Home & leisure

House swapping

Updated: 05 Aug 2008
House-swapping-hero

Introduction

House swapping is a cheap and interesting way to have an overseas holiday. We look at how to get started.

Imagine exchanging homes for a while with someone on the other side of the world. You get to enjoy exotic surroundings, use their car and look after their house - while they (you hope) do the same for you back home. Welcome to the world of house swapping.

Why house swap?

Major holiday expenses such as hotels, restaurant meals and car rentals can be significantly reduced while house swapping.

But it's more than just a cheap holiday. Many enthusiastic swappers can easily afford traditional travel expenses. They choose to house swap because living in someone else's house and neighbourhood is a more authentic travel experience than living in a hotel.

There are other benefits, too. For example, a family living in a tropical location might have a membership to a dive club, or a couple from Amsterdam might lend you their bicycles to roam around on. Neighbours and relatives can point you towards "must see" local attractions as well as good places to eat, drink and be merry.

Case studies

You take the high road ...

Brenda Smith posted her Copacabana home in Australia on www.homelink.org (a chic home-exchange website) with the intention of heading over to Europe.

Brenda found it difficult at first to set up a suitable exchange: "It took almost a year and hundreds of emails to secure our first home-exchange arrangements. My impression is that there are many more antipodeans looking to travel to France, Spain and Italy than vice versa."

Since then, Brenda has got better at picking the best listings to respond to: "When we were setting up our second set of home-exchange arrangements, I adopted a very targeted approach and had two exchanges set up within weeks."

Brenda says that the home comforts of a kitchen and car make house-swapping an attractive option: "We loved being able to cater for ourselves. In France, every day of the week there was a market in one of the towns in the area so we bought fresh produce and came home and cooked up delicious meals accompanied by great local wines."

... and I'll take the low road

A house in the snow

Rob Moore and Stephanie Rose decided to house swap while travelling through the US. They listed their small Wanganui apartment on www.mindmyhouse.com. Stephanie says the advert attracted quite a lot of interest quickly: "But applying for houses abroad can be very competitive." Her advice is to be flexible with dates and localities.

Rob and Stephanie are now proudly based in Victor, Montana (population: 900). Stephanie says that Victor is her perfect slice of small town America: "Think ice cream parlours, town squares, cowboy hats and prolific American flags."

Stephanie says that one of the benefits of house swapping is the built-in social networks: "Our neighbours have adopted us and advised us on places to go and things to do ... We've organised to stay with one of their friends when we drive through Washington State."

Starting out

The first thing to do is pick a suitable agency (see below for a list of websites). Membership ranges in price from $45 to $250 for a year's subscription. For that money you'll be able to:

  • add your own "house profile" plus a selection of photos to the agency listings
  • search all other house listings and contact potential exchangers.

Some agencies also publish a directory of local and foreign exchangers, where you can include a photo of your house and a selection of features. Find out when directories are printed and distributed and sign up with the agency beforehand to get the widest exposure.

Once you've settled on an agency, set up your profile. This usually includes a description of your home and neighbourhood, a list of features, a list of desired exchanges and a small blurb about yourself. All websites have room for photos to accompany your description (though the number and type of photos you can upload varies).

When you set up your profiles, make sure you:

  • are concise and accurate - don't undersell or oversell your property
  • say if there are pets to look after
  • select your photos carefully and show good, clean shots of the kitchen, living room, bedrooms, bathroom, and exterior
  • list local attractions - include a photo of any nearby beach or mountain if there's room.

Top dollar top houses

There's a rough match between the amount you spend on an agency and the type of house listed on the website. For example, high-end www.homeexchange.com generally offers suburban or holiday homes in sought-after neighbourhoods. You'll find alpine cottages in the Lake Ohau region among the New Zealand listings.

Cottage by a lake

We found one free site - www.mindmyhouse.com - which is a combination house-swap and house-sit agency. Here you'll find basic homes in places like Gosport, England. There's usually some task required of the house-sitter or swapper, such as looking after the garden.

But basic doesn't mean boring. Our search of mindmyhouse.com uncovered an alpaca farm in Maryland ("previous experience with large animals not required, but desirable") as well as a cottage in the Swiss Alps - complete with a Bernese mountain dog.

Agency websites

Potential problems

Home by the sea

The first thought that crosses most house swappers' minds is "what if they trash my house?"

Terms and conditions on agency websites clearly state the exchange system is based on mutual trust and the agency bears no legal responsibility. Members might be struck off if it's believed they've broken an agreement or abused the system, but that's little comfort if you have a bad experience.

All agencies point out that house-swapping disasters are rare: "You'll be living in your exchange partner's home as well, and their concerns are very similar to your own." All the responses to the "Can you help?" request we posted on our website were overwhelmingly positive.

Make sure your insurance company is aware of your house swap and find out if any exclusions or conditions apply. If you're planning to exchange cars, see if you can add your exchange partner to your policy before finalising the agreement.

Few people draw up legal contracts but written agreements help clarify responsibility for accidental damage, telephone charges, electricity bills and the upkeep of the property. Most agencies have a standard agreement you can adapt.

The easiest way to avoid trouble is to do your homework. Exchanges are only finalised once both parties have reached a mutual agreement - so ask any potential swappers plenty of questions.

Battening down the hatches

Take a few steps to prepare your house for your exchange partner:

  • Tidy your home before heading overseas (put valuable heirlooms away in a safe cupboard).
  • Provide clean linen and wardrobe space.
  • Stock the pantry with some essential groceries (there's nothing like a cup of tea after a long flight).
  • Leave instructions about how to use the telly, DVD player and other electronic gadgets.

In case of more major problems, leave a phone list that includes a plumber, an electrician, and a mechanic. And - as a final precaution - delegate a friend back home to act as a contact for your exchange partner. That way your guest has a "local" to turn to if anything goes wrong (and you have someone to check on your property).

Couch surfing

Couch surfing

If you don't have a house to exchange, a couch will do. Simply post details of your couch on www.couchsurfing.com and you can host international travellers desperate for a home-cooked meal and a free roof over their heads.

In exchange you'll have access to 500,000 couches in 226 countries and territories next time you go travelling.

Couch surfing relies on a personal vouching system. You set up a profile online (much like an online dating profile) and - after a few visitors - you start to develop a network of people who'll vouch for you as a dependable host. Hosts also vouch for travellers.

Consumer writer Luke Harrison registered his flat's couch on couchsurfing.com and received an email a day later from American backpacker Dan Sulak. Dan was good-humoured and considerate and even cooked the flat dinner one night.

Luke's flat intends to host other surfers as it's a good way to meet interesting people and they hope to surf foreign couches themselves in the future.


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