i think with the new paint and remodeled bathroom, your floors likley show worse then they really are...If you could get a good price, i'd have them refinished...

Can you just have them screened and re-coated?. I'm just outside Boston and paid $.50 per square foot last year to do this.

In NYC it cost us $1,500 to have the hardwood floors sanded and refinished in our 1270-square foot house. That included living/dining/sun room, the steps, and the hall and three bedrooms upstairs. They came out beautifully and people comment on them all the time.

I'd bite the bullet and have the floors refinished. I would think that would help your house move faster, especially since people are commenting on the worn floors. I paid about $1200 four years ago to have carpet torn out of a house in the Midwest, and the hardwood floors underneath refinished. This included entryway, living room, hallway, and three bedrooms.

Flooring is one of the most inexpensive ways to change the entire look of a house. I vote to do it. Im not that far from you, going rate is somewhere around $1.50 per sq foot. Sounds like your house is around 1200 sq feet? Take away the kitchens and baths and you're not looking at that much money to get the house sold. Why do you think the deal is falling thru with your current buyer?

Do it. I don't think most people know how nice a floor can look once it's been refinished.

Since you've moved out already and the home is vacant I think it's even more important that the floors be refinished. Nothing to pull your attention away from the 'distressed' floors.

If you decide to do it, make sure you post signs to remove shoes because they were just re-finished (double duty of protecting the investment and hi-lighting it for buyers).

I thought I was leaning in the right direction there - thanks for confirming it.

I think the deal is going south b/c we were supposed to close on the 25th, then the 29th then the 2nd and the buyer keeps getting denied a loan. She is frantically trying to get one - and has pre-qual letters but then right before closing is unable to secure the loan. My realtor/attorney told me it is unlikly she will get one before this Friday. Her realtor/attorney on the other hand up to and including today thinks it will happen.

There are several ways to do the floors. My son in law does it, not hard but time wise. In fact, he is going to do his daughters. But you do have to wait between coats so you may want to wait to relist. No one can walk on the floors for about a week or so, maybe longer depends on how many coats. Yes put signs up, afterward no walking on floors and in fact when he did the floors in the house we live in now, I could not put down some furniture without little pads under them. Take awhile to dry and harden. But he put on 3-5 coats with drying time a week between and depends on weather. Get a couple of bids and make sure they are licensed and do not pay before they finish. They have to take molding off also, etc.
Been thru this and I hope this helps.

Do it yourself. As long as one person has a strong back for edging, it is not difficult. Just do not drop the drum. Where you rent the equipment will have instructions or google online. Also, if you do them yourself the lambswool applicator and long stick is invaluable! There is never a brush stroke, you can feather out any bubbles or overlaps.

If they can just be rescreened and polyurethaned, even easier. I never bother with the machine for a simple rescreening and hand sand with 180 grit. Same advice on the lambswool applicator and stick.

if you're going to do it yourrself, don't use a drum sander. Use a pad sander.

Also, there's a huge selling point in that, esp. at your price point, people will probably have to sell and buy on the same day, so they won't have the luxury of redoing the floors before they move in.