Many home building do it yourselfers prefer to buy their materials in their most basic and purest form to preserve the idea of really starting from scratch. Thus, when it comes to flooring, these people opt to get unfinished hardwood, so eventually they can proudly say that they the finished product is something they had labored over.
But, pride aside, there is no convenience to buying unfinished hardwood floors. For one, purchasing it bare is just the first step of many. You will still have to sand it, apply finishing, stain it, wax it, and, for some, apply preservatives. And that's not to include the installation process itself, which involves a lot of heavy sawing, nailing, and others.
This is not to say that using unfinished hardwood materials is a zero-sum option. However, it would be a LOT convenient to just buy prefinished material and forget about all the hassles prior to installation. You do away with many time-delaying steps and get closer faster to the hardwood flooring look you desire.
Some argue that a limited budget is what pushes them to buy hardwood unfinished. But when you tally the total short-term and long-term costs, you will see that you gain more savings with a prefinished board because no longer will you have to worry about labor costs. Everything is already there in one easy to use package. The installation process is another story, however.
So, should you buy unfinished hardwood flooring? If you're a purist and have the money to spare, yes. Otherwise, prefinished hardwood floors are the way to go. Spare yourself from the headaches and opt for prefinished materials, instead.