Bored with same old floor treatments, homeowners? Or love the rich warmth of hard woods, but don't have a budget to match? Maybe you're very eco-friendly and want your home interiors to reflect responsible choices. Personally, I'm all three. As a first-time buyer, I'm excited by the idea of making over my home, but also want (and need, from a monetary standpoint) to do it right. Lucky for all who are like-minded, there are amazing options for floors right now, truly innovative and fun.

Though you could ostensibly arrange a home swap a million ways, including the least formal (a listing on Craigslist; a flyer you tack up on a bulletin board somewhere), more secure and comprehensive services exist. Those too are myriad, but for purposes of this article, we’ve targeted three. One is an established website where homeowners look to trade homes with other homeowners for vacationing. The next is a fairly new and inventive service linking travelers to you, whether you want to offer a room, a studio apartment, a cottage, or your whole home for temporary stays.

We all know that buying a home can be a bit of a stressful life event (understatement?), but buying from across state lines is even harder! With some thoughtful planning, you can undertake a successful interstate move without losing your mind on the way.

Think about the costs

Yes, this chronicle has a happy ending, because we did finally close on our very first home. Over champagne, I will tell you that after all that house-hunting, weekends spent open-housing and hours spent internet searching, the home we bought is right across the street from the home we’re renting now.