can be laid down. Don’t book your fitter until your flooring has come and you’re completely happy with it.
6. Make Sure You Understand The Returns Policy
This slips many of us up, not just with flooring. There’s nothing worse than when you go to read the returns policy after you’ve bought it then finding out your not eligible for a return! For something like flooring where you’re spending a lot of money, make sure you understand your rights first! Every company is different, don’t assume that they all play by the exact same rules!
7. Check Out The Accessories
 Although not the most exiting part of buying your new floors, it’s got to be done! Spend some time reading up on the right underlays and accessories – we promise it’s more of a bore if you buy the wrong one! A lot of companies don’t accept returns on products such as glue either. Although not the most expensive part, these bits can add up.
Interesting related article: “Different types of wood flooring.”