I've lived in homes with carpet only, hardwood only, and mixed (including tile). In the Pacific Northwest we experience both warm summers and cold winters, so some way to create warmth seems to be key. Our last home was hardwood only, and since it was an older home with bad insulation, I felt cold all the time even though I had rugs everywhere. For decorating, it did seem easier creating a neutral base, but it was a challenge for cleaning (having to sweep or vacuum, followed by wet mopping, followed by dry mopping). As a pet owner (one large dog + a cat), it's hard to avoid deep gouges and scratches unless your hardwood is of a stronger hardness, or a synthetic/engineered product. Now that I'm in a condo with carpet and tile, it's been easier to stay ahead on cleaning and keep pet fur controlled, but I do notice that stains and spots are accumulating in our hallway. In a perfect world? I would go with radiant heating in the floors, and use a mix of carpet in the bedrooms and tile or engineered hardwood in the living and circulation spaces. One other note that hasn't been mentioned, is that rugs in hardwood rooms with direct sun will impact the way that wood finish ages. I helped one family friend move recently, and after 5-10 years of using rugs in their living room (which received a lot direct sunlight), resulted in noticeable outlines when they removed the rugs. The stain color beneath the rugs was completely intact, but the surrounding area faded a couple of shades. There's pros and cons to every flooring type.

On a similar note, your credit card may allow you to double your manufacturer's warranty. I've been able to take advantage of that for photography equipment by using my Visa card. You can just check their benefits page to see if your purchase will be eligible for extended warranty.