Travel the Home Exchange Way blog

Home swapping? Add photos of your clean & tidy home

Don and Rita's stunning home in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand

Don and Rita, the owners of this stunning holiday home (above) with private beach front in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand, are very experienced home swappers who recently shared tips on how members could best use photos to ‘sell’ the idea of coming to stay in their homes. If your home has a view like this, selling your home exchange offer should be a cinch!

Of course, not everyone can offer such stunning views and the majority of homes available to exchange will be smaller (and probably not offer a private beach!). However, what every member should do to create a good first impression is to ensure that their home is tidy before taking photos.

Home swap tip: Don and Rita browsed through a couple of home and garden magazines to get some ideas on how best to display and photograph their home.

 

Tidying doesn’t mean depersonalising your home; there’s no need to hide away family photos, books and interesting items you have on display (the things that make a house a home, not a show home) but rather to clear unsightly clutter, e.g. 

• Make sure beds are freshly made up and covers smoothed
• No clothes, toys, newspapers, junk is left lying around
• Definitely no kitchen sinks and work surfaces stacked with last night’s dirty dishes

Another important point that Don makes is that, with the photos uploaded of their own homes, Home Base Holidays members are giving an impression of how they may look after a home entrusted to them and the state they might leave it in at the end of the home exchange. Now the vast vast majority of members leave a home exactly as they found it on arrival (often better!) but those all-important first impressions you give of your own home do count.

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We have covered how to take good photos of your home in previous blog posts such as: Five tips: to make your home swap offer's photos stand out

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Join Home Base Holidays: start home swapping Enjoy free holiday accommodation by arranging a home swap. Sign up to Home Base Holidays Start home swapping: browse home swap holiday offers

10 good reasons to arrange a home swap in 2025

More and more people are discovering the benefits of home swapping. The majority of home swaps are arranged simply to enjoy fabulous free holiday accommodation. However, there are many Home Base Holidays members arranging home exchanges for more than just free holidays. Here are 10 good reasons to swap homes in 2025.

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1: Enjoy free holiday accommodation

The majority of home exchanges are for wonderful free holiday accommodation. By swapping homes rather than booking hotels or holiday rentals, you can have a fabulous break but at a fraction of the cost. When home exchanging, your holiday accommodation is totally free and so it's not uncommon for Home Base Holidays members to cut the cost of their holidays by over 90%. 

Why stay in a cramped hotel room when you could enjoy the space and comforts of a real home? You'll also have use of a fully equipped kitchen and often laundry facilities. Preparing your own breakfasts or a packed lunch for a day out exploring is an excellent way to make additional savings. Many home exchangers are also happy to swap cars for the duration of the holiday. Some members will also offer their guests use of bikes and other sporting equipment (skis/snowboards, kayaks, etc) during the swap, giving you more flexibility, adventures, and even more cost savings!

• Start home exchanging: Browse home exchange holiday offers for 2025

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2: Work from anywhere in the world (digital nomads, freelance workers)

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. Browse home exchange offers

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3: 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 so that you get a real taste of what a permanent move would be like). Browse home exchange offers

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4: Stay in a real home when traveling 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. Browse home exchange offers

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5: 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. Browse home exchange offers

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6: Save money when making family visits to 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. Browse home exchange offers

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7: Take sabbaticals 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’s also a major money-saver. Browse home exchange offers

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8: Comfortable accommodation for sporting or cultural events

We’ve had members arranging home swaps to visit major sporting events such as the Wimbledon, the Superbowl, and more. Members also do home swaps to attend concerts, music and theatre festivals, and other cultural events. Just remember to arrange your home swap well ahead of time! Browse home exchange offers

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9: 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 to try out living like a local and explore property options if you do decide to immigrate. Browse home exchange offers

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10: Learn a new language

Many of our members seek to immerse themselves in another country so that they (and their kids) can learn or improve language skills. What better way to grasp a language than using it every day? Browse home exchange offers

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Join Home Base Holidays: start home swapping Enjoy free holiday accommodation by arranging a home swap. Sign up to Home Base Holidays Start home swapping in 2025: browse home swap holiday offers

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Merry Christmas & Happy Home Swapping in 2025 ❄️

Merry Christmas & Happy Home Swapping in 2025

Best wishes from everyone at Home Base Holidays. We hope you enjoy a wonderful festive season with friends & family... and start looking forward to fabulous home exchange holidays in 2025.

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Home Swap Holidays for 2025 Start planning your home swap holidays for 2025. Enjoy fabulous budget friendly getaways. Browse home exchange offers and start contacting members to plan your next holiday. >> Home Swap Holidays for 2025

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Home Base Holidays: start home swapping in 2025 Swap homes and save over 90% on the cost of your holidays. Sign up to Home Base Holidays

Swap homes and enjoy budget friendly holidays in 2025

Swap homes and cut the cost of your holidays in 2025

Budget friendly holidays in 2025? By swapping homes rather than booking hotels or holiday rentals, you can enjoy a fabulous break at a fraction of the cost. The thing is, by arranging a home swap, your holiday accommodation is totally free! Therefore, it's not uncommon for Home Base Holidays members to cut their costs by over 90%. Search home swap offers

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What is a home exchange holiday?

Home exchanging is where you agree to swap homes for the duration of the holiday with someone living in the destination you'd like to visit. So they stay in your home while you stay in their home - meaning you both enjoy free holiday accommodation. Home Base Holidays members arrange anything from a weekend breaks, 1-2-week holidays or even a 6+ month longer term home swaps.

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Additional cost savings (cars, bikes, meals...)

Why stay in a cramped and expensive hotel room when you could enjoy the space and comforts of a real home. You'll also have use of a fully equipped kitchen and often laundry facilities. Preparing your own breakfasts or a packed lunch for a day out exploring is an excellent way to make additional savings. 

 

Many home exchangers are also happy to swap cars for the duration of your stay. Some members will also offer their guests use of bikes and other sporting equipment (skis/snowboards, kayaks, etc) during the swap, giving you more flexibility, adventures, and even more cost savings!

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How to arrange a home swap holiday? 

The first step is to sign up to a home swap website such as Home Base Holidays. On signing up, you will add your listing (details about your home and where/when you want to travel). You can then browse properties and start contacting other members to arrange your home swap holiday.  

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Who are Home Base Holidays?

Home Base Holidays is one of the longest running home swap agencies with 40 years experience helping members arrange their holidays worldwide. You'll find thousands of home swap offers including country cottages, city apartments, even houseboats and yurts! Visit Home Base Holidays

 

"Thank you so much Nicola and David for making our first home swap holiday so smooth. We had such a lovely stay in your lovely, comfortable and spacious home. Excellent communication in advance and during the swap, plus lots of tips on things to do, local restaurants as well as maps to help us navigate once we arrived. The bottle of fizz and home made cheese scones you left were very yummy... that was a lovely touch! Thanks again." - Nicola

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Home swap holiday offers for 2025:

Almeria, Spain	Morillon, France	Lake District, England	Napier, New Zealand

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Budget friendly breaks in 2025? Browse home swap holiday offers

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Home Base Holidays: join for free and start home swapping Sign up to Home Base Holidays two-week free trial or select a full membership. Home swap guarantee: second year free if you do not arrange a swap during your membership.

Home swap holiday in Spain with such wonderful hosts

Pete & Dawn swapped their apartment in Chester for Bert & Heidi's house on a golf community in Spain

We love receiving trip reports from Home Base Holidays members! In this trip report, members, Pete and Dawn, enjoyed a wonderful non-simultaneous home exchange holiday staying in Bert and Heidi's house set within a private golf complex community in Vera in the south of Spain. The two families built an excellent friendship, sharing local tips & recommendations. 

Pete & Dawn's non-simultaneous home swap in Almeria, Spain "This was the second part of a non-simultaneous home exchange holiday with The Bramer family. We had already built up an amazing friendship leading up-to and during their visit to our home in Chester. They are such warm and wonderful people, and such great communicators. They took such great care of our place in Chester. Their home in Vera, a beautiful village overlooking the mountains, was a 1hr 40 mins drive from Murcia airport on excellent and easy roads. The house is part of an exclusive golf complex community, but this small group of villas has its own secure gates entrance, private parking and use of a great pool. On our visit the pool was hardly used by any other residents and we loved having a daily swim to ourselves. We enjoyed drinks at the Golf hotel terrace, listening to the golf gossip! 😀 And had a very nice meal at La Hoya also near the hotel and a just a short walk from the house. Their house is so lovely, super clean and very comfortable, it has everything you could need. We especially enjoyed using the plancha grill on the roof terrace, we cooked several meals enjoying the lovely views from the roof terrace in the evenings. We explored Almeria City, the Alcazaba is well worth it and free to visit for UK. We booked an excellent 4WD tour of The Tabanas desert, Cabo de Gato coastal nature reserve with is stunning beaches and clear blue seas. So many amazing views as you drive through this region. We really enjoyed this beautiful home swap trip which was made extra special by the wonderful messages and helpful local tips shared between the families. Thank you so much Heidi and Bert " - Pete & Dawn

Highlights of the holiday: Mountains & coast: great location for the stunning scenery  Wonderful house with wonderful warm hosts Relaxing in the sunshine & enjoying the roof terrace

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Reply from Bert and Heidi: "Hi Pete and Dawn, thank you very much for this lovely review and the gratitude of your Almeria holiday in southern Spain. We crossed paths thanks to this great home swap website and what a beautiful and satisfying home exchange it was for both of us. It was a great pleasure to see you and Pete enjoying Almeria and we discovered so many similarities in our lives 🌝 Thank you very much for this special holiday exchange with amazing conversations and friendship. Very best wish, Bert and Heidi "

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Photos from the home exchange

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Pete & Dawn's home in Chester, UK Beautiful top floor apartment overlooking the canal basin in the historic city of Chester. View the home swap holiday offer	Bert & Heidi's home in Vera, Spain Lovely home in a golf complex community with fantastic views, roof terrace and swimming pool. View the home swap holiday offer

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Start home swapping and cut the cost of your next holiday Sign up to Home Base Holidays and save up to 90% on the cost of your holidays by arranging a home exchange. Search the latest home exchange holiday offers

Travel Q&A: arranging a home swap for the Xmas period

Arrange a last minute home exchange holiday for Christmas & New Year

Q: Me and my husband are hoping to visit London over the Christmas period and hopefully staying until the 5th January. Most of the half decent hotels and holiday rentals we've looked at have been incredibly expensive. Also, as we're hoping to be in London over Christmas and New Year, we'd ideally like to stay somewhere where we can relax and enjoy a homely festive feel.

We've just started looking at the possibility of arranging a home swap holiday in London, it sounds like it could be a perfect option but ...we are total novices in this! We have a two bedroom cottage in Cornwall (not far from St Ives). My concern is, have we left it too late to arrange a home swap for this Christmas?

Allison

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A: Thanks for getting in contact! Home swapping sounds like it would be an excellent fit for your travel requirements. Firstly, the accommodation is free (except for the small membership fee) and secondly, you'll get to stay in a real London home over the festive period - far more festive than a hotel room!

You'll still find many members that are looking for last minute home swaps over Christmas and New Year. However, it's best to get a move on and start looking as soon as possible!

The first step is to sign up to a home swap website such as Home Base Holidays. You can add details of your home in Cornwall and add your request for a home swap to London over Christmas and New Year. Once you've added your offer, start browsing London offers and contact members to enquire about a festive swap!

• Search home swap holiday offers

You can also add your offer to "Last minute swaps" and also search other members that have selected the Last minute swap option.

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Start home swapping and cut the cost of your next holiday Sign up to Home Base Holidays and save up to 90% on the cost of your holidays by arranging a home exchange. Search the latest home exchange holiday offers

Wonderful 6-week home swap holiday exploring Australia

Jenny & Colin enjoyed a wonderful 6-week home swap holiday exploring Australia

We love hearing from Home Base Holidays members about their home exchange experiences. Here we have a fantastic trip report from Jenny & Colin on their fabulous 6-week holiday swapping to Jarn and Ian's lovely home near Adelaide.

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Jenny & Colin's home swap holiday exploring Australia "When Jarn and Ian contacted us from Moana, near Adelaide, Australia we were thrilled to accept their offer of a 6 week home exchange during their Australian Spring. For many months before the trip, we kept in touch exchanging lots of laughs and information. They did everything possible to make us feel welcome and help us get the most out of our trip. What a delight to arrive at their lovely, super clean, modern home on the coast. It was beautifully decorated with Jarn's photos and treasures from their travels. There was everything you could possibly want for a comfortable stay – including friendly, helpful neighbours. The neighbourhood was really lovely and green, with easy access to a major road leading to Adelaide and the wider areas. We used to catch the train to Adelaide, which was easy and so cheap. During our stay we took the opportunity to fly from Adelaide to Port Douglas, then to Sydney and then on to a week with a campervan in Tasmania and back to Adelaide to spend the remainder of the trip in Moana. £800 for 2 people for 4 flights – unbelievable! We had one week in each destination. Port Douglas was beautiful, warm and sunny with the rainforest coming down to the beach. We took the chance to ride on the Sky train over the rainforest and took a day trip out to the Great Barrier Reef to have a look at the corals - I shall never forget swimming in the Coral Sea! Sydney was a wonderful exciting city and we saw all the major sights and had some great food. Easy to travel around and fun on the ferries. Prices for everything were very reasonable. Tasmania was much cooler, more like our Autumn back home but still sunny every day. We started at Hobart explored the east coast, then to Launceston and back down the middle to Hobart. Brilliant roads – so quiet even though it was their school holidays. Tasmania is lovely, green and reminded us of North Wales! Beautiful pristine beaches and rolling open countryside. We spotted an Echidna (Tachyglossidae within the order monotremata-egg laying mammals) near the coast. What a privilege. Regretfully, we didn't have time to explore further into the mountains. The camping sites are amazing with camp kitchens, showers, laundry etc. Then back to Moana and a couple of weeks exploring the wider area and Adelaide especially the Aboriginal exhibition in the museum and the parks. A big thrill for us was listening to and seeing birds everywhere we went. Visiting wildlife parks and encountering wild kangaroos in a reserve not far from Moana was a great experience. We even saw a brown snake – an unwelcome guest in an enclosure in Sydney Zoo – not many Australians get to see that! Fabulous home exchange with so many wonderful memories! So grateful to Jarn and Ian who have helped give us the trip of a lifetime. Pleased that their enjoyment of our home and country helped make their first experience of home swapping so enjoyable for them too." - Jenny & Colin

Highlights of the home swap holiday: Wonderful 6-week holiday exploring Australia Encountering the wildlife and people Getting to know Jarn & Ian and staying in their lovely home

Photos from Jenny & Colin's trip to Australia:

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Jenny & Colin's home in Burnham-on-Sea Semi-detached house in Somerset, close to Europe's 2nd longest sandy beach. View their home swap holiday offer	Jarn & Ian's home near Adelaide Spacious new build home on the southern end of Adelaide, very close to superb beaches. View their home swap holiday offer

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Start home swapping and cut the cost of your next holiday Sign up to Home Base Holidays and save up to 90% on the cost of your holidays by arranging a home exchange. Search the latest home exchange holiday offers