How To Save Money On Carpet
Let’s face it, purchasing new carpet can be expensive, especially if your tastes run towards high end carpet like Fabrica. A whole house of Fabrica Jakarta carpet can easily cost as much as a brand new car. If your home or condo has a lot of hard flooring in it then you might get off easy and only need to carpet a living or dining room. For the rest of us, we need all the help that we can get when it comes to saving money on carpet.
Our first advice when it comes to saving money on carpet is to negotiate! Unless you’re shopping at one of the larger stores, prices are almost never set in stone. Even at the big chain stores you can often negotiate when it comes to extra charges like furniture moving. Many of these extra installation charges are just ridiculous. I often hear installers tell customers “We’re installers, not movers.” Well, moving furniture is part of the job when it comes to carpet installation. If after measuring your house an installation company tries to stick you with a bunch of furniture moving charges, ask that they be removed. Often times they will and it certainly doesn’t hurt to ask! The more money you’re spending on carpet the more weight you’ll have when negotiating.
Keep in mind that the two slowest times for carpet sales are Summer and December to January. People generally don’t purchase carpet during December because they don’t want to move the Christmas tree. They often can’t afford to purchase carpet in January because they’re broke after Christmas. These are good times to buy carpet as you may be able to negotiate a better deal. Try to get them to upgrade your pad for free. Tell them that your carpet really isn’t that old but you’re considering a change of scenery just for the heck of it. Make it appear that you’re in no rush to make a purchase and are on the fence. Force them to give you a reason to get off that fence. It never hurts to ask for a better deal whether it be a better price or an upgrade, or both.
Another area where you can save money is with carpet rebates. Carpet mills like Karastan and Fabrica constantly offer rebates as high as 20% on installed carpet. Call stores ahead of time and ask them when there will be opportunities to receive carpet rebates. Occasionally some of the larger stores like The Great Indoors will combine a 15% carpet rebate with another 15% store rebate if you put the purchase on their credit card. You can really save a bundle if you have the time to wait for these deals.
Call around to find out who's offering the best rebates and don’t be afraid to negotiate! A little persistence on your part can save you a bundle when it comes to saving money on carpet.