(BPT) - Whether you're thinking about selling your home or just making some updates, it's always smart to consider renovations that will enhance the enjoyment of your home and increase your property's long-term value. One key improvement many homeowners consider is updating their home's flooring to solid or engineered hardwood, an investment that can maximize a home's style and value.

Hardwood flooring instantly transforms a space, and you can choose from many types and hues of wood to suit the design style that's just right for you. You can also stay on-trend by using hardwood flooring throughout your home to achieve a seamless, cohesive look.

"Hardwood flooring is always a standout feature that brings timeless, stylish appeal to any home," says Jennifer Meska, Head of Merchandising at LL Flooring. "Solid or engineered hardwood flooring provides a natural look that can vary across colors, finishes and styles, instantly adding updated style and sophistication to any home."

The National Realtor Association's 2022 Remodeling Impact Report found that homeowners who install new hardwood flooring get an average return on investment (ROI) of up to 118%. On top of that, the National Wood Flooring Association has found that 99% of real estate agents believe homes with quality hardwood floors are easier to sell, and 90% believe they sell for a higher price. All of this means that hardwood floors can essentially pay for themselves in resale value.

The timeless appeal of hardwood flooring

Hardwood floors have been around for a long time, and for good reason. They can create the perfect complement to a wide range of home design styles, offering natural tone, beauty and sophistication that's hard to duplicate with any other material.

On top of that, hardwood floors are known for their timeless quality - hardwood has been a trusted flooring material for hundreds of years, and it's near-assured that they will stay in style for generations to come.

Another advantage of hardwood flooring is that you can choose from a wide variety of styles and species of wood to achieve different looks, and you can consider either solid or engineered hardwood for even more options depending on the needs of your home.

Here are just a couple of examples of selections available to today's homeowners from LL Flooring's Bellawood premium line of solid and engineered hardwood, which offers a 100-year residential warranty.

Classic, enduring style

Hickory is the hardest of all North American woods, making it perfect for those who want beauty and long-lasting quality, especially for high-traffic areas. The 5-inch-wide planks in LL Flooring's Natural Hickory Solid Hardwood Flooring are factory finished with premium aluminum oxide for a fortified finish, offering excellent resistance to stains, scuffs and scratches.

This natural option in hickory flooring stands out for its high-contrast color variations and unique grain patterns, with colors running from light tans to deep browns and reddish tones laced throughout. Hickory floors are equally attractive in a more classic or traditional style home, for a sophisticated and modern city loft or a rustic country cabin.

Modern engineered elegance

LL Flooring's Claire Gardens Oak Engineered Hardwood Flooring gives you the option for on-trend, wider planks (8.5 inches wide). The buttery cream coloring of this classic white oak flooring gives these blonde planks an inviting lightness and beauty that complements a variety of today's preferred styles, ranging from modern farmhouse, minimalist and Scandinavian to biophilic, eclectic and bohemian designs.

Engineered hardwood is an enhanced wood product that offers improved performance, and lighter tones can help to reflect the light in any room of your home for a more open, bright and airy ambience.

Whichever hardwood flooring option you choose, you can relax and enjoy its beauty now and for years to come - or prepare your home to sell - knowing that you've made a sound investment in the future of your home.

Explore all of the possibilities for hardwood flooring in your home at LLFlooring.com.