Here’s an example of vinyl flooring available that has the appearance of real wood floors. For comparison, ‘vinyl plank’ sells for around $2/sf, engineered hardwoods sell for around $4/sf, and real hardwoods go for $5/sf to $8/sf:
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Jim Klinge
Klinge Realty Group
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Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Jim & Donna Klinge helped us sell our home of 30 years in Ocean Hills. We were very happy with their service and would HIGHLY recommend them to anyone looking for an Honest, Knowledgeable, Skilled, Informed Efficient realty team. Both Jim & Donna were so helpful in different ways and complemented each others skills. Please refer to a more detailed review that we wrote on YELP. Thank You Both for all your help!!!Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. A+ thank youTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Many years ago, we purchased a home in Carlsbad, using a realtor that was recommended to us - Jim Klinge. Fast forward to 2025, we recently had the privilege of selling 2 homes in Carlsbad, CA and didn't hesitate to reach out to Jim and Donna Klinge of Klinge Realty Group to guide us through the sales. The transactions were very different, each with its own unique situation, opportunities and challenges. From start to finish, Donna and Jim helped navigate the pre-sale preparation, the listing, showing of the house, buyer negotiations, the final close and all of the paperwork and decisions in between. What stands out with both transactions is the professionalism of Jim and Donna (and their team), wonderful communication (timely, relevant, concise), their deep understanding of market dynamics (setting realistic expectations), their access to top-notch contractors, and last, their ability to guide us across the finish line successfully. We wouldn't hesitate to use Jim and Donna in the future and highly recommend them for anyone looking to buy or sell a property in North San Diego County.Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We sold a home with Jim and Donna and from beginning to end they were consummate professionals. Their initial walk through the property resulted in a list of items to be repaired or updated. They supplied a list of vendors and job quotes to do the repairs and updates. We originally wanted to sell ‘as is’ and just get it over with. They gave us a selling price for ‘as is’ and options for doing a few updates/repairs to doing it all with the selling price for each option. We agreed to do all they suggested and we sold for the exact price they predicted. For every dollar spent we got back more than $2 back in the selling price. And they got that price in a rising interest rate environment! Donna and Jim are extremely detailed and guide you through ever aspect of the sale. There were no surprises thanks to their guidance. We couldn’t be more pleased with their representation. Thank you Donna and Jim, Jerry and MaryTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We have known Jim & Donna Klinge for over a dozen years, having met them in Carlsbad where our children went to the same school. As long time North County residents, it was a no- brainer for us to have the Klinges be our eyes and ears for San Diego real estate in general and North County in particular. As my military career caused our family to move all over the country and overseas to Asia, Europe and the Pacific, we trusted Jim and Donna to help keep our house in Carlsbad rented with reliable and respectful tenants for over 10 years. Naturally, when the time came to sell our beloved Carlsbad home to pursue a rural lifestyle in retirement out of California, we could think of no better team to represent us than Jim and Donna. They immediately went to work to update our house built in 2004 to current-day standards and trends — in 2 short months they transformed it into a literal modern-day masterpiece. We trusted their judgement implicitly and followed 100% of their recommended changes. When our house finally came on the market, there was a blizzard of serious interest, we had multiple offers by the third day and it sold in just 5 days after a frenzied bidding war for 20% above our asking price! The investment we made in upgrades recommended by Jim and Donna yielded a 4-fold return, in the process setting a new high water mark for a house sold in our community. In our view, there are no better real estate professionals in all of San Diego than Jim and Donna Klinge. Buying or selling, you must run and beg Jim and Donna Klinge to represent you! Our family will never forget Jim, Donna, and their whole team at Compass — we are forever grateful to them.Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. WeI had the pleasure of working with Klinge Realty Group to sell our home in Carmel Valley, and I cannot recommend them highly enough! Jim and Donna demonstrated exceptional professionalism, offering expert guidance on market conditions and pricing strategy, which resulted in a quick and successful sale. Communication was prompt and we were well-informed throughout the entire process. For anyone looking for a dedicated and knowledgeable real estate team, look no further! ---Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Donna and Jim Klinge of Klinge Realty Group have our highest possible recommendation. From Donna and Jim’s first visit to our house through closing their advice and counsel was candid and honest in all dealings. They kept us fully informed throughout the process. The house sold less than three days after listing with a two-week closing. My wife and I have sold several houses during our lives. This was by far the best experience. Klinge Reality is a premium service realtor. You can’t make a better choice for someone to sell your home fast and for top dollar.Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Donna and Jim provided exceptional support and professionalism throughout the entire process. We couldn't have been happier with their efforts. They made our house shine, and thanks to their expertise, it sold above the listing price in the very first weekend! Truly a fantastic experience from start to finish.Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. This year has been difficult on our family, mainly due to having to sell our home. Thankfully we knew God had a plan for us and working with the Klinge team was a key part of it. It was an obvious decision to work with them again after such an amazing experience when purchasing the same home we needed to sell. The challenge was, how will we do this in so little time with so much going on? Jim and Donna held our hand every step of the way. Whenever an unexpected issue arose they found and provided a solution. Never once did we feel pressured to make a decision and the Klinges were always reassuring after providing the information that the decision was ours to make. Despite the curve balls, they never panicked and exemplified the “can do” attitude, making us feel optimistic and taken care of. Their expertise and professionalism was superb. But of all the reasons to work with the Klinges, the most impactful and valuable is their compassion and genuine care for their clients. We pray that we can one day purchase our forever home and you better believe that Jim and Donna will be representing us - as long as they will have us of course. Thank you again Klinge team! Your execution, experience, and care are unmatched.Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Jim and Donna were fantastic! Jim understanding my needs, recommending potential places, pointing out the pros and cons of each property was invaluable. Then when the offer was accepted Donna’s organized guidance through the inspections, paperwork etc made the whole process seem effortless. So grateful that I had them on my side!Load more
We installed vinyl “wood” flooring and are really happy with how it turned out. We have two kids and two dogs, so the durability was a big selling point. Plus, if one plank gets ruined you just pull it up and slap a new one down — no interlocking pieces.
We got Pinnacle Smoked Hickory (with a lifetime guarantee):
http://modernsurface.com/pinnacle-smoked-hickory-3/
If anyone is thinking about going this route you should be aware that, as Jim pointed out, the planks are really thin. This means when you remove thicker, taller flooring (in our case about 1,000 square feet of hideous tile), it leaves roughly 1/4″ gaps between the new flooring and any door trim pieces that rested on top of the old floors. Gaps between doors and floors are more pronounced too, but any baseboard gaps can be fixed with quarter rounds. Just something to keep in mind.
I agree with everything REintheLBC stated. I installed vinyl in my new place and love it. The first comment I always get from pics and first time viewers is, “Oh my god I love the floors” and then I get asked, “Is that real wood?”. It’s completely durable (I’ve got dogs) and it’s basically water proof, a huge selling point for me as I have a half bath and laundry downstairs and I put this stuff throughout my entire first floor.
I did install new taller baseboards, so height was not an issue.
LOVE our luxury vinyl planks. Waterproof so we can use them throughout in kitchens and baths and no worries when the kids spill water…As they do. The floors look amazing and people compliment on them regularly.
As for the vinyl in your video well that looks like the lower end of course to put it mildly. We used usfloors and it was the same price as laminate really and we shopped around plenty. The common theme at all flooring centers was that they are selling lots of LVP and plenty goes into mid range coastal homes. Don’t believe me? Ask Warren Buffett as they just paid a mint for usfloors over at Berkshire Hathaway. Some of these vinyl floors have all the green certifications that laminates have no chance at also because the nature of laminates is glue glue and more glue.
On the downside, they ding up. They are plastic after all and man they can ding. So you trade off that for the fact they can’t warp essentially. Did I mention they ding? So don’t buy a type that would show dings. Stick to a rustic weathered kind of pattern that hides any oops moments.
Jim,
We are looking at redoing our floors with either “wood” tile or the luxury vinyl wood planks. Is the vinyl a negative when reselling a home? Is it worse, the same or better than having “wood” tile installed? I have samples of both the wood tile and the vinyl and I’m really impressed because they both look amazing on the floor. I just don’t want to mess up our home’s value. (We currently have ugly square tile and carpet downstairs).