Mortgage

Question: Suggest a cheap (temporary) floor covering, so we can get a conventional mortgage (not construction)?

(Posted by: KateToo on 2009-07-30 08:47:47)

We bought a home in need of work and so needed a construction loan. It's not one where we do some work, get some money, do more work, etc. We have the money to do what is needed - you just can't get a conventional mortgage unless there is "no construction ". Work is going too slowly to get it "done right ", so we want to cheaply get things to a point where we qualify for a conventional mortgage - its hard to get exact answers on what exactly will qualify (suggests on where to find out?) So - ideas for cheap floors, that will easily be removed later. Going to do hardwood eventually - but doesnt make sense to do them when there are still walls to be moved, plumbing to be ripped out, etc. Will the self- stick square tiles come back up easily? We're trying to get cheap rug but just installed so it will come up easily (no nails). Not sure how they could do it ... double sided tape? Glue? Any ideas?

Posted by: customartist on 2009-07-30, 09:07:19

Roll vinyl will be a cheap product, you can just tape the edges, and you can re-use it elsewhere later. Peel and stick vinyl will be a cheap install. A checkerboard pattern will allow you to find larger amounts of tiles if you cannot find enough of just one color. Cheapest scenario is to tile the edges and throw a rug over the center part (with padding so it is undetectable). Peel and stick tiles usually have paper backing which you can just peel off a smaller part on the corner to get it to stick temporarily, leaving the majority of the center so you can remove them more easily later when you are ready. Check Habitat for Humanity, other thrift stores, Lowes and Home Depot both have leftovers, returns, markdowns. Call to several locations rather than driving, also search ads on Craigslist, and you can also Place ads there under "Wanted " and "Barter ". With the current economy there are a lot of contractors who want to dump materials. Good luck!

Posted by: Missy <3 on 2009-07-30, 08:52:33

Self stick tiles do not come up easily... i would get an area rug for each room that will last you until you get your new floor

Posted by: pixystix66 on 2009-07-30, 08:52:34

Well, we just removed self-stick tiles, and it was NOT easy, and our hands are all torn up. If I were you, I would get some cheap carpet and just lay it down flat without nailing it.

Posted by: katsmumma on 2009-07-30, 08:52:40

The self stick squares will come up fairly well depending on what they're stuck too. I it's a flooring that won't melt into the glue, you should be fine. Another idea is to do "ghetto " carpeting. When we were broke and in and old house, we bought a carpet remnant that was big enough for our room, and my husband used a utlity knife to cut out the area for the mantle. Remnants can be purchased at any carpet store or Home Depot, and are usually quite cheap.

Posted by: Client_u on 2009-07-30, 08:58:42

Inexpensive laminate flooring is your best bet. If your careful, you can always lift it up when installing cabinets. I peeled up floor tiles in a 15x20 kitchen/ dinning area to put down new laminate flooring. If I ever meet the guy who used liquid nail, I would crucify him. Note: If you use laminate flooring, get the right tapping block to eliminate chipping.

Posted by: Laxer28 on 2009-07-30, 09:00:59

Well you can go to ant lowes store and get the job done for 199 any size room its very cheap and helpful to many. depending on the area for the carpet job they will figure out what needs to b used. if i were u i would find a very cheap carpet to be installed sine your gonna b fixing up the house later. carpet is a very easy rip up jus a cut down the middle of the room n you work out from there. most of the time nails or staples are used around floor vents or other such things to help the carpet from coming up. on the seams of the floors for example if your doing a living room and where the living room meets for example a hall way carpet a glue tape is used to hole the two carpets together. if not the edge of the carpet it nailed to the floor it self. dnt worry though it is also very easy to pull out. however all around the room carpet is just pushed under the molding along the floor of the wall. and it is footed on to 1 inch wide wooden strips with small nails on them. all inn all it isnt that hard to take up jus get a hold of the edge and rip it up!:) the sticky tiles look very shity if not done correctly and can just become a big mess and are also pretty hard to get up is u do install them the right way. laminates another option but that gets more expensive than just the carpet i hope this all helped.

Posted by: David on 2009-07-30, 09:11:38

Self stick tiles are a good way to go and yes they can be removed easily,and come in many patterns.Cheap carpenting is another way use two sided tape try to avoid the glue unless you wuse it sparingly on the edges and the resett your mop boards over the carpet.When doing this type of work allways look at price and the difficulty level of the project that is at hand,and asking a family member or friend to come over and help out is allways a good way to get some projects done then a good feed or couple of beers after and relax

Posted by: My Work Here is Finished on 2009-07-30, 09:17:40

The flooring thing is easy. I would shop around at other mortgage places until you can find one that will give you straight answers. But you have to give him all the information as to what you are doing. Ripping out walls is fairly major, plumbing not so much. Being there and saying this is what we got and this is what we want to do within this time frame.....will give the mortgage company some idea of the best plan to give you...maybe a quasi-construction/ conventional mortgage tailored just for you.

Posted by: Jim W on 2009-07-30, 11:13:24

The floors seldom count as part of the construction. Moving walls does count, but lack of paint or curtain rods or bare floors as long as the sub floor is done should satisfy the mortgage inspector. If it does not go to another mortgage company. You might start with an insurance policy inspection and appraisal this may show the mortgage company that the home is basically complete.

Posted by: Clara M. on 2009-07-30, 14:34:51

Anything and everything you need to know about any type of floor you can imagine: findanyfloor.com/ installation DIY guides there too to keep it cheap.... and tons more