It can be difficult to know where to start with any major project, building or renovation. When you add the amount of choice available, it can be overwhelming, so we’ve turned to an expert to help break it down.

We sat down and had a coffee with Trevor’s Carpets Osborne Park Sales Manager, Robin Wobbe to find out the important things to take into account when preparing or choosing to buy flooring.

Robin said that first of all, regardless if your house is new or existing, it’s important to think about the use of your floor, your lifestyle and likely wear and tear.

“Do you have young children? Do you need something hardwearing? Are you single or a couple with no kids? Are there pets, and what kind of pets? Each household will have different requirements, and it’s my job to steer our customers to the best flooring solutions for their needs,” Robin said.

If you’re building a new house, then there’s not much you need to do to prepare for flooring – that’s something that the builder usually does.

If you have an established house, then Robin suggests thinking about the existing floor covering.

“Are you just changing the flooring, or it is a part of a bigger renovation? For example, with a new kitchen, will the flooring footprint stay the same or change? That needs to be worked out before you go ahead with flooring. The same applies to new bathrooms, laundries and any room that has built-in cabinetry,” Robin said.

“Also think about your past flooring. I ask customers what they’ve liked and what they haven’t liked – for example, if they had a carpet that left footprints and vacuum marks that annoyed them.”

Robin said another consideration, is the style, look or theme that you’re aiming for.

“The ‘Hamptons Look’ is a popular trend and customers going for that look often choose thick, chunky carpet, while others are choosing light-coloured hard floors.”

Questions to consider:

• Is it a new build or a renovation?
• What’s your household and lifestyle like?
• What flooring have you had previously that you liked? And not liked?
• Does your décor have a theme or style you’re trying to achieve?
• Are you looking for natural products, hybrid products or something more durable?

Top tips

Family with young children:
Generally, families with young kids require hard wearing, more durable flooring that’s more resistant to staining. For that reason, I steer them to synthetic carpet made from polyester and nylon or a hard floor such as hybrid planks which are more resistant to staining and waterproof. If a little one spills water on the floor and you don’t see it for a while, then the water won’t cause damage to the hybrid planks.

Single or couple with no kids:
If you’re looking for luxury, a thick wool carpet ticks that box, it’s very luxurious and has a lovely feel. Wool will shed and pill, it always does, but you can get a special vacuum cleaner that doesn’t agitate the pile. Wool is the longest lasting as far as retaining its shape and appearance.

Pet owners:
The best flooring for pet owners is one that’s easier to keep clean. When it comes to carpets and cats, I’d steer customers away from loop pile carpet as cats can pull it and it becomes like a run in a jumper. At the moment we have a range of pet friendly carpets, the Triexta, that comes with a domestic pet warranty.