7 Steps To Becoming a Home Exchanger

Home Exchange is the answer to traveling with a family while staying on a budget. It’s how we manage to see the world with our three kids! I love that the price doesn’t increase as your family size does. So far, we’ve completed 27 exchanges in Paris, Zurich, Zion National Park, Vienna, Salt Lake City, Austin, New York City, Barcelona, Seville, Granada, and Palm Springs!

1. What Is Home Exchanging?

Think of it like a simultaneous Airbnb, but better. No money is exchanged. You stay in someone’s home and they stay in yours. You get to see the world without paying for a place to sleep, and you have peace of mind that someone is looking after your home while you’re gone. We use the HomeExchange website to find and negotiate swaps. I have looked at some other home swap platforms and there are just way more homes and options on HomeExchange.

HomeExchange differs from Airbnb or VRBO though because we are a community. We take care of each other’s homes, we leave each other gifts upon arrival, we act as real hosts for the people staying in our home as if they were our true friends (and often they become our friends!). You get to know the people you swap with. I have friends all over the world and I keep up with them the best I can! Many people exchange their primary home though some will exchange secondary homes. It’s way more personal than a hotel room, and staying in someone’s home is one of the best ways to immerse yourself in a new culture!

As a real member of the community myself, I love sharing my link to join HomeExchange. When you sign up through it (or use my code SDMAMAS), you receive 250 Guest Points to find your first swap, and I receive 250 Guest Points too! Don’t worry, I’ll explain Guest Points momentarily.

2. Who Can Home Exchange?

Anyone with a house in a desirable vacation destination can home exchange! So if you live in San Diego, you live in a very desirable exchange location. You don’t necessarily need to be a homeowner. If you are a renter, the first step would be to check with your landlord. Many of the places we have stayed have been rented apartments, so being a renter does not necessarily exclude you from exchanging. This is great also for remote workers who may be able to stay places longer!

The platform we use is www.homeexchange.com. You pay an annual membership of $264 per year, and this is for unlimited exchanges. This ensures your swaps are protected by HomeExchange’s legal team. HomeExchange members have access to the HomeExchange team. So far, I haven’t needed to contact them, but I hear they are very helpful!

HomeExchange also builds guarantees into every membership, so you don’t need to buy separate insurance. As a host, if a guest causes damage or theft during a stay, HomeExchange covers property damage up to $1,000,000 above a $500 deductible taken from the guest’s security deposit, and their international team steps in as a mediator if anything goes wrong. It gives real peace of mind for something that already feels like sharing your home with friends.

Not all swaps have to be direct swaps. For example, you can rent out your house to someone from Colorado and receive Guest Points for a future trip to Italy. These are called non-simultaneous exchanges. We’ve done a few of these, like when we are going to Grandma’s house we will let someone stay and receive points. Luckily we live in a popular destination, so we have no trouble finding people who want to stay!

3. Setting Up Your Listing

Clean your house first! No need to stash absolutely everything; having some toys visible may be a selling point for your desired exchange partners! In fact, I specifically look for toys in the photos for my exchanges. Take accurate pictures in good light. Start by just taking pictures with the best camera you have.

I originally put our home online with pictures from my iPhone. Later on, we got professional HDR pictures and I noticed a sharp increase in the number of inquiries and accepted requests we had. But there is no need to do that right away, just get started with what you have! I also see a lot of people use real estate photos from when they moved in.

Lots of people ask me if their home has to be “finished” to swap it. Our home is never finished! Obviously I wouldn’t swap your home if you are in the middle of a massive remodel, but we’ve swapped many times with a half-finished backyard and front yard fence and nobody seems to mind. Just make sure the kitchen and bathroom are in working order and warn people if you do have a half-finished project!

Next, think of your favorite things about your home and succinctly communicate them in a short paragraph. Be honest! One of the worst things you can do as a swapper is set people up for a castle when really you have a cottage. Most swappers are not in it for luxury, they just care about your location. Make sure to list anything that makes your home special, like a hot tub or if you have a pet!

4. Find Your First Swap

Now that you’ve got your listing set up, it’s time to take the leap and start contacting people. Sign into the website and begin browsing available homes. Home swapping is like dating. If you don’t take initiative, nothing’s ever going to happen. When I began Home Exchanging, I would read each listing before messaging them. It was a giant waste of time! Cast your net wide and read in-depth if they respond positively.

Now I craft a short personal message with a little information about my family, the reason for my trip, and what I like about their region. I message houses inside and outside the city center. Offer Guest Points (GP) OR reciprocal exchanges. We’ve had more luck with GP but we do reciprocal exchanges also!

I would estimate it takes an average of 15–20 messages to find a match. Ask about seasons (i.e. would you like to swap sometime in the summer versus July 1–7). When someone responds positively, don’t confirm right away. Start a conversation. Just like dating, communication is key. Talk about everything. Move on if you can’t agree on something or you get a bad feeling.

Continue this until you’ve found the right match. After you’ve found your dream swap, don’t forget to “break up” with all the other people you’ve messaged! Tell them you’ve found an exchange but thank them for their interest. Another parallel to dating: have fun! Be patient and keep trying until something works out. The worst they’re going to say is no.

5. Things To Do Once To Ensure Smooth Swapping

Once you’ve found your exchange partner, it’s time to get ready for your swap! Don’t leave everything until the night before or you will be sorry. This is the “work” part of home exchanging. The first time you do it will take the longest. Eventually we developed a pretty good routine and now we can prepare really fast! We like the excuse to keep our home looking nice regularly.

1. Install outdoor security cameras and a security system you can control from your phone. It’s really nice to see the right people as they come and go. Be sure to notify your guests of any cameras inside or outside.
2. Purchase guest-only sheets, towels, and a keypad entry doorknob or a key lockbox.
3. Type up a comprehensive guide of your home and area. Include your WiFi password, pet/plant instructions, nearby grocery stores, and your favorite things to do in the area.

6. Pre-Swap Checklist

Try to do as many of these things ahead of time, so you aren’t stressed last minute! We start a few months before just so we aren’t rushed.

• Finish up all ongoing DIY projects. You don’t have to have everything perfect, but nobody wants to stay in a half-painted room.
• Tell neighbors about the upcoming swap so they don’t call the cops. Our neighbors love meeting the people from different places. It’s also nice to have a trusted set of eyes on your house.
• Deep clean your home or hire a cleaner to do it.
• Lock up all personal items and documents you don’t want your guests seeing.
• Clear out 1–2 drawers per expected guest and make a bit of closet space. No need to empty every drawer or closet. Tip: combine drawers after removing what you’re packing for your trip.
• Clear out one shelf in the fridge and one shelf in the bathroom.
• Put guest sheets on the bed. Set out towels, shampoo/conditioner, your home guide, and (optional) a small food gift to welcome them to your home.
• Place key in a lockbox or in your predetermined location. Some swappers mail their guests a key or welcome them in person. Doors with key codes are also great! Have a backup plan if they can’t find the key, like leaving it with a neighbor or nearby relative. We had one exchange where the lock broke and we couldn’t get the key. Luckily they had a relative who had a key!

7. Time To Exchange!

Once you’ve left your house the work is over and the fun begins! When you arrive at your exchange, crawl around at your child’s height and move anything breakable. We prefer to exchange with families with children so we don’t have to do this.

Text your hosts when you get there and when you check out. It’s ok to contact them occasionally if you have any questions. However, do not contact them every hour for obvious stuff (look for the blow dryer a few places before asking). Keep in mind that not everyone lives exactly as you and that’s part of the fun of swapping!

When you’re getting ready to leave, replace anything you ate that they didn’t specifically say you could eat or leave a bit of cash to cover the cost. Practice LNT, or leave no trace, by sweeping, washing dishes, emptying trash, and generally picking up. No need to scrub everything down, but make sure it looks welcoming when they get home from their trip. At this point in our lives we prefer to hire a cleaner and pay a cleaning fee after we leave, but that’s up to you!

Lastly, we always look for a small gift and write a short thank you note. You learn a bit about people staying in their home. We try to use this knowledge to choose a gift that will be meaningful to them.

Our very first home swap guest left us a succulent. She could tell I love succulents because I have them everywhere! I keep it by my kitchen sink so I can see it as I perform my daily tasks of motherhood. It reminds me that we don’t have to have unlimited money, quit our 9-5 jobs, or leave our child to take a dream vacation. The world is open to us through home exchanging!

Ready to start your own home exchange adventure? You can find more of our family travel guides on the site, including our full itineraries for Paris With Kids and London With Kids, both trips we took through home exchanges!