When we buy a property, we understand that this is a long term investment. With care and attention, along with well-designed and executed additions, our homes can increase in value. However, some addition can actually detract from the value hence we need to take care.

When looking to add value to a property, it is not always solely in monetary terms that the homeowner thinks. Aesthetic or visual appeal is important too; your property needs to stand out, catch attention and demand that the buyer buys yours, and not the ‘similar-property-down-the-street’.

Polished concrete floors can be the addition to your home that adds that much needed value, both in terms of appeal and money. But why? What are the pros of investing in polished concrete floors? Will they suit your home?

The ‘appeal’ of concrete

But, let’s be honest, concrete is not a product that instils visions of beauty in the mind; in fact, when we think of concrete, we cannot escape the dullness, the greyness and the link to dusty, spider-infested concrete garages. We also think industrial and construction; try as we might, in its bland, raw and unrefined state, concrete and its beauty, is in the eye of the beholder… and for many of us, this ‘beauty’ is something that passes us by.

But, concrete can be appealing. With refinements, a little effort and some addition of stains and other chemical based treatments, the grey, bland products that we see in buildings can become unbelievable, highly polished, glossy items – from walls that take on the appearance of marble, to the floors that look worn and aged, and yet they can be made from concrete.

The benefits of concrete floors… and how they affect the value of a property

Thus, concrete can effectively masquerade as other, more expensive materials but still have all the strength and robustness of concrete. But what else can it offer?

• Durability

If nothing else, the durability of polished concrete floors can mean they last for over a hundred years, if cared for and looked after (which, in the main, is minimal). Extremely tough and resilient, concrete floors can withstand huge amounts of pressure, from the forklift trucks in a warehouse, to high heels on your hallway floor.

This durability makes it the norm, and the favoured material in many an industrial setting, but this can easily be refined to suit a domestic property. And it already has.

Polished concrete floors remain unscathed by pets, heels, furniture… anything that the domestic home can throw at it. It could be chipped or scratched but, it would have to be under sustained attack, in the same spot, for a prolonged period of time.

• Maintenance

When you invest in something, you want it to look good for as long as possible… without having to spend hours and hours, bent double scrubbing it, wiping it, dusting it and so on. Luckily, with polished concrete floors this is not a pre-requisite to it remaining delightful and elegant.

Depending on how busy your household is, some areas may need waxing of ‘buffing’ every few months or even once a year, as this will restore the high shine that you crave. In between these buffering time, you can use a ‘neutral’ cleaning agent, nothing too strong, and simply mop – like you would an ‘ordinary’ floor.

• It’s green (sort of!)

The one thing you can point out to prospective buyers is that the polished concrete floor is environmentally-friendly, to a certain degree. Concrete, as we know, is made from a variety of ingredients that comes from various industries, some of which are not carbon neutral. But, in many properties, there exists a concrete sub-floor, the platform on which your top layer of flooring is sitting on.

With some basic sealing and polishing, you can use this sub-floor as your main floor. No sending anything to landfill, or creating new concrete from raw materials; simply polish and buff and you have an amazing floor, with a high sheen finish.

• The finished design

Increasingly, homeowners are opting for concrete flooring because it allows them the possibility of creating a floor design that is truly unique to them and their property. You may have a grand, sweeping hallway and you want to make a grand, sweeping statement to match with the floor; you may want to look of marble or another material that is well out of your price range… concrete, with imagination and the right skills, can be made to look exactly like this!

Thus, for a relatively inexpensive amount of money, you can create an amazing show-stopping showcase of your floor, all with concrete! Adding visual value, as well as possibly financial value too, why not take a second look at this versatile material.