The Destruction (Deconstruction?) Has Begun

I'm trying to save a little dough and doing some of the no-brainer demolition / tear down my self.  The current "Phase One" plan is to re-do the kitchen and surrounding ("mud" and "laundry" rooms -- where the prior fourth bedroom existed).

Additionally, we'll re-do the floors everywhere.

Of course, one of the first questions that my wife asked when we were touring the place during the first open house was "is there hardwood underneath that carpeting."  Sadly, no.  Not a single piece of oak, maple, mahogany, and whatever else they made hardwood floors out of in 1958.  Under where we looked (initially -- more on why I say "initially" later), there was just plywood.

But we would come to discover that under some of the carpeting, there was more exciting things than just plywood subfloor.  Like this:

That, friends, is 9"x9" vinyl tile c. 1958.  Initial test suggested that is was NOT "ACM" (for the uninitiated, that is "Asbestos Containing Material").  We have a second round of testing being done right now to confirm.  For a point of reference, that photo is what will become Margot's bedroom, shown below from the listing:

I pulled up the carpet some to let the Environmental guys a better look at the tile to estimate cost for removal.  The anal-retentive side of me got the best of me, so I ripped up all the carpet, including those nasty carpet tack boards seen here:

Which left me with this beautiful sea of pink vinyl tile, which may or may NOT contain asbestos:

I've not yet removed the staples and remnants of carpet padding that you see in a line there.

Were it not for the pink ceramic tile in Margot's bathroom, it would break my heart to take that pink floor away from her . . . or not.