Staying in a stranger’s home while traveling is a lusty proposition: You get to explore and relax in someone else’s sanctuary. Instead of being pigeonholed into tourist zones, you’re liberated to experience life as a local. And because lodging – typically the most cost-prohibitive aspect of travel – is free, you can stay longer and visit more destinations.
Thanks to rising hotel prices and expanding Airbnb restrictions, more people are home swap-curious, and platforms are evolving to meet the demand. From providing guest toiletries to covering accidental damage, they aim to make the process seamless and worry-free. Beyond the pragmatics, a spirit of generosity and trust permeates home swaps. Opening your home up and laying your head down in another’s requires a leap of faith: that this person will respect you, that they aren’t trying to take advantage of you, and perhaps most wildly, that they aren’t so different from you, after all.
While that may be hard to believe, I’ve experienced the satisfaction firsthand. And I can’t decide what’s more gratifying: staying in amazing places without footing a bill or sharing my beloved space with grateful sojourners. To get started on the path of personal hotelier, read on for the lowdown on modern home swapping (which can encompass free pet and plant sitting), including my seven experiences with Home Exchange.
How Do Home Swaps Work?
Swapping homes entails joining a membership platform that facilitates travelers hosting and staying in a private residence without a monetary exchange. Think of them like dating apps: Most platforms require you to complete a profile with photos and details about your place. Once your profile is complete, you can peruse the profiles of residences in specific or broad geographic locations that interest you. Most home-swapping platforms require an annual membership fee to qualify for unlimited swaps and leave cleaning fees up to individual members to negotiate; others charge a cleaning and service fee per trip.
Swaps can be reciprocal or non-reciprocal, depending on the platform and your preference. A reciprocal exchange occurs when you stay at a residence while the tenants stay at yours, à la “The Holiday.” Reciprocals require all the stars to align between timing and location desires, and in my experience, are the least common. However, advance planning and effort can facilitate a wonderful reciprocal experience. If you live in a highly desirable place to visit or vacation, you’re more likely to receive requests for reciprocals. Think: You live in NYC, and they live in SF, or you live in Jackson Hole, and they live in the Florida Keys.
A non-reciprocal exchange is half of that equation: You either host guests in your home or stay in a host’s place, not necessarily with the same member. Most sites have their own version of points that you earn or spend when engaging in non-reciprocal exchanges and a suggested cost in points for nights at your property. I’ve found these are usually easier to execute, although they lack the cinematic serendipity of “you’re living my life while I live yours.”
Beyond charging a certain amount of points for non-reciprocal stays, individual hosts usually establish their own house rules, from banning pets to caps on guest numbers. Enforcing a minimum number of days in a stay is common for people with larger homes, but I’ve found that if you ask and explain your situation, they will sometimes bend that rule.
Popular Home Swap Platforms
- Home Exchange is the largest and the most well-known home-swapping platform. Membership includes peace of mind benefits like customer service and property damage coverage. Due to the sheer number of members, you will likely find a swap in your desired location. Cost: $220 annually.
- Kindred boasts many bells and whistles: The company ships you linens, towels, and toiletries for your guests before each stay and takes care of coordinating home cleaning pre-and-post guests. New members receive five credits upon joining, so you can begin staying in other residences before your first hosting gig. Cost: cleaning and service fees vary by stay; they quote $460 for a seven-night stay.
- People Like Us has a personal, less corporate feel and allows you to join for free. However, when you’re ready to stay, you must upgrade to paid membership. Cost: $159 annually.
- Third Home is the luxury arm of home swapping reserved exclusively for second homes, so if you’ve got one, you can relish in someone else’s (and please, provide financial advice while you’re at it). Cost: $295 annually after your first year for free, plus $495 and up per stay.
- Swap House is a budget-friendly platform designed for remote workers and digital nomads. To list your space, you must test and profess your Wi-Fi speed. Cost: none.
- Facebook groups dedicated to home swapping introduce members for exchanges.
- Sites like Couchsurfing provide less formal arrangements, often involving hospitality stays, where you stay with a homeowner in their home.
My Home Swap Experiences
I used a site called Love Home Swap (now part of Home Exchange) for a total of seven swaps. My one-bedroom apartment in Dumbo, Brooklyn, boasted incredible views of the Brooklyn Bridge and attracted a nonstop slog of interested patrons.
When creating my profile, I included photos of my cat, Willow, and emphasized that any guests must love cats, as they would be caring for her. Leaving my pride and joy with strangers was mildly nerve-wracking, but I vetted each guest through messages. Plus, Willow charmed the pants off everyone she met.
For my first non-reciprocal swap, I hosted a French Canadian couple while I went on a business trip and stayed in hotels. Cleaning my apartment while packing was new, as I typically shove my things into a suitcase and leave behind a mess. Even though it added stress to tidy up, I left my place pristine and felt excited for my inaugural guests. Hosting went off without a hitch: The couple shared photos of Willow and thoroughly enjoyed their visit. I arrived home to a spotless apartment and a handwritten thank you card. I learned that if you take pride in hosting and showing people a lovely time, sharing the home you love with others is a beautiful extension.
The rest of our host experiences continued to yield serotonin: There were the guests who bought Willow a scratching post, the ones who left us chocolates from their hometown, and those who stocked us up on groceries before departing. Hosting an Australian couple with two little kids took me out of my comfort zone; our apartment brimmed with fragile stemware and alcohol. But the mom quickly child-proofed our home, and seeing photos of the kids opening their gifts under our Christmas tree was so special.
When an oceanfront mansion in the Canary Islands of Spain appeared in my inbox, I was immediately drawn to it. After getting stoked about the idea of traveling there, my skepticism kicked in: The property/alleged owner had no reviews, the profile was new, the messages were a little odd, and the photos they posted were devoid of any personal items. I’ll never know if they were a scammer or not, because I ceased communications. But my heart remained set on visiting the Canary Islands.
I searched specifically for the Canaries and found a swap in Gran Canaria that wasn’t waterfront or palatial, but available for our Christmas holiday. After a few non-reciprocal hosts, I had earned enough points to book it. Our first time in a stranger’s home would be abroad, and I didn’t have too many concerns. We arrived in the Canaries on Christmas Day and located the airport parking garage where our hosts had left their car for us. It was an older European car with a stick shift, and it took us about an hour to figure out how to shift it into drive. After managing to park in their impossibly narrow car elevator/garage, we discovered we could not connect to their Wi-Fi and their television wouldn’t work. We wanted to watch a Christmas movie and FaceTime our families, so we checked into a hotel for the night. Love Home Swap (now Home Exchange) provided excellent customer service and reimbursed the points we had “spent” on that property.
That experience has been my only disappointment. I soldiered on, booking a non-reciprocal stay in Vegas. Three couples were coalescing in Sin City for a George Thorogood concert. We needed separate rooms but wanted to be as close to the strip as possible. We booked a massive home merely 15 minutes away from the action, with upscale Vegas charm oozing from every semi-nude wall covering. Upon arrival, we felt like high-rollers: The home would easily cost thousands of dollars on a platform like Airbnb, and we scored it gratis.
Another slam dunk stay included an actual vineyard home in Napa, minutes away from downtown and an oenophile’s dream. While the owner requested a cleaning fee, we happily paid it, knowing the stay saved us several hundred dollars.
There are a few logistics to keep in mind if you’re interested in hosting. If you’re a homeowner, you may want to check your homeowner’s insurance before you swap. If you rent, you probably need to check with your landlord. I hosted while living in a rental apartment without issue, but it’s up to you to determine whether or not your landlord/owner will permit (or even notice) it.
In my experience, home swapping is a soul-nourishing way to see the world while sharing yours. You get to make someone’s trip, and they get to make yours – we don’t always have to cough it up to corporations. To mitigate risk, screen guests, ask questions (especially for international stays), and pay attention to red flags. Even if you do, you may be periodically disappointed, just like when you pay for a hotel. But dissatisfaction goes down easier when it’s free.
Alana Peden is an award-winning executive storyteller, strategist, and brand shaper. She cut her teeth in print (at magazines like InStyle and More) before holding senior digital positions (at Penske Media Corporation and Bustle Digital Group). In 2017, she conceived and launched Elite Daily’s fashion and beauty verticals. More recently, she served as the editor-in-chief at StyleCaster.
