it depends... my lower strut bolts were stuck and I had to burn them out with a torch and take the sawzall to them... although my experience is not typical h: The process itself is a breeze, the only problems you'll run into are if you have any stuck bolts.

tools required:
good socket set (and a breaker bar)
jack stands
FSM or haynes/helms
penetrating lube is a plus too.