urathane my floor

I recently bought a house and the homeowner's have covered the hallway, living room and dining room with carpet. They say it is in good condition, and would probably just need to have a polyurathane applied. Here is the question. What do I need to know to determine if it needs to be sanded, stained, or buffed or whatever? The bedrooms have been left as wood and we are planning on buffing those up. We do not have a big budget but want to do this right. Thanks for any help.

 

You won't know what you are up against until you remove the carpet. Refinishing will involve sanding and applying of at least three coats of polyurethane. You will need to get estimates from floor refinishers. It may be that all the floor needs is a good cleaning. If it has a polyurethane finish, you can mop with 1/4 cup white vinegar to 1 gallon of water. Damp mop with mop squeezed nearly dry. If it has a waxed finish, then all it may need is a good coat of paste wax and buffing. You must first remove the carpet, assess the condition, determine the finish, and then decide what needs to be done. When you remove the carpet, let us know what you find.