My First Home Swap
I know, the idea of trading your precious home for complete stranger’s house can be a bit frightening. Trust me, I felt exactly those hesitations and worries. Though, vacationers and travelers have been using mutual trust to share homes and other possessions since the 50’s. When I was younger, my family and I engaged in a home swap before we even knew that exchanging homes was already an established option for travel accommodation.
Growing up, I lived in a very multi-cultural neighborhood. To our left, a British family, to our right a family from India, and across from us, a French family. One summer, my mom had a science conference in Paris and wanted to bring the whole family with her. For the conference, she was offered a nice single hotel room, but that obviously wasn’t enough to accommodate all of us. So, since booking a hotel in Paris was a too pricey after paying for all our flights from SFO, we asked around in our neighborhood for ideas.
It just so happened that our French neighbors were searching for a good time to have their family come visit but the family was always reluctant to spend thousands on accommodation. Right then and there, we offered our humble abode for their lovely country-side house, located in the outskirts of Paris. Although we had a connection to the family we swapped with, we still had no idea who they were and what their home looked like.
Our stay turned out to be amazing and well worth the swap. I distinctly remember that every time we entered or left the house, we had to cover this hole in the front gate with a rock or else the rabbits would eat the family’s vegetable garden. It was also very nice to have our own rooms, an equipped kitchen, to interact with some locals and to just be away from the busy city.
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When you exchange homes, you’ll never receive a house that is just like yours, and that, in my opinion, is the best part. Vacationers often stick to touristy hotels and classic itineraries, inhibiting them from really understanding the country and its culture. Swapping allows you to have a more authentic, immersed and meaningful travel experience. I highly recommend checking it out if you’re looking to save money and travel like a local!

