Help with flooring please

[Ilinaya]

We have just bought a 1930s semi. It currently has really old disgusting carpets and I'm desperate to get the floors sorted.
The floorboards look OK underneath and I'd like to restore them downstairs, but my DH would prefer to lay a new floor. His reasons

• spiders (pathetic I know but we both hate them)
• we are planning to create a kitchen diner and he thinks this will need a new floor (extending out very slightly) so would rather keep it consistent downstairs
• takes ages and very messy to do

Any thoughts? I'm so clueless about floor types. I love the look of original boards and don't think it can be replicated (but happy to be proved wrong).
To be honest I'm currently experiencing buyer's remorse. We bought at the peak of the market, desperate to secure somewhere and the place is awful and needs a total refurb. I wish we had waited and got somewhere mostly 'done'. We have 3 young children and I'm at my wits end, I'm really struggling with the research and decision making involved, any advice much appreciated.

We extended downstairs. I also would have liked to keep the original floorboards but we went for engineered wood for consistency and we also ended up adding underfloor heating.

When is the extension scheduled? I'd be loath to spend any money on flooring if the extension is starting in the next year.

Can’t help with flooring but 1930s houses are brilliant, so would be a popular purchase, therefore sell for more money once you have refurbished.

Planning to extend next year (summer). Planning to combine the kitchen and dining room. It has an original sun room on the back which is concrete flooring, which will form part of the new kitchen diner.(hence need for a different floor).
I take your point that putting new flooring down to have it trampled by builders might not be best. I guess we could just do the living room now (which is separate).
The dining room carpet is so awful, I'm not sure I can live in it for a year, think holes and stains, it must be 40 years old. Considering just putting the cheapest possible carpet in for a year.

Thank you, this is reassuring. I fell in love with an Edwardian house, and we nearly bought it, but it was way more expensive and had a tiny garden. When the mortgages started going crazy we panicked and withdrew, we found this house which was 150k cheaper, larger garden and it seemed like a bargain, but actually it just needs so much work. I can't help feeling regret as the other house was in lovely condition, and I'm just so exhausted. We relocated too so we didn't know exactly what we wanted at the time.

Are you happy with the wood? How much did it cost for a whole downstairs? (If you don't mind me asking)

Yeah do living room to completion, rip up the dining room carpet and just make the floor safe (eg carpet strips up, good clean) and buy a giant rug.

@Ilinaya We haven’t actually moved in yet, but I tested the sample for scratches and staining and it held up well. We also had engineered wood in our last place.

It was just under £100 + VAT per m2 for the material and £30 + VAT per m2 for the installation, but we didn’t go for the cheapest material and we’re in London where installation charges are likely higher.

I am sure it feels very daunting and exhausting for you at the moment but it will be fabulous when it’s all done. Having a big garden and it being a 1930s house adds so much value to your house and will continue to do so. You have made an excellent purchase!

Sanding and oiling the floor isn’t particularly difficult as a DIY job and you could do the living room in a weekend. I agree it’s not worth the hassle if you’re going to change the whole floor eventually though. It does look amazing when it’s done, better and cheaper than engineered wood (solid wood doesn’t warp easily if it gets wet but engineered wood swells), could be around £300 for hiring a sander and buying sandpaper, plus £100 for a tin of osmo oil in the colour of your choice, and there won’t be any spiders after you’ve run a sander over it. It comes up beautifully clean and fresh.