Yes, and refinishing pays back more than replacing. The 2022 National Association of Realtors/NARI Remodeling Impact Report found hardwood floor refinishing recovered 147% of its cost at resale, while installing new wood flooring recovered 118%. A typical $3,400 refinish added about $5,000 in perceived value, according to the same report.
Does New Flooring Increase Home Value?
According to the National Association of Realtors' 2022 Remodeling Impact Report, produced with NARI, hardwood floor refinishing recovered 147% of its cost at resale, and installing new wood flooring recovered 118%. Both numbers are well above what most remodeling categories recover at resale, where cost recovery well under 100% is the norm rather than the exception. Flooring, and refinishing specifically, is one of the higher-return interior projects tracked anywhere in that report.
That puts flooring in the same conversation as kitchen and bath updates, which typically top most ROI lists, rather than the lower-return category where a lot of purely cosmetic projects, fresh paint aside, tend to land once you account for material and labor.
| Project | Cost recovery at resale (2022 NAR/NARI data) |
|---|---|
| Hardwood floor refinishing | 147% of cost |
| New wood flooring installation | 118% of cost |
Refinishing vs. New Flooring: Which Pays Back More
The report put a typical hardwood refinish at $3,400, adding roughly $5,000 in perceived value at resale, a return that new flooring installation doesn't quite match dollar for dollar even though it still recovers most of its cost. That makes sense structurally: refinishing an existing hardwood floor that's in good condition is cheaper labor and no material cost at all, while new flooring installation carries full material and labor costs from the start, even though buyers respond well to both outcomes at showing time.
Neither number means every floor in your house is worth touching before a sale. A refinish only pays off on a floor that's structurally sound under the wear; a floor with cupping, deep gouges or water damage usually needs replacement regardless of which line item looks better on paper, since sanding can't fix a board that's already structurally compromised, no matter how good the finish coat looks in the days right after the crew leaves. See our guide on whether to replace floors before selling for that decision specifically.
Why We're Citing a 2022 Report
The 2022 NAR/NARI Remodeling Impact Report is the most recent edition that tracked flooring specifically; the 2025 edition doesn't include a flooring category. We'd rather point to the last solid data than make up a newer number, so treat these figures as directionally reliable rather than current-year statistics. Materials, labor rates and buyer expectations have all shifted since 2022, but the underlying pattern, that flooring in good repair sells a house more easily than flooring that reads as a problem to a walkthrough buyer, hasn't changed just because the survey wasn't repeated in a later year.
What This Means If You're Selling in Sarasota
If your existing hardwood is in decent shape under the wear, refinishing is worth pricing out before you jump to full replacement, since the data suggests it returns more per dollar spent. If the floor is beyond refinishing, or you're dealing with worn carpet or dated tile, new flooring still recovers most of its cost and tends to be one of the changes buyers notice first when they walk in.
A pre-listing walkthrough with an installer, not just your agent, can settle the refinish-versus-replace question with a real number rather than a guess, and it typically takes less than an hour of your time to get one, which is usually the deciding factor between the two options once the numbers are actually in front of you.
See what Florida buyers specifically respond to on our post about what flooring Florida home buyers want, or get a read on refinish vs. replace for your floor with a free estimate. Refinishing options are on our hardwood floor refinishing page.
Related questions
Does vinyl plank flooring increase home value the same way hardwood does?
The 2022 NAR/NARI report specifically measured wood flooring and refinishing; it didn't separately track vinyl plank or tile return on investment, so a directly comparable figure isn't available.
Is it better to refinish or replace hardwood floors before selling?
If the existing floor is structurally sound and just worn, refinishing tends to show the stronger return per dollar based on the 2022 data. If the floor is damaged or gapped beyond what sanding can fix, replacement is usually the more realistic option regardless of ROI.
Does new flooring help a house sell faster, not just for more money?
Flooring condition is one of the first things buyers notice on a walkthrough, and worn or dated flooring is a common objection agents cite. Fresh flooring can reduce hesitation even where it's hard to isolate a specific speed-of-sale number.