What Is A Home Exchange?
Swapoffi
12 Jun
“What is a home exchange?” That is a question we hear all the time. Wikipedia defines it as a “form of lodging in which two parties agree to offer each other homestays for a set period of time”. While this definition captures the essence and basic meaning of a house swap, it’s worth diving deeper in order to define home exchange, discover what makes it different from other forms of free accommodation, and decide whether it’s the right choice for you.
What is a Home Exchange (Swap)?
A home exchange (or a home swap) is when two members of a home exchange community agree to swap homes, often for the same duration and during the same dates. It is a tried and trusted way of seeing the world, without paying for accommodation, whilst also benefiting from living like a local.
Traditionally, home exchanges focused on house swaps between families - often including the family car - for an annual vacation. By home swapping, families saved money on free accommodation instead of paying for multiple hotel bedrooms.
Once tried, home swappers tend to be loyal, and use free home exchanges annually for a holiday with no accommodation costs, in different locations.
How does home exchange work?
Home exchanges work when two members of a home exchange community agree to swap homes with each other.
Note home swaps are always requested and never booked. It is recommended to request 10 swaps for each one that is confirmed. Don’t take it personally if your home swap is not accepted. Many people might request your desired home on your desired dates. (That is why your personal profile and reviews can make a difference. You want to stand out from other swappers!).
Home exchanges are two way or one way. A two way home swap means you stay in my home whilst I stay in yours, for the same dates and same duration. A one-way swap is where you stay in my home but I do not stay in your home. This might happen if I am staying with family or have other travel plans or for any other reason. People offer one way swaps to earn swap credits which they can use to stay with other members of that same home exchange platform later.
Credits are only awarded in one way swaps, not two way swaps. It’s a way to encourage people to offer their homes to the community and to encourage an active swap community.
Do I Pay For Accommodation When Home Swapping?
No. Home exchanges are always free. Always. No money is ever exchanged between home swappers, whether the home exchange is one-way or two-way. This is the basis for home swapping, and is a shared value for all members of all home swap communities.
Home exchange communities can afford to operate as members pay a low-cost annual membership fee, which at time of writing, costs between €160 and €200 per annum. Compared to the cost of a hotel stay, home swaps offer exceptional value for money, as well as other great benefits.
Unlike Airbnb, there are no extras or hidden fees with home swaps. If you have concerns about people using your heating or air conditioning, raise it before you agree to your swap, and discuss it with your fellow swapper to find an acceptable usage level or alternate arrangements.
Your membership fee usually entitles you to make unlimited swap requests, all around the world where the home community has homes. Remember you need to make multiple swap requests to get at least one confirmed. Homes in popular tourist destinations such as Paris and London will have more demand than supply.
Some home exchange communities have tiered membership prices with varying benefits. Be sure to check these out before making your final choice.
If you do not succeed in securing one home swap in your first year of membership, some home exchanges will offer you a second year free membership.
Check the terms and conditions of whichever home exchange community you decide to join. Many people join more than one, so you are not limited.
What Are Home Exchange Credits?
In a one-way swap, the host earns credits in almost every home exchange community.
One-way swaps are popular too amongst home swappers. This occurs when a member’s home is vacant for other members to stay in, and the host member is not available or interested to travel to the other member’s home. The host may be visiting friends or family or travelling for work. By making their home available to other members via a one-way swap, the host earns credits to spend with any other member in any other location.
What is the best home swap service?
How is Swapoffi better than other Home Exchanges? Swapoffi is different to other home exchanges as it caters for today’s traveller. In this post Covid era where technology allows people to work as they travel, their home swapping needs are entirely different to those when home swapping first became popular in the 1950s.
Swapoffi recognises these different needs and has addressed them in their home swapping solution, ideal for solos and couples, for digital nomads and remote workers. Swapoffi values a fit for purpose workspace and reliable wifi over multiple bedrooms. Bedrooms attracted the early users of home swapping – families – as they could save money over hotel rooms for the annual family vacation. Swapoffi is for people who travel for weeks and months, not just an annual vacation, and who work as they travel.
How Is Swapoffi Different From Traditional Home Exchanges?
Swapoffi is different to other home exchanges as all of our homes have a defined workspace or even a dedicated home office. This is in addition to sleeping and living accommodation that traditional home exchanges focus on.
Our community works whilst they travel, so our homes must have fit for purpose working spaces where we can work productively and efficiently. Swapoffi redefines the meaning of a housing swap as our members emphasise workspaces as much as sleeping and living accommodation.
In Swapoffi, our credits are called “Swappies”. Swappies can never be bought or sold, they can only be earned. Earned Swappies can be used to stay in other members’ homes, depending on calendar availability and Swappie value.
How Are Homes Valued For Swappie Credits?
All homes are different so credits for home exchanges take account of that. Credits are measured dependent on a number of criteria. Traditional home exchanges which focus on vacations only (as opposed to working and travelling) are awarded credits depending on the number of bedrooms, living space and other living features, as well as balcony or garden, and parking facilities.
Swapoffi also uses credits to gauge the ability to work from that home. If the home has a dedicated home office rather than the workspace being in another room, higher credits – or ‘swappies’ are given. If a house was two workspaces rather than one, more swappies are given.
If the workspace has features such as a stand-up desk or superfast wifi, even more swappies are given.
So when swappers browse homes for swapping, you can tell from the total number of swappies allocated to a home, whether it has a lot of features or not.
Of course all homes are unique. A studio in New York might be a more valuable property than a mansion located in a rural area.
That is the joy of home swapping, you never know what you can get!
To summarise, and answer the question of “What is a house swap?” in just a few words: a house swap is a free home exchange that offers members a cost-effective way of travelling as no-one pays for accommodation, ever.
If the idea of free accommodation whilst you travel and work - staying in a home with a home office - appeals to you, give Swapoffi a try!
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