best you can do is to not purchase any wood flooring that is not NOFMA certified(national oak flooring association or MFMA for maple and check the moisture content in the flooring when it arrives and your sub floor if your floor guy doesn't pull out his moisture meter first thing show him the door.
Ciciliot

Hardwood floors do infact traditionally increase resale value. If you are seeking a modern look Maple is a good choice for all the reasons you indicated. Clean look, no graining, very sleak look to it.

Also if you are looking for a maple and you are in a condo my guess is you are on a slab. If thats the case look at Bruce's Turlington Plank American Exotics Natural Maple. It is a mouthful, but its a engineered, "lock-n-fold" product that is great for DIY consumers.

It is reasonably priced and for resale might do the trick for ya! Good luck!

I'm not too handy so this won't be a DYI. So far, the estimates are about 8500k for appox 530 sq feet(Mannington or Garrison). Lauzon is about 10k. I'll look into the Bruce but most installers want you to use what they recommend. I'm leaning toward the Mannington.

8500 for 530 square feet of Mannington? Thats over 16 dollars a square foot. How long do you plan on staying in the condo? You said you plan to sell soon.

What prep work is involved? Rip-up of existing flooring? Furniture moving? Floor-leveling?

We have the Turlington Lock Maple product for around $5 a square foot. Then you would have shipping and installation to account for, but I could imagine it would be less than $16 per square foot.

Are you looking at a retailer or working with a installer who is bringing samples to you and quoting you? If the latter is the case this is why they only want you to use what they recommend. They are marking up the cost of the material. This is not a bad thing as I actively recruit installers to do this for me nationwide.

You as the consumer have access to plenty of options on how to shop, to let a installers dictate what your options are. Good luck!

In general, new wood floors increase the value of a home. However, and this is a big however, they usually cost more to purchase/install than the amount you can expect the home price to increase. This is really a bad time for a novice to try their hand at making big home improvement to increase the value of a house of resale. The "flipping" shows made it look easy, but even some experienced construction pros are losing their shirts in this downturn.

You don't say what market you are in, but in most areas of the country, you aren't going to be able to raise the price on a 700sq ft condo anywhere near 10k. If you spend more money than you get back, it is a net loss to you.

Also, if you are planning repairs before you move - you have to forget "your style." Improvements should be about potential buyers, not your personal taste. You can indulge your style as much as you want in your new place, but for this condo it should be all about what sells. If you have any doubt about what sells in your market, you should consult a realtor before you begin any work. They should be able to tell you what changes could help them sell your condo easier and/or for more money.

I was able to negotiate Mirage Maple floors for $8 sq foot + $2.50 install (nail down)-- keep in mind- everything is NEGOTIABLE!! Find the one you love then do your homework- price shop and negotiate.... go to places you are not planning to use-- then go to the place you WANT to use and ask them for their best price. If their best price is higher- show them your quotes and tell them i saved you for last b/c i really want to use you... but i need you to match this..... Mirage has a great reputation- we are doing Maple Cognac... good luck!

"are maple floors still in"

I don't know what that could possibly mean. If you're going to sell soon, why do any work? Or if you do, why not do carpet or something cheaper? What's there now? How bad is it? Is your interest simply aesthetic? What do you think you can get in the future in current condition?

Suzienj, please share pics since I also love stained Maple floors so much and that is still one of my considerations. I have narrowed my choices down to a few floors and after my busy season, I have to make a final decision. I love Mirage hardwood floor quality and I would have to have their engineered wood floor. Let me go to the Mirage Site to see what the Cognac stain looks like. Which width did you get and which grade? I need a good installer so if you are happy with your installer and store, please share with me. You can email me since I live in NJ also.

8500 for 530 square feet of Mannington?

I'm in Los Angeles. It's an average price. I may not get all of my money back but I will make the condo more sell able. New wood floors will match my remodeled bathroom and kitchen. Realtors have told me buyers prefer wood over carpet.

I understand about the kick-back factor involved with installers. I would rather not try to chew them down on price if it means they will cut corners. If installers want me to use "their" wood, I'm ok with a major brand like Mannington. Thumbs up for maple?

Condos generally have restrictions on the type of flooring that you can install in your unit due to sound transfer between units. That's why you see so much carpet. Contact your condo association before spending any money to be sure that you won't be required to just rip it back out when a neighbor complains about the sound issue.

Lynn-
What part of NJ- i know a few showrooms b/c we have looked around a lot-- so tell me where approx you are and i'll tell you if i know of a dealer in your area.
We are building a new home- UYYY! We are hoping to be in in 1 year-- we are in the "permits stage". Our town has lots of strict rules...

Mirage Cognac-- only comes in semigloss exclusive- i think i would have liked matted finish b/c shows less scratches i hear- but i am in love with the color!! size 3 1/4 planks...

You can see the floor behind my other cabinet samples.... that is maple cognac
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Also here is a dining room of a friend who used a very similiar maple color (not mirage) but the color is almost identical...
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SuzieNJ, my post just disappeared when I went to peak at your profile to see if you had an email there. It is late since I had to reinstall my scanner and label program and wanted to wake up with everything working before my morning client. I live in the northern part of New Jersey but if the price is right, I am willing to drive to the central part of NJ where I have a few friends that I can visit after my busy season.

I am going back and forth between a stained Maple or BR-111 Brazilian Cherry. I love the Mirage wood floors and if I can get a good price on Mirage, I would be very interested and I know my neighbor would also since she keeps coming by to ask me what I am ordering since she wants to get what I get. Most of my neighbors have replaced their wall-to-wall carpets already with hardwood floors or they are investigating like me.

I love the pictures of the Mirage Maple Cognac Floors with the cabinet stain you choose and the granite and paint colors. I also find your friend's dining room gorgeous!

Installer love Mirage cause its milled very well but also be aware that the avg length board can be shorter thatn most. Samples don't usually tell you but find out so your not surprised.

Thanks Boxers for reminding me of this since I have read that on some of the sites. BR-111's Triangulo Engineered 3.25" wide boards are now up to 48" long and their 5" wide boards are up to if I remember correctly, 72" long or at least longer than their slimmer boards. But I remember reading that despite the very sturdy finish and sawn cut wood of Mirage, their average length was shorter than most.

They are shorter Lynn , But a good installer can rack the floor to make it look great.
Mirage makes a good product .
$2.50 A foot for installation is what builders pay hacks to install. I don't know of any quality installers with insurance and a contractors license that will do it for less then $3.50 to $4.00 a foot . I know , I'm in New Jersey also .

Thank you organic_nick for letting me know. I did love the Mirage look at the store but I liked also BR-111.