Many home owners try refinishing hardwood floors in their homes prior to placing the properties for sale on the open market. Original or replacement hardwood flooring is a current buyer favorite and the desirability of real wood flooring has never been greater. Over the past decade, I have made it a point to advise virtually every client to seek out hardwoods in their homes and refinish them to squeeze extra value out of their residences.
Older homes usually have beautiful hardwood flooring, which is typically buried under old carpet. Excavating these treasures and refinishing them can be a great way of gaining extra equity out of your home and pleasing prospective buyers in the process.
DIY Refinishing Hardwood Floors
DIY home staging is one of the best ways of saving money while still making your home look wonderful for the real estate market. Refinishing flooring is not easy and may require professional sanders and buffers. These tools can be rented from local retail stores or contractor supply houses for a few dollars a day. Just be sure to understand exactly what needs to be done to refinish your flooring and do not take on any flooring project unless you are absolutely certain that you can complete it.
Some floors require repairs and renovations which need an expert touch. In these cases, hiring a floor contractor is advised. When the economy is in decline, many contractors offer bargain-basement prices, which can help sellers to save money while renovating their flooring surfaces.
Professionally Refinishing Hardwood Floors
Hiring a expert to refinish your floors is fast and easy. The newest professional equipment is very clean and efficient. This eliminates much of the dust and dirt associated with past methods of refinishing. Additionally, the finishes used now dry faster, harder and with less chemical smell than ever before, making professional refinishing the best choice for home owners who need perfect results quickly.
While professional wood refinishing is not cheap, it is still less costly and labor intensive than installing a new floor.
Tips for Refinishing Hardwood Floors
Many home owners do not realize that their floors do not even need to be fully refinished. For example, when I uncovered the floors in my 85 year of English Tudor, I found them marked and stained by years of abuse underneath heavy outdated carpeting. However, once I took the time to strip off the surface marks and remove the staples and nails from the old rugs, I discovered that the floors were actually in very good condition. The main issues included several holes through which the old heating pipes used to pass and a complete lack of shine and finish.
I took to repairing the holes using hardwood plugs and some filler for a perfect fit. Then, I washed the floors 3 times to remove all the built up dirt and grim. At this point, a fresh coat of all-in-one stain and polyurethane was all it took to get these antique floors shining like new. Total cost was about $50 and lots of back-breaking labor. The result? Unbelievably excellent, even years later.