What Kind of People Swap Homes Anyway?
We all have ideas in our head about what kind of people engage in what kind of activities, not to mention a few old-fashioned stereotypes — the hippie vegan (with his beard and Birkenstocks), the yummy mummy (young, attractive, effortlessly stylish with a rich high-powered husband) or the yuppy professional (gym, office, drinks, trendy restaurant, sleep, repeat).

What kind of stereotypes do we have about home-swappers though? Are they people who couldn’t care less about their possessions? Free spirits who simply pack a bag and head off wherever the mood takes them? Individuals who hate putting their hand in their wallet? Or are they just regular people, who want to take advantage of everything staying in someone else’s home actually avails?
Who are the homeswappers?
1. Parents with young kids
If you have young kids, you’ll know how tough it is keeping them entertained — especially when they’re out of their comfort zones. And according to most parents, with infants and toddlers, staying in another home beats staying in a hotel hands down. Firstly, you can prepare food for them at any time — if they’re hungry at 6am, or 11pm…(when hotel restaurants are closed, and room service can take a while). Secondly, you have a washing machine to hand (for all the messes they inevitably get into). Thirdly, if you swap with other young parents, you’re going to have toys, books and games in the house — a great way to keep them entertained. A no brainer.

2. 20 and 30-something professionals
Millennials (those born between 1980 and 2000) love to travel, but they don’t have endless cash to do so. They’re usually establishing their careers and often weighed down with the heavy burden of rent or a mortgage…some of them even have a young child. But they’re curious and energetic and, if you offer them a weekend break for nothing more than the cost of a charter air fare, they’ll jump at the chance. And because they’ve come of age at a time when travel is so popular, they want to experience all that they can!

3. Eco-friendly types
Caring about the planet has never been more of an issue, and there are an increasing number of people who are making a concerted effort to keep down their carbon footprint and cut back on the resources they use. And what better way to do it then by home-swapping? This way, both parties are using a space that would otherwise stay empty — and by cooking at home and buying at local stores and farmers markets, you’re making a bic contribution to the environment and small businesses.

4. Retirees
Older (retired) people have plenty of time on their hands, and a fair amount of flexibility when it comes to dates, since they don’t have to think about school holidays or work schedules. They’re likely to be responsible and reliable because they’ve probably owned more than one home over their lifetimes. Retirees are often able to swap for more than a couple of weeks too — they’re fond of taking long breaks.

5. Bigger families — several adults and several kids
Some people prefer small, intimate breaks, and others prefer hectic, rowdy ones. For people with lots of brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews, swapping is great — it cuts down on enormous costs and allows you to all live in the same place together- you can share shopping and cooking chores, the kids can run around together and the adults can take it in turns to babysit, in the evenings. And if everyone lives far from each other, the rest of the year round, there’ll be a lot to catch up on!

Whether you just sent your kids off to college or are just looking for a cheap and easy way to travel, try home swapping with CasaVersa!
Check out more tips and location ideas on our blog!

