Hi Houzz Community,

This is my first posting. About a month ago I bought my first place. Its a townhouse style condo that is a bit of a fixer upper. I'm on a budget so I want to put either Laminate or Vinyl plank flooring on the main level but I feel like every store I go into tries to steer me toward one or the other without helping me weigh the pros and cons. Right now, wood is outside of my budget, and I don't think its worth it to put the wood floor in a relatively low priced condo, plus (the main reason) I have a dog and I don't want her to ruin such a big investment. But I still want the warmth of a wood floor so I want as close to the look of wood as I can get.

The first floor is an open floor plan so I want to use the same flooring throughout. It would cover the living room, dining room and kitchen. So, since its going in the kitchen, is Vinyl plank my only option? I found a lamniate that I like but the last two stores I've gone into have pushed me toward the vinyl.

The picture has the Laminate that I've picked out next to the tile that will be going on the fireplace surround and hearth, ignore the old peachy tile at the top of the picture, its already gone. I've already the tile but not the flooring. Sorry for the poor pic quality, it was taken on my iPad.

Thanks for the help!!

Gina