A
Locally-Owned "Family Run" Carpet Store
With a few
remnants stood up along the back wall, some in-stock rolls of carpet on
display, a
neat and tidy showroom and a good selection of brand name carpet samples, this is my favorite
choice, hands-down! These long-standing neighborhood retailers buy first-quality carpet directly
from the carpet manufacturer. I firmly believe locally owned carpet dealers provide the best customer
service, the best prices and are most knowledgeable. Should you ever have a
problem, concern or complaint they will do whatever it takes to make sure
you are completely satisfied. I have a special list of "hand-picked"
locally
owned carpet stores that I am proud to recommend. See
who I recommend near you
Nationally Advertised and BIG-BOX Carpet Retailers
These
corporately owned conglomerates who blanket the airwaves with repetitive and
confusing TV commercials, radio ads,
billboards and bus stops! They have stores located all over and they
seem to grow bigger every year. They do sell a lot of carpet and flooring but
they also tend to get a lot of consumer complaints and negative reviews. I think home improvement warehouses
fall into this category because they
use private labels, they farm out their installations to other companies, they
require 100% payment upfront at the time of purchase, and they may even charge
you a fee just to measure your home. Should you have a carpet problem, they may
just refer you to the
installation company or have you contact the carpet
manufacturer. In many cases, no one will step up and accept any
responsibility for your problem or complaint and you will be left holding the
bag with a carpet that you are unhappy with. It amazes me when
homeowners tell me they are going to buy from a home improvement warehouse
just because they want to use the store's credit card that offers a 10%
discount. Don't fall for those free installation specials!
Read
my Article: Should I Buy Carpet Lowe's, Home Depot, Empire Today or Costco?
1-800 Carpet
Wholesalers
These are carpet
and flooring peddlers who
will send you small carpet samples through the mail. They want you to
buy rolls of carpet sight unseen (other than a small swatch) There are no
refunds on discounted carpets so you really have to be fully aware of all the
fine print. You can save money if you buy from a reputable carpet wholesaler as long as you know exactly what you are buying and how the entire
carpet buying process works and what is expected of you, especially with the
delivery of the carpet and what to do if you need to return a roll of carpet. Some
carpet outlets stores are reputable and some are not.
Online
Flooring Retailers
Need
Hardwoods, Ceramic Tile or Laminate Flooring? These online companies move a lot of product and can be a
smart way to go if you are careful and do your homework. You can save money if you buy from an
online flooring
wholesaler as long as you know exactly what you are buying and know how the entire
buying process works from start to finish. Shipping costs can be high and if
you are not happy with the product you may have to pay to ship it back and pay
a hefty re-stocking fee. Some online flooring retailers are reputable and some are
not, and knowing the difference is the hard part. Even if you succeed in
buying quality flooring at a discount, you still have to arrange for your own
installation or do it yourself if you are so inclined.
Franchised Carpet Resellers
These carpet
dealers are locally owned but are hooked
up with a large carpet distributor or co-op to increase their buying power
and decrease their shipping costs.
They use private labels to prevent you from comparison shopping
at other carpet local stores. It is much more difficult to get carpet
specifications from these dealers and it takes much more time to comparison
shop their products.
Even so, you can still negotiate a fair deal if you know what you are doing. You may end up paying a
little more with franchised flooring dealers but they usually have qualified
installers and quality products.
Buying
Carpet from a Carpet Layer
Some
carpet layers have good connections with carpet dealers, or have a way to
order carpet at near wholesale prices. Carpet layers often end up with sizable
leftovers from bigger jobs because carpet salespeople often over-measure the
job. When there is a lot of carpet leftover the installer may take it home and try to sell
it on craigslist or in the newspaper. If
you find an installer who has some extra or leftover carpet or other flooring available
at a special price, you need to know that they may have a limited supply of
those materials and no way of getting any more in the exact same color or
style. There is no manufacturer's warranty on these materials and no recourse
if you end up unhappy. Still, you can find some real bargains this way.
Check references, contractors license and business liability insurance to
make sure they are up to date. This might be an inexpensive way to go if you
are just doing one or two rooms or if you need to replace carpet or flooring
for a rental property.
Shop-at-Home Carpet Retailers
Many
people love the convenience of not having to travel from store to store and
prefer having samples brought to their home. It makes matching colors easier
as the ambient lighting is optimal in your own home. Many locally owned
carpet dealers are now offering shop-at-home services and this can a good way to
go. There are several nationally advertised shop-at-home flooring dealers that I do not recommend because they
tend to sell inferior products, have unreasonably high prices and send out
high-pressure salespeople. I believe
that in-home
carpet shopping is a wonderful service for folks who have a hard time
getting around. There are reputable
carpet dealers that offer quality
products, knowledgeable salespeople and reasonable prices but they are hard to find today because the shop-at-home
concept is
just getting started.
Shop-at-home
carpet franchise opportunities.
A
Local Carpet Warehouse or Outlet Store
These local guys are doing their best to be
consumer friendly and offer low prices and feature rolls of
"in-stock" carpet. They tend to cater to homeowners on a tight
budget, landlords and property managers and DIY
homeowners. They offer plenty of inexpensive, lower-quality or second-grade goods. They
may buy
carpet in sufficient quantity to get some good deals on better grades
of carpet in limited quantities styles and colors. Check their guarantee
carefully and get everything in writing before you sign on the dotted line.
Once you buy it, you own it. They may offer in-house installation or they
might just give you a list of local installers for you to call and hire on
your own. If you want to do-it-yourself, create a detailed
diagram of your home with all the room measurements and bring your truck
and a tarp! If you have to arrange for
your own installation you must negotiate with the installer and pay them
directly.
Learn
more: How
to Hire a Qualified Carpet Installer
Alan,
why do you ONLY recommend locally-owned Carpet Dealers?
