More and more remote workers and digital nomads are discovering it: house swapping. The principle is actually very simple and ingenious at the same time. Instead of booking an expensive accommodation, you temporarily swap your house or apartment with someone else. Not only do you save a lot on accommodation costs, but you also get the unique opportunity to really live like a local.
In this blog I share the advantages and disadvantages of house swapping, give tips on what to look out for, share my experience in Albania and tell why I myself am a fan of the HomeExchange platform.
What exactly is home exchange?
House swapping means that you make your own home available to another person, and in return stay at that person’s home. This can be done simultaneously (you swap houses at the same time) or at different times (you go into someone’s house, and that person comes into yours another time). With platforms like HomeExchange, you can arrange this very conveniently and safely.
There are variations where you also babysit someone’s animals, from dogs and cats to goats and horses. I also did that once, but it does limit you a bit in your freedom to do whatever you want at your destination. On the other hand, in my case it made for a fantastic apartment with rooftop pool in downtown Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where I looked after someone’s cat.
The benefits of home exchange
- Cost savings
The biggest plus: you don’t pay for accommodation. This saves you a huge amount of money when you travel. Sometimes you also get a property in return that you could never normally afford. Often you only pay a membership fee to the platform and possibly a service fee. - Local experience
You are not staying in a tourist hotel, but in a real house. This immediately gives you the feeling that you are part of the local community. You have contact with the owner, who often gives you great local tips for things to do or somewhere to eat. - Suitable for remote working
Because you are staying in someone’s home, there is often already a good workplace or at least stable internet available. And otherwise you can check well in advance if the home is suitable for this. - Space and comfort
Unlike a hotel room, you usually have an entire house or apartment at your disposal. It also feels a little more homey. Ideal if you want to work remotely for longer periods or travel with your partner, family or colleagues.
The concerns of home exchange
While home exchanges offer many advantages, there are also areas of concern:
- You must make your home available: Not everyone is comfortable with others staying in their homes. I never have a problem with that myself.
- Alignment and planning: aligning dates can be a bit of a puzzle.
- Managing expectations: your standard of cleanliness or comfort may be different from that of your exchange partner. Although homes are often treated with respect.
- Reliable exchange: Always use a reliable platform to do a home exchange, do not enter into agreements without using professional platform.
Why choose HomeExchange for home exchange?
My home exchange through HomeExchange has been great. There is something charming about swapping places with someone else. Of all the different platforms, HomeExchange stands out. This is the largest and most reliable home exchange network worldwide. An advantage of this is also that they have the largest selection of houses which gives you a lot of choice in terms of locations and types of homes. In my case, I wanted to do a home exchange in Albania, for which not every platform has offers. This platform has a community with more than 200,000 houses in 155 countries, so chances are you will find a suitable home.
Another big advantage is using “GuestPoints,” where you don’t necessarily have to swap houses at the same time. However, you can already stay in someone’s house without that person joining you right away. That makes it a lot more flexible in terms of travel dates. I did it that way myself and works very nicely. In this I could pick something on the dates that fit my travel schedule and in the cities I wanted to go to in Albania.
Choose accommodation that suits digital nomads
In my case, I always pay attention to a nice workplace and good internet. Whether there is wifi is indicated in the ad and you can check the workspace on the photos. I also always let the owner know in the application that I am a digital nomad, so that good wifi is very important to me. An extra check that you can do your online work well is always recommended.
When I travel with a travel buddy I always make sure I have 2 separate workstations so we can both work quietly and not disturb each other with a video meeting, for example. Often this is a bedroom with a desk and a workstation in the living room or dining area. I have been to 2 destinations in Albania: an apartment in the capital Tirana and an authentic villa in the south, in coastal Sarandë. Two completely different types of accommodations and therefore a different experience.
My home exchange experience in capital Tirana
In the capital, Tirana, it was mostly apartments that were offered. I picked one that was nicely furnished, with a desk in the bedroom and spacious dining table to work at. And especially with cool views of the city. The apartment in Tirana was very modern, which is not so obvious in Albania. In fact, most homes and even hotels are quite dated and far from stylish.
I spent 4 days here, just enough to explore the city. During the day I worked from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. and then went into town. I also went to 2 different laptop-friendly cafes to do some work with good coffee, on the recommendation of the owner. With that I had very nice contact via app, she was in Laos in Asia at the time, where I myself had been several years ago. Her recommendations for great local restaurants were also a hit!
A unique home exchange in Sarandë in southern Albania
Sarandë is a popular coastal town on the Albanian Riviera. I stayed with my fellow remote work buddy for a week in a traditional Albanian house, with insane sea views from the terrace. The family home of owner Aneta, in which she herself was born. She uses it for rentals and especially for house exchanges. She travels a lot herself, including to America, Canada and Spain.
My home exchange through HomeExchange here has really been a unique and special experience. In the ad, I already read a whole story about the history of the family that lived there and all kinds of tips for the area. I went right into that. I also loved the cosiness of the house, really a peek into a traditional Albanian home. It is in a beautiful location with beautiful sea views from the terrace and surrounded by a green garden. Another advantage of house swapping, someone can water the plants, which is something I always ask for when someone is in my house.
When submitting my exchange request, there was immediately very warm contact with owner Aneta and also when we got there it was so special. So cordial. She told all kinds of things about the history of the house, her family and her father. He happened to spend some time in the Netherlands, in the same region where I live. Then it feels really special to be allowed to stay in someone’s house. She even made a series of YouTube videos about multiple trips with HomeExchange, which we enjoyed watching together and you can find on her YouTube channel here. At 61, she is full of energy, plans and dreams. Albania was liberated from communism only 30 years ago, it is bizarre to hear from Aneta how different life was here then, so limited. For example, she was the first woman in Sarandë to be allowed to ride a bicycle, a huge event at the time, we sat listening in disbelief.
Given my expertise on content and digital nomads, we also talked about the opportunities for renting this amazing house to that target group. Soon we will have dinner together, because we can’t stop talking. Hopefully she will visit us in Utrecht in the future.
My tips for a successful home exchange
- Make clear agreements: on how to check in, use of amenities and cleaning. Set house rules and share them in advance so you both know where you stand.
- Check the reviews: home exchange platforms like HomeExchange have extensive reference systems, so you can read other people’s experiences. This puts your mind at ease about the person coming into your home, but it also allows you to know more about the property you yourself are going to. Always check reviews beforehand.
- Communicate in advance: discuss expectations, Internet connection and whether a workspace is available. Especially if you will be working remotely, these things are important. You can even request a speed test of the wifi speed if you want to be sure the wifi is good enough for your online work.
- Take care of your own home: leave your home tidy and make your guest feel welcome. After all, you always want to enter a clean house yourself. I personally like to make a welcome package with Dutch things, such as stroopwafels, liquorice and a handwritten welcome card, especially for international guests.
Home exchange is smart, affordable and inspiring
As you have noticed, I am very enthusiastic about house swapping and both times it was a very nice and special experience for me. Especially if you want to stay a bit longer in another destination to work remotely, someone’s home is a very nice place for that. It saves costs, gives you a chance to live like a local and makes longer stays abroad feasible. Platforms like HomeExchange make it easy and safe to organize this.
Become a member of HomeExchange as well? Then use my code: alieke-14418
More tips for traveling cheaply
