What can I do with horrible laminate?

[Scantilydoesit]

Bought the house about 2 years ago. It's all open plan downstairs so a very large flooring area which has laminate which is really scratched, faded and generally looks horrible.
I've had a quote for 4,500 ish to get it all taken up and replaced with vinyl tiles and just think there are more urgent things to spend money on.
Does anyone have any ideas?
It's also very difficult at the moment to get people out to actually quote and 3 told me I'd need to take up all the laminate myself to see what's underneath before they can really quote me.
I've asked if they'd consider putting anything on top and it's all no, no, no.

Any ideas?

I'd say what ever you do don't paint it - I had the great idea to paint our kitchen laminate, DH told me not to but I thought I'd prove him wrong! Anyway within a week scratched to bugger. DH bought some stick on laminate from B&Q which was cheap and cheerful and very easy to stick down