Love It Or List It raises good questions about when to get rid of carpets

Most people are used to buying homes with 30-year-old carpet, so it seems like the flooring will last that long. But in reality, if you want it to look nice and be sufficiently clean, you should replace it every 10 years. In season 17, homeowners Diane and Merl showed viewers what they liked and didn’t like about their home. There was one thing they couldn’t agree on: the carpet. “The living room still has the original carpet that was put down when the house was built,” Diane said in the episode, explaining that she would like to have it removed. Merl, however, disagreed. “It’s an old carpet, but a very high-quality carpet and it looks good,” he said.

They even had carpet in their master bathroom, which Merl also defended. “I like carpet. It’s warm on the feet,” he said. In that moment, you saw a little piece of Diane’s soul die. But whether you like carpet or not isn’t the point. If the couple agreed and wanted to keep the carpet, Farr would still have to replace it with a new installation. That’s because a well-maintained carpet lasts a maximum of 10 years, while a carpet that isn’t vacuumed or shampooed regularly will only last five years. Even if you clean your carpet thoroughly, dirt, dead skin, hair and pet dander will eventually become embedded in the underlay and impossible to remove. This eventually leads to bacteria buildup and creates dingy odors and an unsightly appearance, necessitating replacement.