The carpet was in excellent condition. When we bought our new home, all the capets in 3 of the bedrooms were trashed. We went to a local dealer, and they have a remnant section in the back. We weren't real picky on the colors, as we didn't have a feel for the house yet and how we wanted it decorated. I'm sure the cost would be significantly less.
Remnants come in all sizes.
All you need to do is a little hunting. The result was a lovely blue wall to wall carpet in his living and dining area that only cost his labor. It will wear out much quicker than its higher quality counterparts and when it wears out your carpet wears out. I checked thru there and called the carpet outlets. We found a guy to install it for us and purchased a high grade padding thru him.