Flooring

Flooring - Flooring is the visible surface of the floor and is one of the most important features of a property. It affects living comfort, room acoustics, maintenance requirements, and the market value of an apartment or house. Common types of flooring include hardwood, laminate, tile, natural stone, vinyl (design flooring), and carpet. The choice of flooring helps determine the quality level in a property appraisal.

Types of Flooring and Their Characteristics

• Parquet (solid or multi-layer): Real wood surface, durable (30-80 years), can be sanded multiple times, high-end finish. Sensitive to moisture, ideal for living rooms and bedrooms.
• Laminate: Wood-look finish on an HDF core, affordable (€15-40/m²), quick to install, average lifespan (10-20 years). Cannot be sanded down, mid-range quality.
• Tiles/Natural Stone: Ceramic or stone tiles, extremely durable, easy to maintain, ideal for wet areas and kitchens. Natural stone (marble, granite, slate) is considered a high-end to very high-end finish.
• Vinyl/design flooring: Flexible flooring with a decorative surface, water-resistant, warm underfoot, quiet. In high-quality versions, visually almost indistinguishable from hardwood. Mid-range finish.
• Carpet: Textile flooring, warm underfoot and sound-absorbing, but high-maintenance and a potential trigger for allergies. In real estate appraisals, this is considered a basic to mid-range finish.

Flooring and Property Value

The flooring directly influences the assessment of the finish level: High-quality parquet or natural stone elevate the finish to the upscale category, while PVC or worn carpet signal a basic finish. When selling or re-renting, replacing the flooring can disproportionately increase the achievable price-parquet is considered one of the most effective ways to add value.

The return on investment for replacing flooring is generally very good: Replacing worn laminate with high-quality vinyl design flooring (approx. €60-80/m² including installation) in an 80 m² apartment requires an investment of around €5,000-6,500 euros and can often increase the rent by 0.50-1.00 euros/m²/month-which corresponds to a return on investment in under two years.

Costs and Decision-Making Guide

The costs for replacing flooring vary greatly depending on the material and condition of the subfloor. As a general guideline: laminate flooring starts at 25-40 €/m², parquet (multi-layer) at 60-120 €/m², vinyl design flooring at 50-100 €/m², and tile at 60-150 €/m². In older buildings, subfloor preparation (sanding, filling, leveling compound) can cost an additional €15-30/m². When making a purchase decision, buyers should always obtain a realistic cost estimate for the flooring replacement before insisting on a lower purchase price.

Comparison of Flooring Types

Flooring	Cost incl. installation	Lifespan	Maintenance	Quality level	Underfloor heating
Solid hardwood	€100-200/m²	50-80 years	Medium	High to very high	Limited (glued)
Multi-layer parquet	€60-130/m²	25-40 years	Medium	High-end	Yes (glued)
Laminate	€25-50/m²	10-20 years	Low	Medium	Limited
Vinyl/design flooring	€50-100/m²	15-25 years	Very low	Medium to high	Yes
Ceramic tiles	€60-120/m²	30-50 years	Very low	Medium to high	Ideal
Natural stone	€100-250/m²	>50 years	Medium	Very high	Yes
Carpet	€20-50/m²	8-15 years	High	Easy to medium	Not recommended

Practical Tip for Property Owners in Nuremberg and Franconia

We recommend that property owners in the Nuremberg metropolitan area critically assess the condition of their flooring before selling. Worn parquet that has been professionally sanded and sealed (approx. €25-35/m²) can significantly enhance the overall impression of the apartment. For rented apartments, it is important to note that flooring is considered worn out after 15-20 years-the landlord cannot require the tenant to replace it, but may have to do so themselves when re-renting the property. In older buildings in Nuremberg, the question arises as to whether an existing solid wood plank floor can be restored-such an original plank floor is a sought-after feature and, when in doubt, should be preserved rather than replaced.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which flooring is suitable for underfloor heating?

Tiles and natural stone conduct heat best and are ideal for underfloor heating. Parquet is also suitable if it is installed as multi-layer parquet (glued down, not floating). Laminate and vinyl are suitable to a limited extent-the thermal resistance must not exceed 0.15 m²K/W. Carpet insulates too much and is not recommended for underfloor heating. When planning underfloor heating in an existing building, it should also be noted that the screed structure conducts heat only slowly-the heating response times are longer compared to a fast radiator heating system.

Who pays for the flooring in a rental apartment?

The landlord is obligated to provide a floor covering suitable for use-bare screed is not sufficient. Replacing a worn-out floor covering is the landlord’s responsibility (maintenance). If the tenant installs a higher-quality floor covering at their own expense, they must restore the original condition upon moving out, unless otherwise agreed. In practice, we recommend that landlords agree to a flooring replacement in writing at the tenant’s request-this way, the interests of both parties can be clearly defined.

How does the flooring affect sound insulation?

Hard flooring (tiles, hardwood, laminate) transmits impact sound more than soft flooring (carpet, vinyl). In apartment buildings, impact sound insulation under the flooring is mandatory according to DIN 4109. With floating laminate or hardwood flooring installed on impact sound insulation, the requirements are generally met; with tiles directly glued to the subfloor, the subfloor construction is decisive. In older buildings in Nuremberg with historic wooden beam ceilings, sound insulation is often a challenge-professional planning of the flooring structure in combination with impact sound insulation is particularly important here.

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