Just go with what you can afford but get the good underlay not the cheap nasty stuff. And haggle too

A good underlay is crucial, but what a hard floor (wood, vinyl) and a rug?

I'd really like to go with carpet. The rest of the house is hard floor so I want it a bit more cosy.

Cormar carpet is worth looking at as an option. I think they have different ranges depending on your requirements. We used it recently when we were selling our house . Can be cleaned with diluted bleach. Good underlay as mentioned is important. I would suggest going into a store to see and feel the carpet underneath your feet with the underlay. You can also order Cormar samples online.

Do you have pets, and are you disciplined with taking shoes off? I only ask because we have gotten through what seems like a ridiculous number of expensive carpets on our stairs and landing because of silly naive mistakes! Carpet number one was a stunning wool Berber in a pale colour. It lasted all of about a year before it looked grubby. We learnt that a pale solid colour shows dirt - especially if you’re not the tidiest of families like us! Carpet two was much improved - wool loop in a colour called smoke. It was a warm grey (more French grey than a cold grey). It had flecks and was great (we still have it in some bedrooms) - but on the stair, one of the cats treated it as a scratching post until in was bare. Carpet number three is a stripe with one of the colours being similar to the smoke. In this time we’ve sadly had a change in cats - so I stupidly risked another wool loop. Oh what a mistake! The stairs have become a giant scratching post again. My next carpet will not be looped, nor will it be pale!

Oh my goodness. That's a lot of carpets! We have no pets and shoes are never on in the lounge. Fingers crossed for a longer life for this carpet!!

Absolutely no shoes has to be number 1 rule.

In nine years no shoes have been on the carpets at two different houses. Carpets are unmarked as a consequence.

Both homes have also been in muddy rural locations.

Wipe your dogs feet when they come in.

Light carpets are not hard to keep like new but you need self discipline. Without that then just don't have carpets.

Cormar Carpets - Apollo Plus is right for you with an 9mm PU Underlay