When is the Best Time Get the Lowest Price on New Carpet, Padding and Installation? When is the Worst Month to Buy Carpet in 2024?
Best and Worst Month To Buy Carpet?
Does it really matter WHEN you buy new carpet? Absolutely! To maximize your savings, it’s essential that you plan your strategy and learn how to make wise and informed choices. Understanding when & where to shop for carpet is the first step you need to take in negotiating a nice discount on new carpet for your home.
Homeowners can save as much as 15% or more by knowing when to buy, who to buy from and how to negotiate a great deal. How much potential savings are we talking about? Here’s a simple breakdown of the numbers:
Let’s imagine you are planning to replace the carpet in your living room, staircase, hallway, landing and two bedrooms. You will need to purchase about 80 square yards (720 square feet) of carpet (12′ x 60′).
Hoping it will last 10 to 12 years you choose a medium-quality Carpet, 8-pound Rebond Padding and obtain qualified installation (including all the extra fees).
The total cost will be about $4000 (not incl. tax). If you buy at the right time of year and are able to negotiate just 10% off the total price for materials and labor, you stand to save about $400.00. Is that enough savings to motivate you? If so, then read this article and decide if you are up to the challenge.
The 3 Worst Times to Buy New Carpet?
The question is, when do most people shop for carpet? You don’t want to buy carpet when everyone else is out there shopping for new carpet too.
It’s almost impossible to negotiate a great deal on carpet when there are 10 other customers waiting in line waving their checkbooks in the air and in a hurry to get their carpet replaced.
You want to buy new carpet when the carpet store is NOT busy. You want to shop for new carpet during their SLOW times. You want to buy carpet when their installers are not getting enough work to pay their bills. This is when the carpet store owner will be willing to negotiate a discounted price with you. There are certain times throughout the year when you stand the best chance of negotiating a great carpet deal.
Where to shop for new carpet? See my hand-picked list of recommended carpet and Flooring stores near you.
Avoid Shopping for Carpet During Busy Times:
- Don’t shop for carpet between March 1st and May 31st. This is when many people are expecting a tax refund or get a tax advance loan.
- Avoid the 4th of July through August 20th. Many homeowners plan home improvement projects during this time. Flooring dealers are busy. Not a good time to negotiate a deal.
- Steer clear of buying carpet from October 15th thru mid December. This is the yearly rush to have new carpet installed in time for the holidays. Stores are busy.
The 3 Best Times to Buy New Carpet?
Now you know when NOT to buy carpet if you want to negotiate your best deal. Let’s look at the three best “money-saving” opportunities so you know WHEN you stand the best chance to negotiate your BEST deal on new carpet and flooring for your home.
1. December 15 thru January 10th.
Once December 15th rolls around, the Christmas trees are going up and holiday shopping is on high. This means that buying after December 15th is a great time to buy new carpet. Fewer people are planning to buy new carpet during this time because of the Christmas holiday. Once the tree goes up, carpet sales go down. Negotiate your best deal after December 15th and have your new carpet installed prior to January 31st.
Try to negotiate your best deal before January 10th. That’s when most dealers will be feeling the pinch most and their installers will be begging for more work too. By Feb 1st it’s all done and over, as the tax refunds loans are starting to arrive. People who file their tax returns early know how much their refund will be and that’s when carpet shopping goes into full swing.
2. May 1st to June 30th
By now, the tax refund has been spent, Memorial Day weekend is coming up, the kids are getting out of school soon, vacation planning is well underway and there is plenty of springtime gardening to do. Buying new carpet is not at the top of the priority list for most people during this time. That means it’s a good time for you to shop for new carpet! I suggest shopping from May 20th through June 10th for your best negotiating power.
3. Throughout September
The next best time to buy carpet comes right after the kids go back to school and lasts thru the whole month of September.
The last two weeks of August are busy, everyone is getting ready for the new school year, enjoying the last few weeks of hot summer weather, and getting ready for the autumn leaves to fall. This is a great time to shop for carpet.
No one wants to think about getting ready for the holidays until after Halloween. So late August thru September is a great time to negotiate a great deal on new carpet for your home.
I suggest shopping early in September and plan to have your new carpet installed by October 15th because once people start thinking about the holidays people will be lined up to have new carpet before their holiday guests arrive.
Where to buy new carpet and flooring? Check out my special list of locally-owned reputable carpet & Flooring stores near you.
How To Negotiate a Discount on New Carpet?
Negotiating a discount on new carpet requires advance planning.
Most carpet retailers have busy times and slow times throughout the year. If you try to negotiate a great deal during their busy times, you won’t stand much of a chance of beating them down on the price.
However, if you negotiate wisely during their slower times then you have a very good chance of negotiating a very sweet carpet deal for yourself.
Some dealers have special sales they offer during their slower times. Some dealers have sales going on all the time. Even if they are running a sale, you can still ask for an additional discount. Most advertised sales are offered by carpet manufacturers in the form of a rebate. You should take advantage of these sales if their products fit your needs, but you really want to negotiate a discount off the total price of your entire carpet job.
Forget Big Box Retailers Like Home Depot and Lowe’s
I only recommend buying carpet from reputable, locally-owned carpet stores. They are the most helpful, have the best customer service and many are willing to negotiate if you buy at the right time of year.
I never recommend corporately-owned, big box and national chain stores. Many advertise heavily on TV trying to lure in unsuspecting consumers with unbelievable discounts on carpet, flooring and free installation. They use sales gimmicks that sound too good to be true, but after reading their fine print, it’s easy to understand why I don’t recommend these retailers.
I would avoid buying carpet from Empire too. Everyone has seen their TV ads a thousand times and I bet you can sing their 800 phone number by heart. I’m sure your kids can too. Do they sell polyester carpet at highly inflated prices? Do they say polyester carpet is just as durable as nylon carpet? Read my page about choosing the right carpet fiber before considering this option.
Empire Today only offers a shop-at-home service and will send out an independent commissioned sales contractor to your home to show you samples and measure up your needs. They are not employees of Empire, they are independent salespeople paid on commission. They are free to charge you whatever amount they think you will pay.
Commissioned Salespeople are motivated to close the sale quickly. No one likes being pressured into signing a sales contract without doing some comparison shopping. Take your time choosing the right carpet for your home. If you need more information visit my sitemap to find free carpet comparison tools, guides and articles that will help you.
Use my free Carpet Shopping Form to help keep track of all your shopping details.
It’s getting harder to find honest and reputable carpet stores these days! That’s why I’ve built my own special hand-picked list of locally-owned Carpet & Flooring stores. They give free estimates, offer fair prices, have knowledgeable staff, provide honest measuring and use qualified installers. Are there any Recommended Carpet Stores Near Me?