It’s a costly decision to make when it comes to new carpet. There are many styles to choose from, Berber, Loop-Pile, and Frieze just to name a few. Not to mention all of the brands there are available; Aladdin, Armstrong, Coronet, HollyTex, Mohawk, Philadelphia,
Stainmaster and Sutton. Don’t forget about all of the textures that are available, plush, saxony, and textured carpets. After all is said and done, you will probably find yourself rather tired due to the many choices.
Make sure and verify the length of time the company has been in business when you do finally decide to go with a particular company. You can visit their showroom and get an idea of what you may be intersted in as far as price, style etc. In order to choose the color though, I would suggest getting a swatch that you can take home and see if it goes well with your current decor. Make sure to cover with the dealer what type of pad will be used. I would suggest nothing less than the 8lb pad. If you have allergies you may want to see if they offer a hypo-allergenic pad. These usually can run a few hundred dollars more but if you are allergy sensitive and this is a concern for you, the additional cost is well worth the peace of mind.
Also, consider the usage the carpet will recieve, are you planning on selling this home? Or staying in it for many years to come? Do you have pets? Kids? These are all things to consider and discuss with the dealer before making a purchasing decision. Remeber, this is most likely going to cost thousands of dollars so you will want to have all of your bases covered.
Be sure to inquire as to the installers and their tenure with this company, are they just fly by the night guys that have no care or are they long-time employees that are skilled in customer service, care and satisfaction?
Lastly, take your time. Just because the salesman wants to sell you the carpet TODAY wait a week or a month, really mull it over and decide if you still like the color or texture or price you were willing to settle on a month ago. If not, you may want to rethink some of your choices. Afterall, this is a decision that you may have to live with for a while, so you may as well make it a great one!