The best way to get the lowest possible price is to look for what is known as builder’s grade carpet. This is the carpeting that is found in most newly constructed homes. It can be purchased for as little as fifty cents per square foot. Builder’s grade is usually made of some kind of recycled plastic such as polyester or Olefin. Olefin is better than polyester, which tends to be matted down and is worn out quickly. The texture of Olefin also hides dirt better. Builder’s grade also usually has lower fiber density than more expensive carpet, which means that the tufts of material used are farther apart than in carpets of higher fiber density. This density is what most influences longevity. Therefore, builder’s grade would not typically be a good choice for areas with a lot of foot traffic. However, keep in mind that carpet thickness does not have an effect on quality. A thick rug may look luxurious but if the density is low, it will not last long.

Foot traffic is the number one consideration when considering buying inexpensive carpeting, because durability is the main thing that distinguishes a cheap carpet from a more expensive one. For example, buying inexpensive carpeting for stairways is almost never a good idea because stairways receive the heaviest foot traffic of any area in the home. However, for other areas such as bedrooms less expensive alternatives can make sense. In addition, if you vacuum frequently, have a small number of people in the home, do not have indoor pets, and clean your carpet every two years, a less durable builder’s grade carpet will last considerably longer. A dark rug, such as a dark brown one will also look better longer than one of a lighter color.

The other major consideration when looking at inexpensive carpeting is the material, which also affects durability because different materials have different strengths and levels of resistance to stains and soil. Nylon is the strongest material, and a nylon rug can go for a very long time without looking threadbare, but it is more susceptible to staining than most materials. Polyester, as with builder’s grade, is weaker but also cheaper and more stain resistant. Wool is very durable but the most expensive. For cheap carpet that is still reasonably strong, Olefin is usually the best choice for a fabric.

Here are some other, less important factors to consider when looking for cheap carpeting. One is the texture, with the Berber texture with its tightly packed loops being the most durable. Another is the wear rating, with carpeting rated “high traffic” being more resistant to matting. However, there is no set standard, and “high traffic” carpeting durability will vary tremendously between manufacturers. The twist level, which is a measure of how tightly materials are twisted together, affects price more than durability, especially in the case of loop-pile carpeting like Berber.

To get the best deal on cheap carpet, do some patient searching on the internet, looking for the best combination of price and durability factors. For example, Owen Carpet has a Berber, Olefin style for 50 cents per square foot, and that would be a better deal than a carpet costing the same price but of a different texture. Do not stop searching until you have checked out at least several dozen websites, and be sure to check websites giving general advice on carpeting so you can be a more informed consumer.

If you decided to go in person, be sure to take with you all the measurements of the rooms you would to cover and compose an idea of the decor model you would like to create.  If you would like to toss the carpet and go for a more sleek type such as hardwood, bamboo, cork, or vinyl, look around for bargains for builder’s grade if you are handy and feel up to some do-it-yourself projects. Many do-it-yourself retail stores such as Lowe’s or Home Depot have free installation with specials on flooring or you might wish to install it yourself.

Limestone natural stone tile is a wonderful selection for flooring and it goes with any décor in light browns, beige, or yellow tones. What an elegant touch to a home and with some comparison-shopping, flooring such as this can be found at bargain prices.  Cheap flooring, whether carpet or a hardwood or stone finish can be found for less than $1.00 Sq. Ft. or less than $10.00 Sq. Yd. at many online stores or retail outlets.

These bargain prices are wonderful for someone getting a home ready for the seller’s market, but with some of the quality products available at these dirt-cheap prices, you can find beautiful products for your own home.

The best way to begin looking for good quality products at cheap prices is to ask your local retailers when and what will be on clearance within the time frame you need. Then, in addition, go online and look around. You can search according to product name or just type in cheap flooring in the address bar and see what pops up. Many times the bargains are within driving distance to get a first hand look or you might want to go for the free shipping and handling with free installation that accompanies so many clearances good quality products.

Be sure to have an idea of the flooring purpose when you shop. Do you need something durable for pets and children or extreme weather conditions? Will it need to withstand humid temperatures? There is something for every type of need and every design to match your existing décor.  With just a little work, you can find exquisite products that you can refinish yourself.

Discount or cheap carpet is a smart economical decision for getting the most for your money in these tough times and allows you the extra leeway for unforeseen expenses with your decorating project for incidental items such as padding or tape measures and other accessories. You might be able to redo your entire house for a bargain you cannot pass up; and yes that can even be done with carpet remnants. Most retail stores have experienced professionals standing by who are more than willing to help you find just the right product at the best prices. They also can be a wealth of information on how to care for your new flooring. Cheap prices and quality flooring sound like a bargain to anyone.

Steps to Finding Cheap Carpet
The most valuable asset you have when looking for cheap carpet is patience and knowledge. Having the patience to shop around, not make a decision on a whim and the knowledge to know what is within your budget. Here’s a good plan for finding cheap carpet which will be sure to be within budget and align with your style and carpeting goals.

1. Establish a Budget
Know what you can afford for carpeting or flooring your renovation or new job. You never know, you might not have to actually settle for discounted or cheap carpet. Sure you want to spend the least about possible, but until you establish a budget you’re not going to know where to start looking. Keep in mind however, you may find that there just isn’t any carpet cheap enough to fit within your budget. If that’s the case, you may want to reconsider the type of floor coverying you’re going to need.

2. Arm Yourself with Knowledge
Don’t be afraid to shop around to many different local carpet and flooring retailers or outlets in your area. A lot of stores will have specials running at different times of the year. Don’t be pressured into purchasing something you don’t want and it’s good to have an idea of what to expect when you walk into a store. Keep in mind that most often the ads you see about carpet specials are more about getting customers into the store then actually selling them the advertised specail. It’s a common marketing and sales technique most often used by car dealers. That’s not to say this is always the case. Check with your local Home Depot or Lowes if you have one and start there with looking for carpet deals and what they charge for installation. For example, I know in my hometown Home Depot often runs specials like $37 for entire home installation. Often, installation is where you can make up some of the money and keep within your budget.

Comparison shopping is probably your best tool when looking for cheap carpet. Find a good quality carpet you’re happy with in a price range that you’re also comfortable with. Then start calling or shoppping around to see who has the best deal. Carpet prices vary greatly and can run anywhere from $8 a square yard to well over $30 a square yard. Typically you can expect to add $1 to the price of the carpet to figure in installation and another $1 for padding. That’s just a rule of thumb though so keep that in mind, but it’s a good start when trying to come up with a high level estimate of what you’re looking at spending.

3. Be Patient
Besides knowledge, patience is also a good key in your arsenal when shopping for discount flooring and carpet. It’s no big news that a lot of sales tactics (in any business) are geared around pressure; making you feel like you’re going to miss out on something if you don’t act now. There comes a time in your shopping where you’re just going to feel right about the decision you’re about to make. Try holding out until you feel that. Of course there also comes a time when you just need to make a decision, sometimes even if the carpet or flooring isn’t as cheap as you’d hoped.

My wife and I were looking for Frieze Carpet to replace our plush carpet in our entire house. We were actually getting the house ready to sell, so finding cheap carpet was important. We didn’t necessarily want builders grade carpet, but we wanted something nice. Here’s another good tip, you want neutral colors in your house when trying to sell, especially the walls and carpet. The reason is you do not want the topic of conversation being the carpet or walls, actually you don’t want that to really come up at all. And guess what, I learned that great tip from the guy who actually ended up selling us our carpet. My wife and I shopped and shopped and most often felt pressured by the salesmen. We knew what we wanted and just wanted to comparison shop and have someone there to answer questions if we had any. We ended up going to this one carpet outlet, Big Bob’s Flooring and this gentleman there was really nice. Just let us know he was there if we had any questions. We asked him about a certain carpet and what we were trying to do (sell our house). He gave us a TON of information and always mentioned that “where ever” you purchase you’re carpet, look for these things and was just the most helpful guy. We ended up buying it from there because we really liked the guy, didn’t feel pressured, and he helped us make the right decision for our budget and needs. Here’s the amazing part, we later saw a commercial on TV and realized the guy that helped us was Big Bob himself! A very humble guy and if you have a Big Bobs near you, I seriously suggest you check him out. And I must also tell you that I’m in no way affiliated with Big Bobs. It was just a great experience and we found cheap carpet (but nice and just what we wanted) that fit within our budget.

So have patience when looking for your flooring and carpet and don’t be afraid to walk out of a store if you don’t feel right.

4. Make a Decision
There comes a time, even when shopping for cheap carpet, that you just have to make a decision. If you’re having trouble figuring out what to do, just go with your gut and you’ll be fine. Hey, it’s only carpet!

I hope you found this article informative and helpful. Good luck in your quest for cheap carpet and discount flooring!

Depending on the quality of carpet you’re looking for, many large carpet retailers will also have remnants for sell. We’ve seen commercial builders also purchase carpet bulk for large projects and have remnants left over. A few blocks from one of the offices I was consulting at, there was a large complex of studio lofts being built. I noticed one day they were carpeting and had some odds and ends laying around by their carpet van. I simply went up and asked them what they wanted for it, and they told me I could have it if I hauled it away. It was pretty nice Berber carpet and we used it to carpet our entire basement. Granted we had a few seams but we got it fastened good with carpet glue and haven’t had any problems yet. Our basement is sort of an odd “L” shape anyway so the different sizes worked great for carpeting the entire thing.

Another great idea is to have the discounted carpet remnants bound around the edges and use them for throw rugs and large carpets. Think about the money you can save on a steam carpet cleaner by putting these carpet remnants in high traffic areas. When they get too dirty, just throw them away. We’ve done this several times with the stuff we had left over from the basement job and several others. It works well for the garage, which is where we use remnants to make it a little warmer in there and to soak up any leaks our cars may be dropping.

The thing is, most discount carpet stores, have styles and inventory that they just cannot seem to get rid of. This is why it is a great idea to just get a phone book and start calling around. Or, better yet, drive up with a tuck to these stores and ask if they have any discounted carpet they would simply like taken off their hands. Many times they may just let you take it off their hands for free. Hey, it is worth a shot a least!

No matter what type of carpet your looking for, finding remnants at discounted prices can be done and end up saving you a lot of money. It just takes a little patience and time. If you really are serious about remodeling or carpeting a room in the future, it doesn’t hurt to start looking for great deals now. You never know what kind of carpet deals you’re going to find. And the best deals, are always the ones you find when you are not in desperate need of an immediate solution.

It may be possible to find discount carpet remnants online, and so we’ve found a few places which may be able to help you out. Here are a list of online retailers that actually claim to have discount remnants on sale. More often these carpet’s are necesarily remnants but just product they have on clearance. So if you continue shopping around online on your own, just look for a sites “clearance” or “closeout” section. Again, making certain to check pricing details specificually on shipping. Check back often as this list will certainly change as some merchants have stopped selling in just the time we’ve been looking into this. Each link goes to the appropriate page on the site which lists their best deals or discount remnants:

• eBay – Suprisingly, eBay is a great place to find discounted carpet remnants.
• Express Floors
• Georgia Carpet