When we moved into our house, about 20 years ago, we really loved everything except for the floor coverings. Most of the house was filled with a green, medium shag carpet almost certainly installed in the 1970's when such was all the rage. Being first time homeowners, and not having much money, we ended up living with that for several years.
The one exception to that, which my wife insisted on fixing, was the kitchen. Even there carpet was used. Carpet in a kitchen is just a bad idea. Stained by spills throughout the years, and having absorbed decades of cooking odors, something had to be done. Within a few weeks of moving in we pulled and replaced that carpet.
After laying down a thin underlayment of plywood we installed industrial-grade vinyl tiles on a Saturday. At a total expense of less than two dollars per square foot our kitchen was transformed into a functional and practical workspace. While the appearance was somewhat utilitarian this upgrade worked for many years. With little cost and a bit of work we had a durable and easily maintained floor that easily stood up to the heavy traffic and minor calamities that are inevitable in any kitchen.
After a few years, as our situation improved and our tolerance dwindled, it was finally time to do something about the rest of the carpet in the house. Exploring our options we decided that new carpet was definitely out. Carpet being difficult to maintain, impossible to ever really get clean, and relatively expensive, we decided to look for other options.
At the time laminate flooring was fairly new and much more difficult to install than today. However, we found a really good sale on some high-quality brand-name laminate, and decided to go for it. With a few evenings of preparation; moving furniture, pulling up the old carpet, studying the installation instructions and getting materials and tools together, we tackled the job of installing several hundred square feet of laminate flooring in a weekend. Mistakes were made and lessons learned but we ended up with a durable and even easier to maintain floor than the vynil tiles we had installed previously in the kitchen.
Advances in laminate flooring design since then have made the same job in our newly-married son's house much easier. Unlike the earlier flooring we had installed in our home, today's laminate simply snaps together. No more gluing and tapping with blocks, all you need do is cut to fit and the interlocking designs go right into place. With a bit of preparation over the preceding days it's possible to install such a floor into a medium sized room in an evening. Another evening or two with the finishing touches such as baseboards and trim and you can completely transform your home.
Another option in many older homes is to refinish existing hardwood floors. When my stepdaughter inherited a house from my father-in-law this was the approach I chose. This job is an excellent choice if you have time, patience and a reasonably good back. It is a lot of work to refinish old flooring but the results can be spectacular.
There are a couple of different ways to start this task. You can either start with sanding or you can strip the old finish and sand afterwards. Renting a floor sander from the very beginning will be quicker and easier, but will probably cost more overall. Varnish can quickly clog sandpaper and you will have to replace it often spending quite a bit of money in the process. The large pads or rolls used on floor sanders aren't cheap. Stripping the varnish, however, involves lots of hard work on hands and knees, and some strippers will give off strong fumes. Either way works, it just depends on what your priorities are in completing the job. If you have the time and the stamina, stripping the floors might save you some money.
Once the old finish is off, however you choose to accomplish the task, you need to sand the floor to a smooth and even finish. At this point the only practical way to approach the job is by renting that floor sander. Using successively finer grades of sandpaper, and filling any holes or cracks, you will continue until the floor is ready for finishing. You can use wood stain to get the hue you desire and a few coats of varnish later your floors will be renewed.
New flooring, or refinishing old flooring, can completely transform your home. If you can do the job yourself the overall cost can be quite reasonable and the return is amazing. Combine the job with a bit of paint to compliment your new floors and you will feel like you are living in a new house, with a lot less work than moving.