I plan to get a local firm to install carpet on this staircase. They are sending a sales/estimator person Friday. Would be much obliged for any expert feedback. I think I would save labor $$$ by doing the prep work myself. Those trim pieces will be pulled out, and I reckon the strings will need to be sanded and painted before the carpet installed. That make sense? How would you most efficiently pry out those trim pieces? Assuming the carpet will go wall-to-wall, what would you choose to put there if it were your place? If it was a car, I'd like it to be the Honda Accord of stair carpet -- not a Lexus, but not a Kia, either. This is a townhouse and I don't have kids in the home so I'm looking more for appearance and quality than durability. Safety is a thing, especially when elderly guests are navigating 'dead man's curve' at the bottom there. Cheers, and many thanks in advance for any thoughts/comments. [img]https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.doityourselft.com-vbulletin/1280x960/stairway_to_hell_1__090029e525fcf93a00c639cbcf0c785ef9d0c281.jpg[/img] [img]https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.doityourselft.com-vbulletin/1280x960/dead_mans_curve_steps_1__679afefc0f4ab9dbe2742bd08e5bb3b51f8aced8.jpg[/img] [img]https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.doityourselft.com-vbulletin/1280x960/dead_mans_curve_2_9e2adf8ba5106e2feb928221465dcc55bbf7aafd.jpg[/img] ​​​​​​​

We were fortunate to be in a wonderful house on a mill pond that we bought in '13 as a 25yo "fixer-upper" in a neighborhood that's very upscale for our county and filled with judges, doctors, surgeons and business owners - we're definitely anomalies as retired educators who have always done the DIY route! Also, most of the homes are 5-15 years old with just a few, like ours, that are older and less... mini-mansions. Now that the basics have been dealt with, we're slowing bringing it into the modern age, focusing both on our personal preferences but also with resale in mind as we may sell in five years or so. One thing that we need to do is replace the carpet in the living room and stairs -- the previous owner had put in beige lower-end carpeting that clearly wasn't stain-resistant after the house had stood empty for 3 years. We would like to get something that would likely have a solid 10+ year lifespan, as we anticipate selling in about 5 years and don't want to have to redo the carpet before putting it on the market. We're just two retirees so the foot traffic and potential for damage is reasonably low (as long as I never bring another glass of red wine into the living room again, ever). We also want to get whatever type/style carpet would be expected in an upscale house, but we honestly have no idea what that might be, as we come from a long line of homes that were... we'll just say NOT in upscale neighborhoods, and did not have carpeting installed, so buying ww carpeting is a new experience to us. We know that it's likely to be expensive, but we also know that picking the most expensive doesn't mean that it's the best. And we figure that we'd rather not ask the salesperson who would likely answer according to their commission potential. Suggestions for styles, materials, or even a solid "carpeting 101" guides that address our questions are most appreciated. Thank you!