It can be, when the floor is solid hardwood that looks tired but is structurally sound. A refinish removes the scratches and worn spots that buyers and listing photos can see. The number most people quote, 147 percent, asks more of one survey than it can deliver: it is a 2022 opinion estimate from Realtors, not a record of what any house sold for, and it is national, not New Jersey.
This guide covers what that figure measures, which floors are worth doing before a listing, what a refinish costs in Monmouth and Ocean County, and when to leave the floor alone.
What the 147 percent figure measures
The figure comes from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) 2022 Remodeling Impact Report, published in April 2022. It names refinishing hardwood floors as the interior project with the highest cost recovery, ahead of new wood flooring. Here is how the number was built.
- The cost is a remodelers' estimate. The $3,400 cost comes from a NARI survey of remodeling firms: 210 responses from 5,778 firms.
- The value is Realtors' opinion. NAR asked Realtors for "an estimate of the likely dollar value" each project would add to a house at resale. It emailed 47,907 members in February 2022 and received 2,287 responses, a 4.8 percent response rate.
- The house is a model, not yours. The figures are medians for a 2,495 square foot home built after 1981, with no hidden issues and standard materials.
- The data is national. The figures are national, not New Jersey figures.
Divide the Realtors' $5,000 estimate by the $3,400 cost and you get 147 percent. That is a ratio of survey medians, not a return anyone collected at closing. Here are the two flooring rows side by side.
| Project | NARI cost | Realtors' estimated value recovered | Cost recovery | Realtors recommending before selling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Refinishing hardwood floors | $3,400 | $5,000 | 147 percent | 22 percent |
| New wood flooring | $5,500 | $6,500 | 118 percent | 13 percent |
Read the last column as carefully as the third. Painting the whole interior was recommended before selling by 48 percent of Realtors, painting one room by 38 percent, a kitchen upgrade by 30 percent and a bathroom renovation by 26 percent. Refinishing hardwood, at 22 percent, was recommended less often than all four, even though it posted the highest cost-recovery estimate among interior projects.
Is there a newer number?
Not from NAR's 2025 report. The 2025 edition (April 2025) does not include refinishing. It lists only new wood flooring, with a Joy Score of 9.1, so there is no newer refinishing estimate to check the 2022 one against. NAR's own December 2024 article on wood floors still points to the 2022 report for the 147 percent figure.
That leaves a national estimate that is now more than four years old. Treat it as a sign that the Realtors surveyed saw value in a refinished floor, not as a forecast for your sale.
Which floors are worth refinishing before you list
The floors that benefit most are the ones where the wood is sound and the finish is the problem: dull traffic lanes, scratches, a hazy surface, worn patches by the door or the sink. All of that lives in the finish, and a refinish resets it. If the damage is in the wood or in the structure below it, a refinish will not fix it.
Buyers do say they want hardwood. NAHB's 2021 What Home Buyers Really Want survey (3,247 buyers, 541 of them first-time buyers) found that 80 percent of first-time buyers rate main-floor hardwood as essential or desirable. That measures a preference for hardwood floors, not what a buyer will pay extra for a refinished one.
Two checks tell you where you stand. Our guide to the signs your hardwood needs refinishing lists what to look for, and the water-drop test in our dull-floor guide separates a recoat from a full sand: if water beads, a screen and recoat will work, and if it soaks in, the floor needs a full sand.
Match the pre-sale move to the floor
These are New Jersey ranges from our refinishing cost guide, matched to what the floor needs.
| Floor condition | Pre-sale move | NJ cost | Caveat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dull or scratched, but water beads on it | Screen and recoat | $1.50 to $3.00 per sq ft | Needs a sound finish to bond to, and it cannot change the color. |
| Water soaks in, finish worn through, scratches through the finish | Standard sand and refinish | $3.00 to $6.00 per sq ft | Goes to bare wood, which is also the only time you can change the stain color. |
| Deep water staining, penetrated pet urine, boards that need replacing | Heavy restoration | $7.00 per sq ft and up | Sanding alone does not always remove the stain or the odor. Compare against replacing. |
| Wood damaged, boards sanded too thin, or water reached the subfloor | Replace rather than refinish | Varies; needs a quote | Refinishing cannot fix damage that goes deeper than the finish; too-thin boards risk damage if sanded again, and a refinish over a compromised subfloor buys only a few years. |
| Engineered flooring | Check the wear layer first | Depends on the floor | Sandable only if the wear layer is thick enough. |
What a pre-sale refinish costs in New Jersey
A typical Monmouth or Ocean County project lands between $1,200 and $2,800, though a large open floor plan will exceed that and a single room will come in under it. Price per square foot drops as the area grows, because setup costs about the same for a small room as for a large one, and stairs are priced per tread. Our cost to refinish hardwood floors in NJ guide explains what moves the number and lists five questions that make quotes comparable.
This post does not set those prices against the NAR figures or give a New Jersey return, because NAR's numbers are national and a national median cost is not a quote for your floor. The honest way to use the numbers runs the other way: get a real price for your floor, then ask a local listing agent whether comparable homes nearby justify spending it.
Timing around photos and showings
Schedule the work backward from the photographer, not forward from the contractor. The clock runs from the last coat of finish, and the floor is ready for different things at different times.
- Socks-only foot traffic: about 24 hours after the last coat on water-based finish.
- Furniture, on felt glides: 2 to 3 days on water-based finish, 3 to 7 days on oil-based.
- Area rugs: at least 7 days.
Finish at least a week before photos, so staging furniture and rugs can go back before the photographer arrives. Add buffer for cold or humid weather, which stretches every number, and for oil-based finish, whose odor is also much stronger. If showings start before the first week is over, keep the floor dry-cleaned only and ask visitors to take their shoes off. The full schedule is in our post on when you can walk on refinished floors.
When not to refinish
A refinish is the wrong spend in five situations.
- The wood is damaged or too thin. Deep gouges through to raw wood, splits, soft or spongy boards, and boards already sanded as far as they can go need replacing. See our signs to replace, not refinish.
- Water reached the subfloor. Cupping that does not flatten out often means moisture below the surface. Start with our guide to water-damaged hardwood floors.
- The floor is engineered with a thin wear layer. Engineered flooring can be sanded only if the wear layer is thick enough. Read whether engineered hardwood can be refinished first.
- The floor is only dirty. Residue from the wrong cleaner can look like wear, and cleaning is far cheaper than refinishing.
- The buyer is going to rip it out. If you already know the buyer plans a renovation, a refinish may be money spent twice.
How to decide
Work through it in this order.
- Test the finish. Drop water on a worn spot to learn whether you need a recoat or a full sand.
- Look for damage a refinish cannot fix. Thin boards, soft spots and water problems change the plan.
- Ask a local listing agent. NAR's figures are national opinion; an agent who knows your neighborhood's comparable sales can say whether a worn floor is likely to cost you.
- Get a real price. Square-foot ranges are for budgeting; a quote for your floor is what you decide on.
- Work backward from photos. Allow at least a week after the last coat.
Jersey Concept does sanding and refinishing and hardwood installation in Monmouth and Ocean County, and offers a free in-home estimate. See our sanding & refinishing page for the scope of the work, or book a free in-home estimate before you list.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it worth refinishing hardwood floors before selling a house?
It can be, when the wood is sound and the finish is worn, but the survey numbers do not prove a dollar return. NAR's 2022 report has Realtors estimating a 147 percent cost recovery, which is a national opinion estimate and not a recorded sale price. Damaged, too-thin or water-affected floors are a different case; see when to replace instead.
How much value does refinishing hardwood floors add?
We found no reliable number for a specific New Jersey home. In NAR's 2022 report, Realtors estimated that a refinish costing $3,400 would add about $5,000 of resale value, but that is a national opinion estimate, and the 2025 edition has no refinishing figure. A local listing agent can tell you what comparable homes nearby show.
How much does it cost to refinish floors before selling in NJ?
A standard sand and refinish in New Jersey runs roughly $3.00 to $6.00 per square foot, a screen and recoat $1.50 to $3.00, and heavy restoration $7.00 and up. A typical Monmouth or Ocean County project lands between $1,200 and $2,800. Our refinishing cost guide explains what moves the number.
Should I recoat or fully refinish before listing?
Recoat if the finish is intact, and fully refinish if it is not. Put a few drops of water on a worn spot: if it beads, a screen and recoat can work, and if it soaks in, the floor needs a full sand. A recoat costs less but cannot change the color or fix deep wear. See the water-drop test.
How long before listing should I refinish?
Finish at least a week before photos. On water-based finish, socks are fine after about 24 hours and furniture can return after 2 to 3 days (3 to 7 on oil-based). Rugs should wait at least 7 days. Cold or humid weather stretches all of those, so add buffer. Our timeline post has the full schedule.
Will buyers replace the floors anyway?
Some will, and we found no data on how many. NAHB's 2021 survey found 80 percent of first-time buyers rate main-floor hardwood essential or desirable, which shows demand for hardwood but not what buyers do after closing. If you already know the buyer plans a renovation, a refinish may be wasted.
Is it worth pulling up carpet to check for hardwood under it?
A quick look is worth it, but tearing up a whole room to find out is not. Check under a vent cover or lift a corner in a closet, because what is underneath may be damaged or stained, and carpet staple removal adds labor. We found no good data on what buyers pay for uncovered hardwood, so a contractor can assess it at an in-home estimate.
