Why do a Home Swap? Here are 7 Good Reasons

More and more people are discovering the benefits of home swapping. The majority of home swaps are simply to arrange a holiday while enjoying free accommodation in your home from home. However, many Home Base Holidays members use home swapping for more than just holidays. Shown below are 7 good reasons to start home swaping.

1. Work from anywhere in the world

If you work independently, you don’t have to give up the travel you love. Digital nomads, freelance workers, and people running online businesses have the freedom to work almost anywhere they have an internet connection. Many such location-independent workers are using home swapping to arrange work/travel swaps worldwide, often arranging longer term (3+ month) exchanges.

Taking a sabbatical or work on overseas projects? If work commitments or research mean you need to stay in a destination for a period of time, from several weeks up to a year (or more), arranging a home swap not only gives you a home to stay in, it is a major money-saver. Search home exchange offers

2. Swap city life for country living (or vice versa)

If you’re considering swapping the city for a life in the country or moving from the country to the city, but are not sure the move would be right for you – try first arranging a home swap! What better way to try out an area than by staying in a real home (you may want to arrange a swap during the worse time of year weather-wise to get a real taste of what a permanent move would be like).

Use the home swap search tools to find everything from country cottages, city apartments... even houseboats and yurts!

3. Stay in a real home when travelling for a special occasion

People use home swapping to attend special occasions such as weddings, anniversaries or special birthday celebrations. Swapping homes is a great alternative to a hotel room or staying with relatives.

Check out the blog post Home swap holiday in Sri Lanka for daughter's wedding

4. Have your own space when visiting friends and family

If you’re visiting friends or family, arranging a home exchange close to where they live can be an ideal option; you get the chance to spend time together but also have your own space.

Visiting your 'home' country? Many families are separated from loved ones by thousands of miles. As well as wanting children to know their relatives abroad, it’s natural to hope that they’ll feel a connection to your country of origin. Arranging home swaps “back home” can enable lengthy stays at very little cost.

5. Comfortable (and free!) place to stay when attending sporting or cultural events

We’ve had members arranging home swaps to visit major sporting events such as the Wimbledon, Australian Open, Ryder Cup, The Ashes, the Super Bowl, and more. Home Base Holidays members also arrange exchanges to attend concerts, music and theatre festivals, and other cultural events. Just remember to arrange your home swap well ahead of time! Search home exchange offers

6. Try out living abroad

If you’re thinking about moving to another country, why not arrange a home exchange before taking the plunge? By staying in a real home, you will get a much better feel for what life would be like if you did decide to move permanently. Without having to worry about hotel costs, you could swap for an extended period of time and explore property options if you do decide to immigrate.

Learning a new language? Many Home Base Holidays members like to immerse themselves in another countries culture so that they (and their kids) can learn or improve language skills. What better way to grasp a language than using it every day?

Check out the blog post Expat life: try out a new life abroad by swapping homes

7. Get free holiday accommodation!