I pulled my carpet out, I have beautiful hardwood floors

What a great surprise! I would definitely sand it [maybe slightly & keep the aged look], seal it & enjoy it! Scatter or area rugs really enhance wood floors & create that warming country/formal homey look.

Hi Karen, Sounds like you've uncovered a gem!! I would keep the hardwood floors! It's so much healthier than carpeting too! Here's a how to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQtjCu87zWY

It's so worth the extra work!!!

Good luck

You could do any of the things you suggested. Probably the most economical would be to sand and refinish if you do the work yourself. Seems like what most people like are carpeted bedrooms and wood floors on dining and living rooms.

In my opinion, nothing beats the beauty of real hardwood floors. It's quite a job to refinish them. If it's in your budget, I suggest that you hire a professional. You can add area rugs if you like, of course.

This Hometalker knows about an alternative technique:

https://www.hometalk.com/diy/floors-ceilings/no-sanding-non-toxic-no-mess-hard-wood-floor-refinishing-2372430?expand_all_questions=1

I agree with the above comments. Keep the hardwood, at least in living and dining rooms. By then you will know if you want to continue to the 3 bedrooms. Sanding them will be a big job but worth it. You can rent sanders at most rental stores. Your house will be VERY dusty while you do the work. Some people put plastic on the door ways to help with that. The sanding machine will probably have a bag that collects the dust but it won't pick up 100%. If you choose to have a pro do the work, I recommend a business like Home Advisors. They do background checks on all their contractors and provides customer reviews too. We have used them twice and been very happy with results. Another way might be to have a pro do the sanding and you do the staining and sealing. That should save you a few bucks. Either way, I wish you well.

Great video from Suzette. I did the same. Removed off white carpet from the living room. Found beautiful maple hardwood floors. Just needed light sanding. Used the orbital sander like on the video. Started with 80 grit, 100 grit, 120 grit, then a fiber polishing pad. Cleaned the floor meticulously. Three coats of a water based poly and done. All in one weekend.