Cheap Way To Travel – Home Exchanges

Cheap Way To Travel – Home Exchanges

Instead of booking hotels or short-term rentals, a growing number are swapping their own homes with other travelers, eliminating one of the biggest expenses of any trip.

Unlike short-term rentals, members of a home exchange platform either swap homes directly or earn credits by hosting other travellers, which can be redeemed for another stay. Most charge an annual membership fee rather than a nightly rate.

More than 15,000 home exchanges were planned in Canada over June, July and August, up 29 per cent from the same time last year.

At Kindred, instead of paying a membership fee, users pay a nightly service fee and for cleaning. Stays are credit-based in a give-to-get model. Would-be members could be placed on a waitlist for several reasons, including too much inventory, or homes not meeting the platform’s guidelines.

The majority of homes listed are primary residences. Renters are accepted on all three platforms as long as it’s allowed within the lease. Homeowners should also check their insurance policies.

If you take the budget for your lodging and potentially a vehicle — because a lot of times when we’re doing a simultaneous swap, we’ll exchange cars as well — if you take out those costs, then all of your money goes towards food and entertainment, which makes it a much more fun way to see the country.

For first-time users, the biggest concern isn’t always cost — it’s trusting a stranger in their homes.

Platform operators rely on verified member profiles, reviews and secure messaging to build confidence among users. There are also built-in protections such as property damage insurance.

Some other platforms to look into include Australia-based People Like Us, and HomeExchange.