The majority of people consider buying a carpet as a long-term investment, and so it's understandable to want the longest possible wear out of it before it needs replacing. In order to get the most out of your new carpet, there are a certain number of factors to consider before you buy. Such as function, quality, clean ability, aesthetics, and price to name just a few.

A carpet can make a considerable difference to both the look and feel of any room, and so is understandably a major factor in the décor of your home. Along with the obvious purpose of making a room aesthetically pleasing, a carpet can also have affects on the acoustics and noise reduction, thus giving it a completely different atmosphere. Carpets are renowned for adding a sense of warmth and cosiness to a room, which is probably one of the reasons that it is still the number one selling floor covering today.

In most cases, the first thing people think about when choosing their flooring is the colour, however with the wide range of carpets and colours it is best to focus on your requirements, then selecting colour afterwards. Regardless of whether you're looking for a textured and more luxurious carpet or cut pile, Berber, frieze or patterned carpet, today's retailers have a vast selection of all the styles and colour choices you could need.

When it does come to choosing colour, its best to get some large samples of the carpet and leave them on the floor of the desired room for a couple of days. Some companies will allow you to choose carpet samples online and deliver them right to your door. Take the opportunity to see the colours matched against your furnishings in both natural and artificial lighting to make the best informed decision. The bigger the sample size, the easier it will be to make a valid judgement. It is always best to bear in mind that a neutral/medium colour will hide a multitude of sins opposed to a very light or dark carpet. Also the nap of a carpet can make the colour appear different, and so it's vital to consider which way you want the nap facing when having your carpet installed.

The first thing to consider is what function your carpet will provide. For example do you need a carpet for a heavy traffic area such as the hallway, where a tougher more durable carpet is required. Or do you want a bedroom carpet where durability is not an issue and you can concentrate on the luxury and feeling of a carpet. Assessing your needs will make the process of choosing a carpet less complicated as your narrowing down the types of pile/fibre and features by what it will be used for.

It is also vital to consider how easy your carpet will be to maintain, for example families with small children should probably avoid a light cream shag pile. In order to avoid these kinds of potentially expensive mistakes, match the carpet type to your family's lifestyle.

Another factor to consider is the quality of carpet you want. In order to do so, you will have to consider how much use of your carpet you are expecting. For example the average life expectancy of a carpet is 7 years, however if you want your carpet to last for that amount of time or more, you will have to be willing to spend a little more for a good quality carpet. However if you are wanting a quite versatile approach to home furnishings, and expect to change your carpet frequently, then perhaps the overall quality of a carpet is not a deciding factor, and so can perhaps afford to cut corners on price and go for a cheaper option.