Moving Out While Re-doing Floors?

Option #1 is potentially more $$ if your building is picky with floor replacement, but is definitely the way to go in terms of reduced hassle. Some bldgs, you will not need board approval, just mgmt approval for replacing floors esp. if you go with a known (to the bldg) flooring contractor. Don't forget you will have to rip out baseboards.

Option #2 may end up being cheaper even with hotel and furniture storage.

depending on how reasonable everyone wants to be....

there will be a significant amount of time between your being approved by the board and closing. you could attempt to get the building approval contingent upon your actually closing and line up a contractor who would be ready to go the day after you close. a lot of potential problems with this idea for sure but may be worth a shot.

Hybrid option. Close, move in, but don't move your bulky furniture in. Works well if you don't have kids.

Thanks guys. No kids here, so we're pretty flexible. I think we're willing to deal with a bit more inconvenience in order to keep the costs down.

Also, depending on when you're doing it, the floors need to be acclimatized before installation.

Redoing the floors as you propose - i.e., replacing - is far less messy than refinishing the floors IF you plan on going with a pre-finished product. NYC10023 is right about acclimating the floors, so it is highly unlikely that you are going to be able to coordinate closing and floor replacement within any reasonable time window. The idea of moving in without furniture is a good one.

I like unfinished wood, which is then finished in place.

Hate, hate, hate bevelled edges of pre-finished wood planks.

fender73 - don't forget about molding and trim, which means you'll be painting the entire apartment as well. Do it right, now. And no pre-finished floors, unless you like that cheap, new condo look.

Thanks everyone. It sounds like we've got a lot to learn.

NYC10023 -- Could not agree more. But there are prefinished options that do not look anything like the Lumber Liquidators Bella Wood specials. LV Wood and Carlisle, for example, will put any finish on any floor, and they look fabulous.

Fender- I bought a co-op and replaced the floors last year. I called the management company the day after closing, and they said it was fine as long as I met certain requirements (licensed & insured contractor, water-based polyurethane only, etc.). No big deal. I too had been afraid that it would require board approval which could take a while. I found a contractor who could start right away, confirmed management company approval, and moved in less than a month after closing. It was tight timing and stressful (it didn't quite get done by the end of my rental lease, so I stored my furniture for a few days and stayed with a friend), but definitely doable. This was unfinished wood, acclimated in the apartment. With the mess and dust that's created (in my case, the stain wasn't right the first time and had to be sanded down), you do NOT want to move in first if at all avoidable.

I agree with snow21.

I've used this company & they were very good.
http://newyorkflooring.com/