What is Flooring Type?
On a real estate listing, the term flooring relates to the attached (or permanent) floor coverings that are installed in the home.
Real Estate Agent Explains Flooring
On MLS® listings, flooring can be selected from predefined fields and each one has an abbreviation as well. They are:
| Carpet | CARPT |
| Ceramic tile | CERAM |
| Carpet over hardwood | CPT-H |
| Carpet over softwood | CPT-S |
| Wall-to-wall carpet | CW-W |
| Hardwood | HARDW |
| Laminate Flooring | LAMIN |
| Linoleum | LINO |
| Marble | MARBL |
| Parquet | PARQ |
| See Remarks* | REMKS |
| Slate | SLATE |
| Softwood | SOFTW |
| Stone | STONE |
| Non-ceramic tile | TILE |
The maximum number of floor coverings you can state on a listing is three; any additional information may be included in the property’s description. It should be noted that there are, of course, many kinds of flooring out there and some may not apply to your home. The predefined fields you see above are the flooring types recognized by the Edmonton Real Estate Board. Flooring types like steel and cork and even concrete are not listed, but they are sometimes found in homes in Edmonton.
Why Does It Matter?
All flooring options have their own unique properties, benefits and drawbacks, and the distinctions are quite important.
The floor covering you have can influence how your home is seen by potential buyers. For example, if there is indeed hardwood under the carpet, it is best if you advertise that fact, as the new owners might want to take up that carpet and refinish the hardwood. (To learn more about which flooring might be best for your home, see Choosing The Best Flooring Type For Your Home)
As a buyer, you may be more inclined toward certain flooring types than others, so it’s helpful to know what is found in the home. Flooring type can also give clues about other issues, like the potential for asbestos.
