[quote=Hobie]You probably have considered this already but the best time to do the floor is when the house is empty. Same with paint ( before the floor)

If you are a bit handy or pissed at the election, grab yourself a small sledge, good eye protection, and a wide cold chisel and you can smash and remove the tiles. This will save some money.

One difference between real wood and laminate is the durability. Real wood looks best and does not have that hollow sound when you walk on it. But– it will ding, show dog nail marks, heel marks,etc. So if you have kids, laminate is the way to go.

One thing that can get costly is leveling the floor. It is tricky, even if you try the self leveling stuff. Best to find a good floor man.

Floating floors can be a DIY project as mentioned.

Remember to figure in new baseboard too.[/quote]

Yes, do not skimp on leveling the floor. If you do, seams that were perfect when you locked the planks together will open up later if your surface is uneven. Also, your baseboards will have have dips and corners will be difficuclt to join.