Need advice on removing baseboards when installing new tile and hardwood floors

[JoeH]

My advice would be very different for baseboards done in any kind of quality material like oak or maple as compared to run-of-the-mill painted wood. In the second case it might be quicker and cheaper to remove them and replace with new baseboards. With any quality wood, or in older homes with dimensions for the baseboard wood being thicker or hard to match, leave them in place. There are ways to trim off the bottom in place after taking off the shoe molding if needed. In any case, getting removed pieces to match back up exactly is not always easy. In a finely fitted job they may have been custom fitted to get close fitting miters and may not meet as closely moved up a bit.

Also, with any hard surface flooring, you should use shoe molding. The baseboards are supposed to float just above the flooring surface to allow expansion and contraction, the shoe molding covers that gap. You don't need the shoe molding with wall-to-wall carpet.