Which wood? Or carpet? Floors!

[Myanna]

Just bought a house, it has engineered oak floors downstairs and carpets upstairs. Would really appreciate some opinions on a flooring question!

I always wanted to get rid of the carpet and naively assumed we'd simply be able to sand down the lovely original floors which would await us beneath. However. It appears there is a layer of insulation and another of plywood over the original floors, to level them out. This plywood has been glued and nailed down so apparently more trouble than its worth to take up. Builder has therefore advised either new carpet or new wood on top.

Found a massive clothes moth infestation in the current carpet so no chance I'm keeping that.

So. New engineered wood? Solid wood? Nice reclaimed boards?

Same in stairs/landings as in rooms or different? Would that look odd? Do we have to match the floor downstairs?

House probably built around 1915, quite large so could get expensive.

Husband would be quite ok with just getting replacement carpet but I love pretty wooden floors and rugs.

We have small kids/babies, so must be practical.

What is on the stairs at the moment? Would be strange to have two different woods right next to each other I think but wood downstairs,carpet on the stairs and different wood upstairs would be fine

We have engineered wood and underfloor heating downstairs and carpet on stairs and upstairs. We didn’t want wood elsewhere as

a. It’s noisy
b. It’s not as cosy

We have solid wood downstairs, a runner up the stairs and carpet upstairs.

We have solid wood downstairs, a runner up the stairs and carpet upstairs.

Carpet on stairs currently. Will probably sand and maybe paint stairs and put a runner down.

Carpets upstairs. Much quieter, and cosier when you put that first foot out of bed i the morning.