Yes, but "new" is doing too much work in that question. Refinishing existing hardwood usually gets you nearly the same buyer premium as full replacement, for a fraction of the cost.

The National Association of REALTORS' Remodeling Impact Report puts the average buyer premium at roughly $6,500 for new wood flooring and about $5,000 for refinished hardwood. That's a $1,500 gap for a job that often costs thousands less than a full tear-out and install.

We refinished the floors in a Falls Church colonial two weeks before it hit the market, after the listing photos made the living room look tired. The sellers had an offer inside ten days. We've also talked homeowners in Vienna out of full replacement because the hardwood under their carpet was already in refinishable shape, a rambler off Route 50 in Fairfax turned out the same way last spring. Before you budget for new flooring, it's worth finding out what's actually under your feet.

The exception: if the existing wood is damaged past what sanding can fix, or there's no hardwood there at all, new flooring is the right call. A free inspection tells you which situation you're in before you spend anything.

• New wood flooring: ~$6,500 average buyer premium (NAR data)
• Refinished hardwood: ~$5,000 average buyer premium, usually far cheaper to do
• Spend where buyers actually look first: entryways and main living areas, not bedrooms

A refinish is usually a 2 to 3 day job per room, so it fits inside a normal listing timeline if you start a few weeks out. Where you don't have hardwood at all, like a kitchen or basement, LVP reads as updated to most buyers without hardwood's price tag, and new carpet in a worn bedroom removes hesitation even though it won't add much to the sale price on its own.

Getting ready to list? Get a free, no-pressure inspection and we'll tell you honestly whether you need new flooring or just a refinish.