You don't say how old the house is, nor the "thick" which depending age can vary. You don't know how many times it was sanded and it depends which stain you like better........old or new.

You can sand the old depending above, nail pops etc to match or vice versa assuming same species. I assume the lighter showing wear at the rug corner is the old strip floor.

A house in the 20's or earlier could be as thin as 3/8.....but we surely don't know. Find a gap in the floor and see if you can slide a business card down there---? How thick is the old??

I'd be unlikely to sand a brand new floor not needing it, that's for sure, unless I detested the color.

I do detest the new flooring color and it’s def going. House is 1920 Four Square. I cannot yet address the other questions as I’m not there. Buying from out of state. Asking contractor for estimate and need to know what to tell him I want. I understand this will change once a HWF expert looks and tells me options. Just seeking very broad general advice regarding this conundrum. Also, will be extending new flooring into kitchen as well which is currently an ugly tile. So, definitely refinishing the new flooring and expanding it in that area. Just wondering what others would do for the living areas that have the old flooring.

You rather answered the question, which really can't be answered here. You don't know the viability of the old floor and nor do we. We have no idea the stain and look you want. Much depends your budget, how MUCH of the new floor exists. .....Because you have one area you must add, one old and another you hate. You aren't there and we certainly are not.

If you are a perfectionist, will be there a long time? Rip it all and start with what you love. Everywhere, assuming resources.....and consider climate and the termite issue as well. For all we know, you might want teak flooring if that's a factor.

To get a uniform look in the stain color you want, generally, I would remove it all and put down what you love. You will likely only do this once. That is if you plan on living here at least 10 years and have the budget to do it. Every wood species and age of wood, takes stain differently. So that is another factor in your decision making process. Do it before moving in if possible. It’s quite a mess to remove existing flooring, repair and stabilize sub flooring and install new flooring with finishes desired. Can’t imagine doing this long distance. Good luck. Big, expensive project regardless of path you choose.

You have a few posts going. You apparently bought a house quite different from what you posted a while back. and was it seems, not the house with the hardwood issue.

You just asked about a tub enclosure in a conversion from shower, I assume for this house, where you are asking about flooring...........

You are out of state, you aren't in the house. I'd say you need to slow down, in all regards .

A new home is a process. Not a day one move in of house beautiful. You need to at least be in the same town as the house.: ) and get with local trades.

The floors are part of the charm of old houses so I would choose a stain that makes the tone similar but embrace the irregularities that 100 years have brought.

STOP NOW before you really screw up. Are planning on living in this house ? If so wait until you get there then have a plan, houses have a way of telling you what to do and thta can't happen long distance .

I never said I was doing anything immediately. Just general discussion about the importance of preserving original hwf and other flooring contrast conundrums.

So you already installed new next to the old? Not sure where you are located but there’s a few warehouses in GA, NC, KY (reallycheapfloors.com) that sells unfinished hardwood flooring for as low as .99 cents a sf. If you go the route of staining, most old floors are oak & it would be easier to start with raw rather than sanding down first. There’s also a site with cheap shipping/free shipping with a ton of options that are generally always on sale or special. Floorstoyourhome.com.

As someone who suffers from termites every few years in AZ, I can’t stand the idea of possible termite damage (unless it’s just from treatment) & mismatched flooring, so I’d replace the flooring to the one that you prefer or I’d buy all new raw solid hardwood that is similar to the original to keep the character of the old home but modernize the flooring for longevity.

Read the thread. The OP has installed nothing..............

I did read the thread but it said that new was butted up to old but I didn’t notice that OP was in the process of buying it. Regardless, the information provided remains relevant if the OP is interested.

Thanks for great resources and advice Amber! I have done this before with current house and I did refinish the oak and expand it. I didn’t consider it might possibly be more economical to put down new raw hwf. Maybe at those prices;-). I will compare:-).

Old wood is often much higher quality, so I agree with Hallett. I’ve seen people blend new wood flooring into old and it was indiscernible.

If it’s an old house, I would work hard to make everything look like the original, in a stain you like.

Having everything the same width makes sense to me. Amber gave you homework to do before you make a decision. And don’t “do the floors” long distance.