Is Home Swapping For You?

January 28, 2014

With Valentine’s Day coming up soon, I was thinking about booking a romantic weekend away with my husband but the practical side of me didn’t want to spend too much on our getaway.  As I searched for an inexpensive log cabin or condo in the Pocono mountains, I came across an offer to swap my own home in exchange for a mountain chalet in a Pocono ski resort.  After a thorough cleaning of my house and a low annual membership fee, I could stay in someone else’s home in exchange for providing them with the key to my own.

There are actually three types of home swaps to consider.  You can stay in your exchange-partner’s home while they stay in yours, which is known as a “simultaneous exchange.” You can stay at a home-swapper’s second home or vacation home during your desired time frame, then they stay at yours at a later time, which is a “non-simultaneous exchange.” Or you can stay as a guest in a swapper’s home while they’re also in the house serving as your host in a “hospitality exchange.”

There are several websites that act as matchmakers for home swapping, including www.homeexchange.com and www.homeswap.com. You just have to be comfortable with the idea of someone staying in your home, touching your belongings, and sleeping in your bed. Even if you don’t want to travel yourself, you can still take advantage of renting out all or part of your home for cash instead of actually swapping.  The most popular site is www.airbnb.com, where there are actually ads from homeowners renting out a spare futon for a few bucks a night for a low cost alternative to a hotel room.

Home swapping certainly isn’t for everyone. After all, it means letting a stranger into your home. But if you are up for an adventure and want to save money on a vacation, consider swapping a standard hotel stay for a home exchange for your next trip.