a lot of what you're asking is regional and/or strictly personal preference. With that said, here's my preference--

I think tile looks really nice, but I would prefer wood in the kitchen.

1. I hate grout (and keeping it clean)
2. Dropped dished MIGHT make it bouncing off a wood floor, not so with tile
3. Standing on tile is hell on my knees.

"Hello, I am remodelling a kitchen and adjoining family room to try to get a buyer. "

This is a money losing strategy in 99% of cases. You will not recoup the money you spend on these construction projects.

A much better strategy would be to reduce the price of the home by the amount you intended to spend on a remodel.

A much better strategy would be to reduce the price of the home by the amount you intended to spend on a remodel.

Unless it's a total hellhole. Most homes do need a good de-cluttering, depersonalizing and clean neutral paint.

We all love our kids' doodles on the fridge and pics of the last three generations of our families on the walls. It's just other peoples' stuff on the wall that gives us the creeps. When you're the Seller, you are the other people.

If you think that doing this is necessary for the sale, then I'd definately vote for hardwood....or engineered or even some lamanite looks good, if it is a good quality.

I definately love my HW in my kitchen...no hard, cold, hard to clean grout tile for me ever again....I have gotten spoiled.

Short answer is CLEAN!
As others have pointed out much depends on your region. Around here hardwood or old brick.

As a cook, I am in revamp's camp. For me, ceramic tile is a huge turnoff in a kitchen, because it is difficult to stand on for long periods of time and it will cause dropped glassware to shatter into a bazillion pieces, compared to wood, where it would break, but into fewer pieces. Keeping grout lines clean is also a huge pain.

Good quality, sealed hardwood would be my choice.

I like wood floors because they always remain in style.

I personally like tile in the kitchen and hardwood everywhere else...if you like tile I would not recommend putting it in the family room, too. I'm in Ohio and very rarely do I see that...isn't that more of a Florida/AZ/NV/CA type of thing?

I'm with krycek. Tile in the kitchen, baths & foyer (had it for 30yrs) and hardwood everywhere else. I loved the ease of cleaning tile with kids and dogs. Have hardwood in the kitchen now, hate it! Beautiful to look at, but I have to be so careful all the time.

As a house shoppper, I think hardwood and tile sell houses. I would not want to put it in as a buyer. We've walked away from houses because they had carpet or laminate floors.

Jane

As others have pointed out, it's both regional and a matter of personal preference. I'd rather have hardwood in the family room for sure. Either one with the kitchen.

Doesn't travertine tile have to be sealed so that it doesn't absorb liquids? From a practical standpoint I'd just as soon see ceramic, but I wouldn't NOT buy a house because of travertine.

I'm with jane__ny on the laminate and carpet. Even when there's hardwood under the carpet, if I can't see what condition it's in, I can't be sure it isn't damaged (especially suspicious if it's new carpet over hardwood).

Hardwood.

Hardwood....UNLESS you are in a "region specific" area where tile is the norm; places like Florida, southwestern states, etc.

Whatever is region specific ... I personally hate tile, anywhere as flooring.

You know what isn't region specific? Losing money by doing major remodels right before a sale.

Unless your home is the eyesore of the neighborhood, your plan sounds like a money loser with either option.

Thank you very much to everybody for their ideas.

Actually all types of flooring sells homes. It depends on the room and the level of the house. Some houses anything more than laminate or vinyl would be overkill. Some houses anything less than hardwood /tile/marble etc would be a mistake.

No matter what some people think carpet has it's place also. Definitely not in the bathroom though. Yuck.

Clean is the best answer, followed by quality, then by taste.
If I were selling, I think I'd be 100% honest and critical of my own decisions(not always the best) - this will never come from most agents...

assuming it has to be replaced, hardwood sells homes.

tile is fine for the kitchen, but a family room, living room etc, hardwood is look at more favorably at least in NY, barring unusual circumstances.

Flooring does not really sell homes, but flooring in bad condition sure hurts sales.

Floors are like plumbing and wiring.
If it works and is not damaged it rarely matters.

New floors might speed up a sale and save carrying costs, but other than replacing something that is horrible or damaged it is pretty far down in the noise.

No one mentions cork, which is relatively popular here. Is it too personal a choice?

"No one mentions cork, which is relatively popular here. Is it too personal a choice?"

Did you purchase your last house based on the flooring?

"Did you purchase your last house based on the flooring?"

No, but I'm not your average buyer. I was addressing the OP's question.

The OP is going to most likely lose any money he invests in a new floor to make a sale.

The only recovery might be a faster sale thus reducing carrying costs.

Floors are like plumbing, electrical, roof, windows, siding, etc.

Buyers expect them to be there and work.

New rarely adds value, but old deducts value (the buyer realizes they will have to replace something).

Old hardwood in good condition definitely sells homes in my area! I bought my house because of the spectacular 100 year old oak, maple, birch, and pine floors: four types of gorgeous flooring in the house.