On many of our trips we have decided to save a little money on accommodation and book with the HomeExchange website , one of the best and most reliable home exchange platforms , with thousands of users around the world. But wait, you don't know what home exchange is ? Did you not know that this alternative exists that allows you to travel without spending a euro on hotels? In this article we will tell you all about this —not so— new trend in travel.
We have had several experiences with the HomeExchange home exchange platform . The first one was in Granada , in a stately home that we “occupied” with Lety’s family to discover the Nasrid charms. The second time was even more epic, no less than in San Francisco back in 2017, where we stayed for 2 weeks. The third was in Barcelona , before moving permanently to our favourite city in the world. And we didn’t leave Spain to live our fourth home exchange experience, in this case in Madrid on a 3-day getaway in Madrid. The last one so far was in Galway , Ireland, which we thoroughly enjoyed.
The funny thing is that after sharing each of our experiences on social media, many people write to us with various questions : How does it work? Can I do a home exchange without having to leave my house? Is it worth it? Is it safe? We understand that there are many doubts, and in this post we are going to try to explain in detail what home exchange consists of and how you can join a platform like HomeExchange to benefit from it.
Home exchange: what it is and how it works
Home exchange was born with the intention of getting a home away from home anywhere in the world, and thus not having to rule out certain destinations that a priori would be prohibitive due to the price of their hotels, such as New York, Paris or Dublin. What is the secret formula? Exchanging your house with that of another traveler . Although do not see it as a way to get free accommodation , since the philosophy of the exchange goes much further...
But the germ of this crazy idea arose among a group of teachers who, if they already didn't have enough with the length of their holidays, wanted to make even more of them. So they created this curious network of house exchanges, even before the arrival of the Internet, through a physical catalogue that was sent by post. With the arrival of the Internet, everything became much faster 🙂
This original idea was as simple as going to someone's house (known or not) and having that person come to your house , and in this way both parties enjoyed a free vacation. This concept has evolved, thanks in part to new technologies, which have enabled the community of people interested in this type of exchange to grow exponentially in recent years.
To facilitate this reality, several home exchange platforms have emerged , such as HomeExchange , which allow you to spend a few days (or even a season) in other people's houses, not only with reciprocal exchange , but also with a points system . Don't worry, we'll explain everything to you step by step.
✓ HomeExchange: exchange houses for points
We are HomeExchange users, we pay an annual subscription and just by registering we get a series of points ( guestpoints ) that can be exchanged for nights in houses around the world. That's right: in order to stay in the houses of people registered on HomeExchange, you offer GuestPoints in return in gratitude for the hospitality of those members.
The houses on the platform will have a different value in GuestPoints per night, assigned as a guide by the website based on their location, capacity and equipment. For example, a house in the centre of a large city, or one with more rooms, more equipment, etc., will be worth more.
Practical example : a member from New York, let's call him James Smith, has his house available for Easter. This house is worth 150 GuestPoints per night. You plan a trip to the Big Apple, see the ad, write him a message introducing yourself and explaining your travel plans and making him an exchange offer in exchange for GuestPoints. If he accepts the exchange, and you can stay at his house for 4 nights, you will need a total of 600 GuestPoints that James can then use to stay at any other member's house in the future.
✓ HomeExchange: RECIPROCAL home exchange
Imagine you want to go to New York again and you see that James Smith, this very nice New Yorker, is interested in visiting your city. Why not facilitate a way for the exchange? Indeed, if you finally agree on the dates and you have gotten along well through the messages, you can do a direct exchange , or what is called "reciprocal house exchange".
In this example, you travel to James's house, while James spends a vacation at your house in Barcelona or wherever, without either of you paying anything (not even the difference in points between both houses).
It is important to clarify that a reciprocal exchange can be carried out on the same dates (simultaneous) or on different dates (I go to your house in summer and you come to my house in winter).
How do I start doing home exchanges?
One of our first house exchanges was through guestpoints in San Francisco, where we stayed for 2 weeks in a beautiful little house in exchange for X amount of points. This was the entire process from seeing the house to meeting its owners and spending the first night:
✓ First step: create your profile and your home profile
The first thing we did to get the exchange was to create our profile, a completely free and quick step. You have to create a profile with your description as detailed as possible (remember that a person you don't know is going to leave you their home), you will also have to write the description of your house (even if it is not a reciprocal exchange), add photos and update the calendar with the dates on which your house will be available (or not).
✓ Second step: find your exchange house
Do a search for homes in the area you want to visit, using the filters that interest you the most and paying close attention to the calendar and its colors to see the availability of the houses and the type of exchange that the owners are looking for. Once you have a few candidate houses, send personalized messages to the owners and explain your travel plan.
✓ Third step: become a member and complete the exchange
After finding your future exchange home and speaking with the owner so that everything is clear and coordinated for your arrival, pay the annual membership fee (€160) and register the exchange. It's that easy.
✓ Get home
The day you arrive, you will surely have everything perfectly clear, as the owner will have explained to you in detail how the appliances work, where you will find the keys, how the garbage collection system works, etc. Don't worry, because this is actually the most interesting part of all, and it is that for a few days you will be another resident of the center of Manhattan, of a small town in the English countryside or of a farm in the middle of the forest in Argentina.
In some cases you will meet the owner upon arrival, in others the key will be given to you by a neighbour or it will be left in a safe with a password. Or sometimes you will even have to sleep with them the first night or nights (in the guest room) if the dates do not end up being quite right. Each exchange is different and you have to be open to all possibilities.
Finally, remember that you are in a family home and therefore all their belongings will have been left there. Yes, the closets will be full of clothes, the refrigerator will have fresh food and you will probably receive calls or visits from friends of the owners who do not know that they are away. Take it naturally and, of course, take care of the house as if it were your own and try to leave it the same or better than when you found it.
Frequently asked questions about home exchange
We're sure you still have a lot of questions about what home exchange is, so we're going to try to answer some frequently asked questions . And if after reading them you're still not clear, we invite you to leave us a comment and we'll respond as soon as possible:
✓ Will I have to share the house with the owners?
In general, the answer is no. In most cases, once you have been approved for the exchange, you will be alone in the house . Normally, the owners leave an instruction manual so that you know how things work in the house (oven, washing machine, garbage system, keys...), or sometimes they are there to welcome you and will explain things and answer questions upon arrival. But as we say, each exchange is different and in San Francisco, for example, we spent the first night with them. The conditions will be agreed between both parties.
✓ Can you do house exchanges with children?
Of course! We don't have children, but we know several friends and travellers who have used homeEchange on numerous occasions and what's more, they are delighted. Having a comfortable and welcoming base like a house gives a family touch that is ideal for travelling with little ones.
✓ Will pets need to be taken care of?
In principle, pets will not be allowed in the house, unless it is specified in the profile and in the conversations you have before the exchange. But there are cases in which there may be pets, so keep this in mind in case you think it is too much responsibility.
Another platform that we also use and that is really for taking care of houses and pets while the owners are away is Trustedhousesitters . We tell you more about housesitting here .
✓ How can I earn guestpoints?
There are several ways to earn guestpoints. For example, when you sign up and fill out your profile, you will receive a certain number of welcome points. You can also earn them through a referral system where you earn points if you get your friends or readers to sign up through your invitation ( here's ours ), they receive some points and so do you (everyone wins, that's it).
Although obviously the most common way to earn points is by hosting other homeexchangers in your home . And if you urgently need guestpoints to complete a reservation, you can always try to reach an agreement with the host to see if they can lower the exchange value a little, or as a last option, buy guestpoints.
To sum up, you can get free points in these ways:
- 50 GuestPoints for creating your account.
- 100 GuestPoints when you complete your profile.
- 200 GuestPoints when you list your home.
- 250 GuestPoints for sending the first 10 messages requesting the exchange.
- 500 GuestPoints when you first subscribe.
- 250 GuestPoints automatically renewing the annual membership.
- 2,500 GP (max 10 friends) with invitations.
✓ Is it safe to do a home exchange?
It is completely safe . Think of it as a membership site, where everyone who signs up shares common ideas and philosophies . In addition, the platform itself guarantees conditions that protect both guests and hosts.
For example, if hosts cancel the exchange a few days before arrival, guests will receive compensation of up to 120 USD per night (if no alternative accommodation can be found). And hosts are safe since HomeExchange covers material damages up to 1,000,000 USD. More info here .
Obviously, whether you are travelling as a guest or leaving your home as a host, you need to have common sense , take care of the house with love and clarify even the smallest details before travelling. And remember to bring or leave a little gift in your exchange, something that always makes a special impression.
Do you now understand more about home exchange ? Do you want to create an account on HomeExchange and try this way of getting free accommodation and travelling cheaply?
