A good plan for inexpensive vacations ...
With the decline in purchasing power helping, Internet users have found a solution to go on vacation inexpensively: exchange their home. A booming phenomenon, practical and user-friendly, which deserves some explanation.
How does it work?
It is a question of offering his house to Internet users, indicating the dates of availability of your accommodation. You then choose another user ready to do the same, and you then operate the exchange.
Concretely, research can also be done by destination ou by date. But each of these criteria still has a drawback:
- If you insist on going to a specific city, the dates may not coincide with your own holidays.
- If, on the contrary, you absolutely want to leave at a specific time, the destination may not be precisely the one of your dreams.
But after all, whatever, you will be on vacation! In addition, the platforms have evolved a lot for some time, and you can now makenon-simultaneous exchange thanks to some sites.
You can also participate with a student studio, apartment or loft. Whether you are a tenant or an owner, you can take part in the adventure. Indeed, it is not a question of subletting, but of an exchange, that is to say of a transaction without collection of rent.
The advantages of home exchange
The advantages of exchanging your home are above all economical, especially if you are traveling with your family. Those who exchange their accommodation leave on average twice as often as others. You only pay an annual registration fee (100 € / year on average, and some are even free), and then benefit from a considerable offer of possible destinations without having to pay the hotel.
You can exchange your accommodation, but also your car. Some ask for it in their advertisements, especially when it is a destination accessible by plane. It can also allow you to do real savings, especially if your stay has been planned for a long time.
Finally, making a home exchange can be practical, especially if you have pets that you cannot take with you: you can ask your guests to take care of it during their stay at your home. In addition, your house being occupied, this greatly reduces the risk of you being burgled during your vacation.
Non-simultaneous exchange
The basic principle of the exchange is to lend your home reciprocally and at the same time. But faced with certain spatio-temporal limits, a new concept has emerged: Nightswapping (= the night exchange). The principle is simple and based on a point system : you earn points by receiving members at home, and you use these same points to stay for free elsewhere (with another member of the site).
The exchange can generally be done in 2 ways: either you lend or borrow a entire housing (when the host is not there), or you exchange “guest room“. The latter case offers the most reluctant the advantage of embarking on a home exchange while having an eye on their home. And it can also create links!
➡️ Learn more about Nightswapping in our dedicated article.
What about my home insurance?
The fear of not finding your home in the same condition slows down many Internet users. However, incidents are extremely rare in these procedures.
Be aware, however, that insurance generally accepts that other people come to live with you. You just have to remember to find out beforehand, and give your insurer the names, first names and addresses of the people with whom you are making the exchange, so that everything is done properly.
To prevent possible damage, remember to look at your comprehensive home insurance. Some cover the guardian of your property and will compensate you if necessary. In the event of theft, insurance will only insure your home if there are signs of burglary, but you can naturally still file a complaint.
In all cases, two documents are necessary before contracting an exchange: home insurance and liability insurance.
Practical advice
For a first exchange, you absolutely must register on a site that takes care of making the link between Internet users. Some are free. Others ask each registrant for a lump sum, thus ensuring the publication of your ad.
Register well in advance. You will be able to read the forums and the impressions of other members of the person who will come to you. Once the choice of the person or the family has been made, contact them by email, phone… Don't hesitate! It is important to establish a dialogue and to reassure each other. Your correspondent will probably be as apprehensive as you and will be just as happy to get to know you. You can even invite him over for a weekend to get to know each other. Many friendships have been created through this intermediary.
Which site to choose?
To simplify your life and avoid getting lost in a comparison of home exchange sites, we have selected the best site for you, and which has become the undisputed leader:
HomeExchange
It was born from the merger of Trocmaison (which only carried out simultaneous exchange) with the GuestToGuest site (specialized in Nightswapping). Today it has become the world's leading network of vacation home exchange sites, and many offers for countries around the world are listed there. The registration and publication of your ad is free: this allows you to test the potential of your home and the exchange in general. The platform is then remunerated on the paid services included in the annual subscription. Indeed, from your first exchange, you will have to subscribe to a subscription of 130 € / year and you do not pay anything the rest of the year regardless of the number of exchanges. As much to say to you that the subscription is very quickly profitable compared to a hotel night! Finally, know that this subscription includes insurance, which allows you to lend your home with peace of mind.
Testimonials from travelers
They have already experienced the house swap, and they give us their advice.
(if you also wish to participate in these testimonials, contact us)
MaTribuEnVadrouille
We are a large family, with 3 children (13 years old, 8 years old and 19 months old). We live in Charente-Maritime, in a small village near the Ile d'Oléron. Our house is quite large, with 4 bedrooms and a large garden. Initially, we were afraid that we would never find a home exchange because we do not live in a big city and it is mandatory to have a car to get around. But our doubts have long been swept away! We regularly receive offers from France and abroad.
(follow them on their blog)
- Site used : We have been registered on Trocmaison (which has since become HomeExchange) for many years.
- Number and duration of exchanges : About 1 or 2 exchanges per year. Our shortest exchange was for 4 days, a long weekend with a bridge. We had gone to Vendée. And the longest was last summer, in Denmark, for 3 weeks.
- Your best exchange : Difficult to choose ... We hesitate between Denmark, which was our only exchange abroad, so some great discoveries. And Auvergne, with its fabulous volcanic landscapes! We will say both ...
- Disappointment ? Any ! The descriptions were consistent each time. We never had any problems, apart from an old broken vase at home which the exchange family replaced on their own.
- Your advice for a beginner : You have to communicate a lot before the exchange. By email, Skype or phone. You have to agree on the details, but you can also give each other tips and good plans for visits off the beaten track. The exchange is based on trust and mutual respect! Finally, you can prepare a “guide to the house” that your guests will find on their arrival (with all the practical details, such as the operation of the household appliances…). Without forgetting to prepare the small welcome gift!
Family Globe Exchange
We are the “family globe exchange”, a happy family that set off to explore the world for a year, mainly in exchange for a house. We are both 35 years old and we are epicureans, who love life, discovery, travel, challenges, escape, challenges, sport and home exchange. We have 3 young globetrotters who walk the roads of the world with us, during this enchanting break: Hugo the adventurer, 10 years old, Raphael the explorer, 8 years old, and Camille the intrepid, 6 years old.
(follow them on their blog)
- Site used : We only use one exchange site: House Swap (or Home Exchange now). This site suits us perfectly because it offers a real diversity of exchanges all over the world. He is super reliable and we are confident. With this site, we feel safe.
- Number and duration of exchanges : Before our world tour, we did an exchange or two in the year. Each time, we have been blown away by the experience. We find this concept enriching on several points. Humanly, we meet extraordinary people who some then become friends. Financially, it is very interesting for families like us. The price we put in a rental, now we put it in plane tickets, it allows us to go further and especially longer. But above all, it has become our travel philosophy, we like to be in contact with the locals, in a city, a village, a neighborhood. Exchange with neighbors, with their friends. Know the good little restaurants or tours. It is a real chance for us to discover a place outside the tourist trails and outside the sanitized walls of a hotel or a vacation club. We know that it takes everything to make a world, and we have chosen the participatory side, the exchange, the collaboration which suits us rather well.
- Your best exchange : I think we have wonderful memories of our very first exchange in Sweden. We spent 3 fantastic weeks near Stockholm in a country that fascinated us. We loved the family culture that is conveyed in this country, the wonderful landscapes, the welcome from the Swedes, and our lovely house nestled in a beautiful little village. We kind of fell in love with this country.
- Disappointment ? Any…
- Your advice for a beginner : Go ahead, go for it! Home exchange is another way of traveling and discovering the world as close as possible to the locals and the culture. Do not have a priori, you will live extraordinary adventures in France or to exchange it. Home swapping is about multiplying the possibilities.
Start trading in 4 steps
So ready to exchange your home?
If like me and these 2 families, you want to get into the home exchange, here is your next checklist :
- Register on HomeExchange: via my referral link, you will receive directly 100 point once your profile is completed, then 150 additional points when you finalize your first trade! These points will then allow you to borrow a member's house, without having to host him in your home. It's always more reassuring to start.
- Then complete your profile and add your home : a nice description, nice photos, and voila! It also earns you extra points!
- Fill in your calendar availability (holidays, long weekends, etc.) and your favorite destinations (so that the algorithm can make suggestions)
- Wait for proposals, or go looking for an exchange yourself.
