how to level & finish hardwood floors?

[Dan]

I'm buying an old house and want to get the floors sanded & finished before I move furniture in. The floor is wavy in a few places, I think because the posts in the basement are too long. If it's cheap enough I'd like to have the floor leveled, which I imagine requires new supports in the basement. The basement floor is dirt, so concrete footings need to be poured. I'd like to pour the whole basement/crawlspace anyway (eventually).

I'm trying to figure out how much each job will cost, how long it will take, and a reasonable order of repairs. Then figure out what I can afford to do now and what gets put off a year or two.

1) Is it crazy to finish the floors before leveling them? When I finally level the floors will I need to finish them again?

2) Is it OK to pour footings for support columns and do the rest of the basement later?

3) The furnace and hot water heater are on individual concrete slabs. When I pour the basement should these be replaced? How long will I be without hot water while this is being fixed?

4) Rough idea of cost? - finish floors (~650 sqft) - level floors (1" high waves in one room in a few places) - pour concrete basement/crawlspace floor (900 sqft?)

Thanks

-Dan

[Kyle Boatright]

Things will move when you level the floors, so if you finish the floor first, you'll end up with uneven board edges when you level the floor.

Absolutely

I can't think of any reason why they would need to be replaced. If that's the case, there shouldn't be any downtime.

No idea. I bet someone could help you if you'd give some specifics on your location. Podunk Alabama costs are substantially lower than Nantuckett...