Would You Swap Homes with a Stranger?

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For everyone rewatching The Holiday this season, we have good news. The fantasy of trading lives with a resident of a charming English village or a big shot in LA is closer to reality than you think. Travelers have immersed themselves in local life by swapping homes since the 50s.

While we can’t promise that Jude Law will come knocking on your door, we can promise that home exchange is a unique and memorable way to experience a destination from a new perspective.

What is Home Swapping?

Home swapping, or home exchange, is exactly what it sounds like—travelers mutually agree to exchange houses and amenities for a set period of time. This includes kitchen dishes, washers and dryers, beds, towels, and any other necessary amenities. Some travelers even work out additional deals to swap cars and gym memberships.

How Did Home Swapping Get Started

Home exchange emerged on both sides of the Atlantic around the same time and for the same reasons. The concept was first cooked up in 1953 by a group of European teachers who wanted to vacation cheaply with their limited time off. Around the same time, an American teacher searching for solutions to the same problem launched Vacation Exchange Club, which would become modern-day HomeLink. And thus, home swapping was born. 

Why Choose Home Exchange?

The benefits of home swapping are two-fold. 

For travelers, it offers a more profound way to experience local culture and community than a traditional hotel or rental. Not only will your host home likely be situated in more authentic residential areas, but the opportunity to connect with your host before your trip will give you insider tips on making the most of your stay.

“When you stay in a hotel or short-term rental, you’re paying to be there, but you’re not getting the same experience as you do when you’re staying within the community,” says Justine Palefsky, co-founder and CEO of home exchange community Kindred. She adds, “Swapping homes with someone is actually an opportunity to swap lives with a local.”

The impact can also be far-reaching for communities. Opting for a home exchange, particularly via services like Kindred, which does not allow investment properties to be listed, lifts some of the burden the rental property industry has placed on popular destinations.

“By having members earn nights instead of earning cash for hosting, we have created a model that serves real people looking to travel, not investors looking to earn revenue,” says Palefsky, “Since you don’t make money by hosting, our model doesn’t incentivize businesses to convert residences into short-term rentals.”

This is especially pertinent given the anti-tourism sentiment that erupted this past year, with many destinations restricting short-term rentals or opting to ban them altogether. 

Home exchange allows travelers to avoid the impersonailty of a hotel while, in Palefsky’s words, “ensuring that travel enhances rather than disrupts local life.” 

How to Get Started with Home Exchange

Luckily, travelers’ part of the process can be as easy as signing up for your site of preference.

Most websites require a membership fee and an approval process for listed homes, but often the actual exchange doesn’t cost money aside from any incidental fees.  

Preparing Your Home for Guests

Exchanging homes fosters a sense of mutual accountability and respect—after all, you are both responsible for each other’s property. However, it’s always best to lock away any valuables or items you’d rather not share with guests. When it comes to basic amenities, including spices, condiments, towels, and shared toiletries, assume that anything you leave out is fair game. 

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While travelers will expect a home to be more lived-in than a hotel, they also expect everything to be clean and functional on arrival. HomeExchange.com provides a helpful checklist to prep your property for your first exchange and Intervac provides helpful reminders on what to do when leaving your host home, including restocking pantry essentials and leaving a thank you note. 

In place of an annual membership, Kindred charges a cleaning and service fee per exchange that covers professional cleaning services for each host and a one-time Host Kit complete with linens, toiletries, and a lockbox for your guest key. Although a pricier option, these services can ease the apprehension of first-time swappers. 

Can I Swap Homes if I’m a Renter?

While most platforms allow renters to participate, proceed with caution. The unit must be empty at the time of exchange, meaning if you live with roommates, you all must be out of the house for the duration of the swap. It’s up to the tenant to get landlord approval to list a rental. 

HomeExchange.com, the largest home exchange network, claims that “as a tenant, it is your responsibility to verify the terms of your rental contract and to determine if you must notify your landlord prior to inviting HomeExchange members in your home.”

Simultaneous vs. Non-Reciprocal Swaps

If you’re like me, you’ll be scratching your head about the logistics of home exchange. What if you want to travel on dates that no one else wants to travel? What if there isn’t anyone willing to swap in your desired destination? That’s where non-reciprocal swaps come in. 

Unlike simultaneous swaps, where two homeowners decide to exchange homes at the same time, non-reciprocal swaps work like a domino effect. A guest will stay in a host’s house while the host is away or staying in a different host home. In exchange, the host will either be given a future stay at the guest’s home or given credits for future non-reciprocal swaps. Most major platforms offer a form of non-reciprocal exchange, either through their programs like HomeLinks Homesit or the promise of points for a future stay like Kindred’s credit program or HomeExchange’s GuestPoints.

What Type of Traveler is Best Suited for Home Exchange?

While any traveler can benefit from a home swap, there are a few for which it is particularly well-suited. 

Remote workers who need a change of scenery will find it easy to switch from working from home to working from a host home, free from the distractions and unreliable Wi-Fi of hotel rooms.  

Families should also take advantage of home exchange. Swapping with another family with children of a similar age will guarantee that the home you’re heading to will be set up appropriately to accommodate any little ones. 

Retirees looking to take long-term trips benefit from home exchange to keep prices low and preserve a feeling of being at home while away from home. 

However, home exchange is truly for anyone seeking adventure on a budget. According to Palefsky, “we’ve even seen “plant parents” [listed], where people with lots of houseplants love to use Kindred as a way to find a responsible person to stay in their home while they’re out to keep their plants alive!“

Tips for First-Time Home Swappers

Home exchange is less intimidating than it first appears. First-timers should keep these two guiding principles in mind to set themselves up for home swap success. 

1. Get to Know Your Swap Partner

It can be helpful to get to know your host ahead of time so you have a feel for whose life you’re stepping into and who’s stepping into yours. Many platforms offer an option to get in contact with your host beyond the simple AOL-style chat shown in The Holiday. HomeExchange.com encourages members to “establish a relationship of trust with your exchange partners” before swapping, getting to know each other through messages and video chats. Use this opportunity to act as tour guides for each other. Share tips on your home destination and in return ask for advice on what to do during your stay.

2. Be Open to New Experiences

Home exchange works best with a flexible schedule and an open mind. If you’re dead set on a specific neighborhood on a specific set of dates, you may be better served by a traditional hotel. “Be open to discovering places that you ordinarily wouldn’t have thought of traveling to,” says Palefsky, “The beauty of home-swapping is that you can experience places around the world that might be off the beaten track, allowing you to experience neighborhoods that only locals know!”

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