As a Realtor, you know that buyers notice the details, and flooring can make a major difference in how a home shows and how buyers perceive its value. Before recommending that your seller replace or update the floors, take a closer look at what’s already there. You may have more to work with than you think.

If you’re selling a home with carpet, vinyl, or laminate, don’t automatically assume it needs new flooring. If you don’t already have a buyer with a specific flooring preference, find out what’s underneath.

Many older homes have hardwood hidden beneath other flooring materials. In many cases, those floors can be refinished and transformed into a beautiful, updated feature that adds character and appeal to the home.

Before recommending a major flooring investment, have the existing floors evaluated by a professional. You may already have a valuable asset hiding underneath.

Worn, scratched, or outdated hardwood doesn’t necessarily mean it needs to go.

Take red oak, for example. While white oak is popular for today’s lighter, modern aesthetic, red oak can often be dramatically transformed with the right sanding techniques, stain, sealer, and finish. With the right approach, it can take on a completely different look, and sometimes look just as impressive as a newer installation.

Before recommending replacement, ask: What could this floor become?

If your seller is refinishing existing hardwood, plan for roughly a week from the start of the work until furniture can be brought back and staged. The process includes the refinishing itself, along with the necessary drying and curing time.

For a new installation, remember that the installation is only one piece of the timeline. If you’re selecting prefinished flooring, confirm that the exact product, color, and quantity are available and find out how long delivery will take. Once the flooring arrives, it may also need time to properly acclimate to the home before installation.

And don’t forget to coordinate with the rest of the work being done in the home. Hardwood flooring should have its own dedicated work window and is generally best completed before painting. Flooring work can occasionally require paint touch-ups, particularly when new or primed-white moldings are being installed. Having the painter come in afterward allows those final details to be addressed for a cleaner finished look.

A quick conversation with a flooring professional can help you determine whether refinishing, replacing, or simply leaving the existing floor alone makes the most sense.