DOES NEW FLOORING INCREASE HOME VALUE? (VANCOUVER ISLAND DATA)

Updated October 2026 | 6 minute read

Quick Breakdown

Thinking about selling, or just wondering if new floors are worth it? Good floors do help a home sell. The bigger surprise is which flooring job pays back best.

It's refinishing the hardwood you already have. In surveys of realtors, refinishing hardwood floors got back 100% to 147% of what it cost when the home sold. New laminate, in another study, got back about 56%.

We pulled together resale data from the National Association of Realtors, Zillow, the National Association of Home Builders and other reports. Then we compared flooring costs to what homes are actually selling for in Campbell River and the Comox Valley.

What we found:

Refinishing hardwood pays back the most. In the realtors' 2022 report, it got back 147% of its cost. That was the best return of any project in the report.
New wood floors usually pay for themselves. Two realtor reports found new wood flooring got back 106% to 118% of its cost.
Not every floor does. A 2023 study found new hardwood got back 78% of its cost, and new laminate 56%.
Buyers pay attention to the words "hardwood floors." Zillow looked at 3.6 million home sales. Homes listed with "hardwood floors" sold for 10% more than expected.
Here, a refinish costs less than 1% of a home's value. Refinishing 1,000 square feet of hardwood costs about $2,000 to $5,000. That's 0.3% to 0.7% of the typical Campbell River house price.

One thing to keep in mind: almost all of this resale research comes from the U.S. We couldn't find a Canadian study like it. So use these numbers as a guide, not a promise.

How much of the cost you get back

Refinishing hardwood is the only flooring job that got back its full cost in every study we found.

Hardwood / Engineered Hardwood: Delivers the highest long-term appeal and a 75% to 90% ROI. Consistent hardwood on main living levels prevents buyer deductions.
Hardwood Refinishing: Offers the best cost-to-value ratio (often over 100% ROI if solid wood is hidden under old carpet or wear).
Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP): Provides a strong, waterproof alternative with high durability, yielding a solid 60% to 85% ROI.
Carpet and Laminate: Generally yields a lower ROI unless replacing heavily stained, smelly, or damaged surfaces.

Why do the numbers vary so much? The realtor reports ask realtors to estimate how much value a project adds when the home sells. The 2023 study priced out a 200-square-foot job instead. In that study, $1,802 of new hardwood added $1,405 in value. $1,517 of new laminate added $850.

People also love the result. In the realtors' 2025 report, homeowners rated new wood floors 9.1 out of 10 for how happy they were with the project. Refinishing got a perfect 10 in 2022.

What buyers want

Two big studies point the same way. Buyers want wood floors.

Zillow studied 3.6 million home sales. It controlled for things like size, age, location and price. Homes listed with "hardwood floors" sold for 10% more than expected. Herringbone or parquet floors sold for 21% more. Heated floors sold for 24% more.
The National Association of Home Builders asked buyers what they want (2024). Hardwood flooring was one of the features that 80% or more of buyers called essential or desirable.

To be fair, a price bump in a listing doesn't prove the floor caused it. Homes with hardwood and heated floors are often nicer overall. But both studies agree that buyers want wood and wood-look floors.

For Island sellers, that doesn't mean you need fancy flooring. Clean, matching hard floors through your main living space go a long way. Refinish the hardwood if you have it. If you don't, good vinyl plank or engineered wood does the job.

Flooring costs compared to local home prices

In August 2026, the typical single-family home was $690,000 in Campbell River and $845,400 in the Comox Valley, according to the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board. Here's how common flooring jobs compare.

Even a new vinyl plank main floor costs less than 2% of a typical Campbell River house.

To put Zillow's number in local terms: a 10% bump on a $690,000 home would be about $69,000. We'd never promise that. That number reflects homes that are nicer all around. But it shows how small the cost of a refinish is compared to what buyers seem willing to pay for good floors.

What today's Island market means for sellers

The local market matters too. In August 2026, Vancouver Island Real Estate Board numbers showed:

Single-family home sales across the board's area were down 11% from a year earlier.
Active listings were up 2%, to 4,498.
Prices were flat. The board-wide benchmark for a single-family home was $788,100. Campbell River was up 1%, and the Comox Valley was down 1%.

When prices are flat and buyers have more homes to choose from, they compare closely. Homes that look move-in ready stand out in the listing photos. Worn carpet or patchy floors give buyers a reason to scroll past, or to make a lower offer. That's our view, not a statistic. But it's why we suggest dealing with the floors buyers will see first.

Your pre-listing flooring checklist

Spend money on the floors buyers see first. Fix anything that looks like a project they'll have to take on. The first item on this list has the strongest data behind it.

Refinish the hardwood you have. If the finish is just dull and not worn through, a lighter buff and recoat may be enough.
Replace worn or dated carpet in your main living areas with vinyl plank or engineered hardwood. If money is tight, fresh neutral carpet in the bedrooms is fine.
Make the main floor match. Three different floors in one open space looks patched together. One floor all the way through makes rooms look bigger in photos.
Fix the obvious problems. Home inspectors will flag cracked tiles, lifted vinyl, water-stained boards and squeaks. Buyers will use them to bargain.
Stick with neutral, mid-tone colours. Natural oak and medium browns look good in photos and suit most buyers.
Skip what won't pay back. Exotic woods or fancy patterns in a home priced like the rest of the street rarely earn their cost back.
Book early. Leave time for delivery, for the wood to settle into your home and for installation before listing photos. Solid hardwood needs the most time, especially in the rainy months.

Not selling yet?

If you plan to stay a few more years, the math changes a little. You'll be the one living on the floor, so pick something you'll enjoy that suits how you live.

Hardwood and good vinyl plank both appeal to buyers later on. You can refinish hardwood now, enjoy it for years, and refresh it again before you sell. And a durable floor chosen today should still look good when it's time to list. Our flooring lifespan guide shows how long each type of floor tends to last.

Common questions

Does new flooring increase home value? Usually, yes. Two realtor reports found new wood floors got back 106% to 118% of their cost. A 2023 study was less rosy, putting new hardwood at 78% and laminate at 56%.

Is it worth refinishing hardwood floors before selling? Yes. Refinishing got back 147% of its cost in the realtors' 2022 report and 100% in an earlier one. On Vancouver Island it usually costs $2 to $5 a square foot.

What flooring adds the most value to a home? Hardwood. Zillow found homes listed with "hardwood floors" sold for 10% more than expected, and herringbone or parquet floors for 21% more.

Does luxury vinyl plank add value? It helps most when it replaces worn carpet or a mix of mismatched floors in your main living space. Most studies track wood floors, so there's less resale data for vinyl plank.

Should I replace carpet before selling my house? If it's stained, worn or dated in your main living areas, replacing it with a hard floor is usually worth it. Fresh, neutral carpet in bedrooms is fine.

How much does flooring cost compared to home prices in Campbell River? Refinishing 1,000 square feet of hardwood is 0.3% to 0.7% of the typical $690,000 home. A new vinyl plank main floor is 0.9% to 1.9%.

How we did the math

The cost recovery numbers come straight from the studies below. We didn't change them. The local percentages are our own math: the full project cost from our 2026 Vancouver Island Flooring Price Index, divided by the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board's August 2026 benchmark price. We collected this data in October 2026.

Sources

Using this data? You're welcome to share it. Please link back to this page and credit "Mack's Flooring, Does New Flooring Increase Home Value?"

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