OK...if the current oak is solid (3/4") you have a 20 year old floor that can live another 60 years. If you pull it you have wasted 60 years worth of flooring. That's a bit of a shame.
To refinish oak/wood floors = $5-$7/sf. That's it. That's all. That includes labour and materials.
Now, to remove it = $2/sf. And you still have NOTHING. To replace it = $7 - $12/sf for material + $4-$5 for labour = $11 - $17/sf. Hmmmmm. That $7/sf sounds pretty good right now, doesn't it.
Right. Here's the best case scenario for wood everywhere.
1. Get species match (not all oak is white...just sayin').
2. Get plank width/cut/grade match (yah...they are all different)
3. Get a wood flooring pro (someone who ONLY does wood floors...not some person with a hammer) to come in a do all the removal of all your other materials ($1-$2/sf...depending)
4. Have him/her lace in all the new wood into the existing wood (do the 1/2 bath and kitchen...no issues there)
5. Have everything sanded and finished all at once.
When a wood flooring pro is offered a big, juicy, well paying job, they often give a small discount on the refinishing bit for the old hardwood. In other words, they are already there for a big job...what's it to them to sand an extra 400sf of old stuff? Not much. All their tools are already on site. They are making their income on the BIG stuff (install/demolition) what's a $1/sf on the old stuff between friends?
See where I'm going with this? You can save a snick of money on the old floors by adding in a BIGGER job for the wood flooring PRO...something s/he can really sink their teeth into for several days worth of work.
Q