House Swapping: How To & Is It Right For You?
There are so many ways to travel, but here at The Free Life Travel, we like to travel in the most affordable (or FREE) way that we can – and then share that info with you! So with that, we are going to share with you about house swapping!
We are currently house swapping so that we can snowboard for 7 weeks in Utah while the owners of the house we are staying in are living in our home in Nashville.
In this blog post, I’ll give you all of the ins and outs on how we made this house swap work, what we loved, what we would do differently, and how you can do it too!
The Story Behind Our House Swap…
I know most of you think that I got the idea from the movie “The Holiday”, but I actually got the idea from my friend, Claire.
Her mom lives on the coast of France and since Claire knows how much I love France, when her mom needed someone to watch her cat while she traveled for a couple of weeks, she called me to see if I’d be up for it.
Ummm, absolutely!!! We started having the conversations in February 2020 and making plans for that summe. But you all know what happened in 2020 – all travel plans came to an abrupt halt.
Even though those plans never happened, the idea has always stuck with me. It wasn’t always the right time though, so I just kept the idea in my back pocket and knew that one day I would revisit it.
Then this year when some changes happened to our schedule, I knew the time was right to explore the idea again.
At first, it was a hard “No” from my husband. So if this is your case, don’t give up!
He did not like the idea of someone else staying in our home. I mean, I get it – it does seem kind of weird but sometimes getting out of our comfort zones ends up creating the best memories.
So I asked him this, “What if it is someone we know and not someone random? Would you do it then?” To which he said, “Maybe.”
Alright! We are getting somewhere!
Because I had this “maybe” from him – that gave me the green light to take the next step, which was throwing the question out on my Facebook page and seeing if I had any bites.
For us, we love to snowboard and try to take an annual trip. However, with an annual trip, we are only able to get in at most 4-5 days before we have to go back home.
I thought if I was going to sell my husband on the idea of house swapping, it needed to be for a reason that he couldn’t say no to. That reason was house swapping with someone who lives near a ski resort. Here is the post that I made:
To my surprise, I had several people comment with possibilities!
However, there was one that stood out. My good friend that I knew from church back in Ohio said her parents now live at the bottom of Snowbasin Resort in Utah and they would be willing to swap with us!
I told my husband about it and once he knew that it was Lindsay’s family that was willing to swap – he was in!
We kept in communication with our “house swap mates”, as I like to call them, every couple of weeks to make sure all things were a go before we sold one of our kidneys and purchased our season passes for the ski resort.
I joke, of course, but we all know that skiing / snowboarding isn’t the cheapest of sports!
I’ve heard the joke, “If you want to keep you kids off of drugs, then have them ski/snowboard so that they can’t afford anything else!” Haha!
I can truly say that without this house swap, we may have never tried Snowbasin Resort. The reason being is because they do not have any ski in / ski out hotels or lodging within 20ish minutes of the resort.
With all of that being said, this house swap was such a blessing so that we could explore Snowbasin as it is ranked the #1 ski resort in North America by Ski Magazine, USA Today, and Outside Magazine!
Plus, it will host the winter Olympics for the second time in 2034. It’s pretty cool that we were on the same slopes that we will be watching the downhill Olympians run!
I posted asking the question on August 31st and we left for the house swap on December 28th.
Not a lot of time to plan it out, especially since we had other trips planned in that time frame. (Check back to see my posts on exploring Sedona, Monument Valley and the Grand Canyon!)
We felt like we were holding our breath for those few months. We were so nervous that something would happen and it would all fall through. But it didn’t and here we are – in week 7 of the house swap!
As I type this out, I’m sitting in Earl’s Lodge at Snowbasin while Ben and the kids are out snowboarding for the day. (I had to take a rest day – we’ve boarded the past 3 days in a row and my legs are tired!)
Thanks to Carter for snapping the below pic of me typing all of this out! 🙂
So that is our house swapping story – now let’s get to how you all can do it too!
What Is House Swapping?
At this point, I’m pretty certain that you all know what it is but just to be super clear – house swapping is where you find someone to come to your house while you go to theirs.
It is different than Airbnb or VRBO because you aren’t paying one another for your homes.
It is an even trade. When I say “Even Trade” I mean that even if you live in a 1 bedroom home and the house you swap to is a 15 bedroom mansion, it is still a home for a home.
Both parties should definitely be aware of the type of home that they will be swapping to beforehand, but we will get to that further down in this post.
Ways You Can House Swap
1. Announce it on socials that you are looking to house swap
Like my story above stated, this is the way that we did our house swap; however, I know that this may not work for everyone so I’ll list some other ways below also.
If you do decide to throw the question out there on Facebook, I would be very clear about what kind of swap you are looking for.
As an example, if you want to go to the beach, I would ask something along the lines of, “Do I have any friends that live near the beach that would want to do a house swap with me? I’m in (insert your city here).”
I would even add in a few things in your city that they could take advantage of. An example would be, “You could have a great time here! We have….and then insert events, history locations for them to explore, outdoor activities, etc.”
And then see who responds!
Also, don’t forget about the power of referrals! Our friend, Lindsay, asked her parents for us and that ended up being the perfect match!
The Pros: You could find someone that you know, or a referral, making it a bit easier on your nerves. This was our case.
The Cons: Maybe you don’t have a big network or know anyone outside of your city, which then keep reading for more options.
2. Third Party House Swapping Sites
If you aren’t on social media or just don’t have a big network of people on social, then your best option may be to use a 3rd party house swapping site.
There are a few sites that help facilitate in the house swapping experience – Home Exchange, ThirdHome, LiveKindred, INTERVAC and HomeLink.
If you have a second home and/or a rental property, ThirdHome may be a good option for you to exchange your second homes.
If you like this option, do a deep dive into each of these and see which one would work the best for you.
These sites will vary in how they operate ranging from an annual fee to charging service and cleaning fees per visit (which can end up being about the same as an Airbnb service fee).
Some operate on a “points” system where every time you allow someone else to come to your home, you gain points in their system. You then redeem those points for when you want to go stay in someone else’s home.
The points system is good in theory, but has some problems in reality though.
There are a lot of European house swappers that don’t really want to swap, but more have their secondary homes to “rent” out and won’t accept the points. Just make sure to really read through all of the sites and reviews before choosing the one you go with.
The Pros: There may be a bit more peace of mind for you since you are using an agency that has vetted people before they can become part of their “home swap community”.
If there is damage to your home, you can go through the 3rd party site to try to collect money for the damages. Make sure to read their rules about this carefully!
These sites have homes all over the world so if international travel is something that you want to do, but don’t have a big network on your own, this may be a great fit!
The Cons: Even though these sites have vetted the people that are on there, it still isn’t the same as you knowing them personally like you could potentially get if you ask your friends on social.
They don’t have homes everywhere yet, so you may not get the location that you want.
I saw that a lady said that she has a cute home in Cape Cod and would go “anywhere in Italy”. However, other people who use these 3rd party sites said that she really shouldn’t expect to get Italy. Instead, these sites are more telling you where you can go versus you choosing where you want to go. Just something to keep in mind.
3. Facebook Groups for House Swapping Connections
This is another social suggestion, but it is different than just throwing the question out there to your own personal network.
If your network is small, but you don’t want to use a 3rd party site, then I would suggest asking the question in a Facebook group.
There are Facebook groups that are for house swapping specifically, like House Swap Holidays, House/Flat Swap for Women, and House Swap. Lots more can be found if you search “house swap” in Facebook.
Another way to utilize Facebook groups for a house swap is to ask the question in any groups that you are already in. It doesn’t have to be a “house swap” specific group.
If you are into photography and have a photography FB group that you are in – maybe ask there! Or if you are in a faith based FB group – ask there! So many possibilities!
To all of my network marketers out there – ask within your network marketing community too!
You can always say something like, “Admin, feel free to remove this post if it is not allowed. I have a friend (referring to me! 🙂 ) that did a house swap and I would love to do the same thing! I thought I would see if anyone in this group would be interested in doing a home swap with me? I live in (insert city) and we have a ton to offer here like (insert the fun things!)”
The Pros: You may have a wider network of people and places to choose from if you broaden your search using Facebook groups.
The Cons: Just because you are in an interest group with someone, doesn’t mean that they would make good house swap mates. You need to really do your research of the person you choose to swap with before you agree to anything.
As an example, I am in a homeschooling group and saw that someone said that they want to house swap. Their home is in Alaska and at first thought I was like, “YES!”
But then I started digging into that person’s FB page and saw that they are into New Age witchcraft type things and was immediately like, “Nope!”
I won’t allow that in my home nor do I want to go stay at a place where they are doing things like that. I’m super thankful I looked into that person before saying that I was interested in house wapping with her!
So know that you will need to dig and maybe ask some uncomfortable questions before you agree to swapping with someone you don’t know.
Disclaimer – I am in no way responsible for any bad decisions that you all make with house swapping! I’m just giving you some places for you all to look into. It is up to you to do all of your due diligence in making sure that who you are swapping with is legit and safe.
How To Stay Safe When You House Swap
Speaking of staying safe…let’s go over some things…
1. Storing your valuables
The biggest question that I have received is, “What do you do with all of your valuables?”
We honestly don’t have many valuables. We spend our money on memories and not things, but I know that isn’t everyone’s case.
If you do have things that you’d be concerned about like purses, guns, tech stuff, jewelry, etc. then I suggest either bringing it with you, putting it into a safe, or seeing if you can store it at a family or friend’s house while you are gone.
I would for sure do this with any important paperwork that you don’t want your house swap mates to see (birth certificates, social security cards, passports, etc.)
2. Neighbors are your best friend
Let your neighbors know beforehand what you are doing so that they aren’t caught off guard.
Ask them to keep an eye on your house and even talk with the people staying at your house if they see them out.
3. Cameras and House Swapping
We live in a day in age where there are cameras everywhere, and that can be pretty alarming when it comes to a house swap.
In the house swap that we did, we felt very comfortable that cameras weren’t watching us as we know the family, but I do know that it is a concern if you are swapping with people you don’t know, and rightfully so.
If you swap with someone who has indoor cameras, you can have the discussion of turning them off while you are there. For extra precaution, you can put a towel over the cameras to ensure that you aren’t being “spied” on.
Another fear is people having hidden cameras like a nanny cam, or the fear of them putting cameras in your home.
I get it – this is definitely something that should concern you. It is so important for you to do your due diligence in looking into your house swap mates. Ask lots of questions to see if you are comfortable with their ethics and morals before swapping with them.
One extra step you could take is to purchase a “camera detector”. I know nothing about these so I’ll let you all search this on your own, but wanted to at least mention that it is an option.
I actually know someone whose brother-in-law put a camera in his sister-in-law’s bathroom and was spying on her. Her own family!
It’s a crazy world we live in and crazy things can happen but we shouldn’t let that stop us from trying new things like house swapping.
So at the end of the day, I would just make sure to ask all of the right questions, go over the house when you first get there, go through your home when you get back, and then try not to worry about it too much.
4. Locks & Alarms
If you have a keypad, I suggest changing the keypad code to a guest code. This is super easy to do.
You can do it like we did and ask our house swap mates what code they would like that they would remember easily. This way we can change it when we get back.
If you have an alarm system, you can also change the security code so that it is a guest code instead of your code that you use when you are at home.
Getting Ready For a House Swap
1. Take photos of entire house
Before you agree to swap with anyone, I would ask for photos of their entire home.
Make sure to get photos of the outside of their house as well as some pics of their neighborhood.
You will, of course, need to also send pictures of your home too so make sure that you have a clean and tidy house before you take the pics!
2. “How to” videos to send to your house swap mates
There are going to be certain things about your home that only you know how to do.
The “quirks” of your home…like knowing that your tv has to be turned on twice to actually turn on, that you have to bang your toaster on the right side before it will work, how your coffee pot works (because they are all a little different lol), etc.
With these certain things – a simple how to video can go a long way in ensuring that your house swap mate knows how to handle the quirks of your home.
You will also reap the benefits if they do this for you too!
3. What needs to be replaced?
When we found out that our house swap was for sure happening, I started seeing my home in a different light. I started seeing it in the eyes of guests!
It was a real eye opener for me – seeing things in my house that were long overdue for a replacement, like bathroom mats, oven mitts, dish towels, bathroom towels and wash cloths, etc.
A little sprucing up and replacing some worn out items that your guests may be using will go a long way and will, once again, be appreciated by you if they do the same!
4. BYOP – Bring Your Own Pillows
We all have our favorite pillow so go ahead and just put it out there that you all should BYOP haha. You could do the same for sheets too.
5. Type out all of the things for your home
Outside of the “how to videos” of the quirks of your home, you’ll need to type out and leave on the counter all of the other things about your home that they will need to know like wifi, how to work the tv, garage door code, thermostat, trash and recycling days, neighbor’s contact info, etc.
6. Type out the “must-dos” for your city
You want your house swap mates to enjoy your city just as much as you want to enjoy their city so make sure to leave them a list of all of your favorite spots.
Include things like your favorite coffee shops, restaurants, museums, events, historical locations, hikes, churches, etc.
I live in Nashville so the document that I had typed out for our guests was 8 pages long haha!
7. Welcome to our home basket
I wish this were my idea, but it wasn’t. However, we definitely benefited from our house swap mates leaving us a “Welcome to Our Home” basket!
In the basket were local breads, honey, and chocolates. It was the sweetest and truly appreciated!
8. Making room for your house swap mates
Since a house swap is typically a little longer than what a hotel stay would be, living out of a suitcase isn’t really ideal. Which means that your guests will need somewhere to put all of their things.
We cleaned out a section of our bedroom and bathroom closets to give them room to put their clothes, shoes, toiletries, etc. in and put our things in our kid’s closets.
We also went through the house and any “extra” stuff that we knew that they wouldn’t need, we put in the attic to get it out of their way. Example: The 12 foot gymnastic mat that takes up the majority of our playroom, coolers & lunchboxes to make space in the pantry, the kid’s keyboard, etc.
Our house swap mates gave us way more drawer space than what we gave them, oops! They never said that it wasn’t enough, but it was something that I noticed. I’ll have to make sure that I give more drawer space the next time we swap.
The House Swapping Wrap Up…
What we loved about the house swap experience:
- House swapping allowed for us to snowboard 20 days this season when we normally only get 4-5 days per season. With this, we all were able to really work on our skills that we want to sharpen.
- When we have only a week to get all of our snowboarding in, we push ourselves to be on the mountain from open to close, which is really exhausting and can lead to more mistakes and injuries. But since we knew we could come back as much as we wanted, we could call it a day once our bodies started to get tired.
- We loved getting to experience this area like a local. One of the best things we found was the local grocery store that does “Fritter Fridays” and also “$5 Sushi Fridays”. We may not have found this place if we were only here for a week and eating out for every meal.
- On our “rest days” we were still able to homeschool but a lot of our homeschool was learning about the area by going to local historical sites and museums. This homeschool mom calls that a win!
- I thoroughly enjoyed getting photos from our house swap mates and seeing that they were having a good time at our place also. 🙂
What we would do differently:
- I would have made a “Welcome To Our Home Basket” like our house swap mates did for us.
- I would have asked beforehand what size bed they have as we brought our bamboo king size sheets (LOVE those – get them if you don’t have them!), but once we got here we realized that they had a queen size bed. It was still super cozy and they had great sheets on it but I still should have asked beforehand so that I didn’t bring the sheets with me lol.
- I would have NOT stored our dog food in the garage. We store it in the garage at home and have never had a problem, but with different terrain and climates there are different things to be aware of. In this case, a mouse ate through the dog food bag and then took the dog food up into our van’s engine. It ended up also eating a wire in our van that left us having to pay hundreds and without a van for 2 days! Honda told us that it is a big problem in this area and that we were the 9th case already this season. Who would have known!? So if you are coming to the mountains and have a dog – don’t put the dog food in the garage!
Pics of Ben pulling out the dog food from the engine and pic of Cooper just for your enjoyment lol.
So is house swapping for you?
I say try it! Throw out the question over your socials and see what happens. If social isn’t for you – look into the 3rd party sites and see if that might be a good fit.
If you want to travel but budgets are a concern, this really could be a great answer for you.
Or if budget isn’t a concern and you just want to immerse yourself into the local culture, house swapping definitely can do that for you!
There have been people who have house swap say that they got experiences that a hotel could never bring them – and that is our case with our current house swap too!
With a house swap, you’ll have access to things like bikes and their outdoor gear (and they will also have access to yours!)
When our van wouldn’t start because of the mouse chewing through the wire, our house swap mate’s daughter brought over their Jeep that was being stored at her house so that we could use it to run any errands if we needed. It was a huge help!
If at the end of all of your searching you are just not comfortable with people staying in your home but you want to have the option of staying in other people’s homes, I have one more option for you – a traveling house and pet sitter!
As a traveling house and pet sitter, you’ll still be able to take advantage of you staying in someone else’s home without the pressure of them staying in yours.
If you don’t mind cuddling with their cat, playing with their pup, or even staring at their snake (this one’s not for me!) – then check out these sites that can give you this option – Mind My House and Trusted House Sitters.
I would love to hear if you all house swap and how your experience is if you do it! So are you brave enough (or in our case, cheap enough lol) to live out the old saying, “Mi casa es su casa”!?
Thanks for reading…now go live that Free Life, my friends!
