A carpet can make or break a room and can be one of the hardest decisions to make when it comes to home decor. However, nearly half of those who spruce up their homes with a new carpet end up regretting their decision according to a recent survey.
Consumer experts at Which? have carried out a survey of 6,380 carpet owners to see how their purchase has gone down. They found that 40 percent of those surveyed ended up regretting their decision and found themselves wishing that they had opted for something else instead.
Whether it was down to shoddy quality, too much maintenance or poor upkeep on their part, people appear to have a number of carpet-related regrets. The consumer brand has revealed the top regrets and some ways to make the right purchase in the future.
According to the consumer experts the top five regrets are:
- Walking on a carpet with shoes on
- Choosing the wrong carpet colour
- Choosing the wrong type of carpet
- Skimping on underlay
- Choosing the right carpet when you have a pet
Some of the regrets are easily avoided like shoes on the carpet, and skimping on underlay, but other regrets are things that many don't consider ahead of time.
For example, a bright carpet may seem like it's the right colour at the time, but if you have messy tots - or friends - it may be worth going a few shades darker. According to Which?, 13 percent of those surveyed regretted not having gone for a darker, more practical colour.
Similar to colour, the material of your carpet could be an important decision in busier rooms as luxury options like wool look great but stain much more easily. Because of this, four percent wished they hadn't bought such an expensive carpet, say the consumer pros.
Pet owners say they regretted not getting more practical carpets as well, with 24% saying their pet's claws snagged more on natural carpets. The consumer brand advises that pet owners have damage, scratch and water resistance as well as easiness to clean at the top of their list for future purchases.
Missing out on the top five, other regrets included carpet moths - an issue that can crop up with natural wool carpets but not man-made carpet fibres - and going too thick which makes it hard to hoover your carpet properly.
Seven percent of those surveyed wish that they never went for a carpet at all, and believe they would be better off with a wooden floor.
Does your carpet give you hassle? Let us know in the comments.
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