For the third year in a row, we are happy users of the Home Exchange platform, which is the world leader when it comes to exchanging accommodation for holiday purposes. In this post, I explain in detail what exactly Home Exchange is, how it works and what types of exchanges there are, how you register, what our experiences have been so far and why we like this way of traveling so much. Finally, I will show you our apartment and share with you my referral code, which can get both you and me some extra points if you use it when registering on Home Exchange. Ready? Let’s go!
What are home exchanges and what is Home Exchange?
Have you ever seen the movie The Holiday with Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law and Jack Black? The main actresses get in touch online and later swap homes at the same time. The story then unfolds in a typical Hollywood romantic way, of course, but this temporary change of residences is exactly the point of such platforms. You stay at my place while I stay at your place. Nowadays though, there are more options of exchanges on such platforms, I will write more about them below.
HOME EXCHANGE (HE for short) is the most well-known, largest and leading platform in this field, but there is also People Like Us, ThirdHome, Kindred, Hemma and others. Each has its own special features and characteristics, but we decided on Home Exchange because it has really excellent coverage in over 150 countries around the world and over 250,000 registered users and it has a very good reputation. We also personally know a few HE members, which gave us great feedback about HE and further encouraged us to register.
How does Home Exchange work?
It’s actually very simple. First, REGISTER on their official website. For this, you will need your personal information and different proofs that you are either the owner or the tenant of the property. Then you CREATE A PROFILE, where you add descriptions and photos. When you ACTIVATE YOUR MEMBERSHIP and are verified by HE, you can start PLANNING EXCHANGES. I use their map for this, where you can really easily find suitable homes with the help of filters. When you find something that interests you, GET IN TOUCH with the host and arrange to exchange in private messages. Of course, you can also just wait for others to contact you. When the exchange is complete, all that’s left is the last (optional) step, namely GUEST / HOST RATING. Below, I describe the steps listed above in more detail.
How is the registration process on Home Exchange?
All property owners (regardless of whether it is a primary or secondary residence) and also tenants (of course, if the landlord agrees) can register. Your information (ownership, rental agreement, personal data, etc.) will be verified, so you can rest assured that there are no scammers among the platform’s users. Do you have pets? No problem, just list them. There are plenty of potential guests who will take care of them as if they were their own, as well as hosts who allow animals in their homes.
Registration and profile creation are basically free, but for the purpose of exchanges you must first ACTIVATE or PAY THE ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP FEE. The amount of the latter is similar to the price of 1-2 nights in a hotel (around 200eur). Once you do this, you can make an unlimited number of exchanges in the next 12 months and then extend your membership, or close your profile if you find that this type of travel does not suit you. When registering, you also receive some so-called Guest Points (GP) as a welcome bonus, which you can immediately use for exchanges.
If you use MY UNIQUE CODE katja-16691 when registering, both you and I will receive BONUS POINTS (250 points, which is often equivalent to one night’s stay). You can use the direct link below or enter the code in your profile under (“My account” > “My profile” > “Have you been referred?”).
How to create a profile on Home Exchange?
During the registration process, you create a profile. Here you upload as realistic PHOTOS of the property as possible and DESCRIBE YOUR HOME, add a few lines about yourself or your family, and you can also join various “clubs” and “groups”.
Depending on what you offer and where your facility is located, HE will set a certain range of GP points for you, within which you yourself DETERMINE THE AMOUNT OF POINTS you want to collect for an overnight stay. Our apartment “costs” say 245 points per night for example. You can also set a minimum number of days of stay. In our experience, you can increase the number of points later, when you have been active for a while.
In your HE CALENDAR, which is visible to other users, you can set the periods that are open for exchanges (you can even set any type of exchange with different colors). Potential guests can contact you only for that specific period, or you can also set them to be able to contact you for any time throughout the year.
How to find a suitable home for your next holidays on Home Exchange?
If you have a destination in mind, simply open the map on the HE app or website, add preferred dates and number of people, use additional filters for accommodation type and equipment, and start exploring. You can “cute” your favorite homes and save them in different folders, which you can name as you like (mine are, for example, “European cities”, “islands”, “Slovenia”, “skiing” and similar).
How to finalize an exchange on Home Exchange platform?
When you find something you like, simply contact the HE member in question via private messages. It’s nice to shortly introduce yourself and write why you’d like to come to their place. If you’re flexible about the dates, mention that too, and don’t forget the type of exchange (reciprocal or for GP points, etc.). Then you simply wait for a response. If the host confirms and rpe-approves your request, you confirm it again and the exchange is officially finalized on the platform. You may be lucky and they confirm it right away, but often you will have to contact several different members before you get a “yes” from one of them. If you pay with GP points, they will be immediately transferred to the host’s account, so if you are the host, you will receive the guest points in your account as soon as you arrange the exchange and not only when the guests actually arrive.
At first, we just collected points for a while, by only hosting other members of the platform and not really going anywhere. And when we accumulated a lot of points (over 5,000), we used the vast majority of them on this year’s trip to French Polynesia. This really significantly reduced the cost of overnight stays, which are usually quite high in that part of the world. If you would like to start this way, then simply wait for someone to contact you, check their profile and decide whether to confirm or reject the exchange. It’s really very simple.
Which types of exchanges are there on Home Exchange platform?
RECIPROCAL EXCHANGE – This basically means, I go to you, and you come to me. This exchange can be simultaneous, meaning that we all exchange at the same time, on the same dates. Or we can exchange at different times, for example, I come to you in February, and you come to me in April. Reciprocal exchanges are most suitable for those who rent out their primary residences through the platform, as they usually have to go somewhere else during the exchange anyway.
GUEST POINTS EXCHANGE – Since we are renting out an apartment in which we do not live, we have so far only used the so-called exchange for GP (Guest Points) points. These points are a kind of digital currency. Each member of the platform has his own account, where points are collected. You get some points at the start of your registration, some every time you renew your membership fee, and most of them when you host someone with this type of exchange. Each HE accommodation has a predetermined “price” for a night’s stay, in GP points. So how many points are added to your account depends on the number of nights you sta. And the great thing is that the points never expire (as long as you pay the membership fee, of course). So, when you want to go somewhere on vacation, you can easily find some cute accommodation, ask for an exchange in private messages and easily pay with points from your account.
HOSPITALITY EXCHANGE – In this type of exchange, instead of the entire accommodation (house or apartment), you only offer a private room. So you can stay at home while others come to you and vice versa. You can also exchange simultaneously or pay with points. Of course, these types of exchanges are much more affordable, because you only have a room available, so you also spend much fewer points for them.
SOLIDARITY EXCHANGE – The Home Exchange platform also offers the possibility to temporarily offer your accommodation or part of it to someone free of charge, for example in the event of natural disasters and similar emergencies. If you want to offer this type of exchange, you must register separately in a group called “Solidarity group”, which can be found in your profile settings.
What not to forget when you host someone?
Make sure to send your guests good instructions before their arrival on how to get to you, how to enter your home, give recommendations for nearby restaurants and attractions, and of course mention the house rules. If you have very valuable items, you can store them in a safe, or you can lock a small room or storage room. We always prepare a small basket of homemade goodies for our guests and add a typical Slovenian specialty. If families with children come, we prepare toys, board games, a baby cot, and similar equipment for them. We always welcome them personally, because we live in the same house.
What not to forget when you are the guest?
Find out in advance how to get to your temporary home, what the house rules are, whether there is a final cleaning fee, whether pets need to be taken care of, flowers watered, etc. It’s nice to bring a little something for your hosts and take good care of their home, and tidy up or do a basic cleaning when you leave (unless you agree otherwise).
What if something goes wrong?
In very rare cases, of course, something can go wrong. If the host cancels your exchange for any reason, you can try to reschedule, but if that is no longer possible, Home Exchange will first try to find you alternative HE accommodation in the vicinity. If that doesn’t work out, HE might cover a part of the cost in other types of accommodation. So do not hesitate to contact HE support when in need. Another risk is damage or theft of property. For these cases, Home Exchange blocks $500 on all guests’ cards, but if the damage exceeds this amount, an insurance policy is part of the membership benefits.
Why do we like Home Exchange so much?
- First of all, of course, because it enables us significantly MORE AFFORDABLE HOLIDAYS! You practically pay nothing for accommodation – of course, you have to take into account that you have to pay the annual membership fee, which equals to one night’s stay in a hotel for a family of 4, for example. Sometimes it is also necessary to pay a cleaning fee, but this is up to each host to decide for themselves.
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Because even when we are at home, WE MEET INTERESTING TRAVELERS from all over the world. We always chat with them a little, we sit down at the table with some of them and drink coffee, we usually prepare small gifts for our guests, and we also receive the latter from them. Even when we go somewhere, we always bring something Slovenian. Exchanges through HE are really much more personal than classic stays in hotels or apartments.
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A SENSE OF COMMUNITY and belonging. So far, all of our guests and hosts have been very pleasant and interesting. Just like we always get along with Defender owners right away, because we are connected by this general enthusiasm for the same thing.
- A FEELING OF HOME. Accommodations are often the actual primary homes of individuals, couples and families. Since we travel with small children, this is ideal, as the accommodations often have wonderful children’s rooms with toys, our kids can often use some bicycles, toys for outdoor play, etc. The kitchens are perfectly equipped, there are books, instruments available, sometimes we take care of domestic animals and so on. You can sometimes use their garden, swimming pool, saunas, fitness rooms. Sometimes the hosts even offer you their car, kayaks, SUPs, skis and other sports equipment. It is a completely different experience than spending the night in hotels.
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Home Exchange properties are often in INTERESTING LOCATIONS. Usually where there is less touristy and more local atmosphere and we like that. This makes it really easier to immerse yourself in the culture of a certain destination, get to know the neighbors and have a really different experience than if you stay in classic hotels or apartments.
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The fact that both guests and hosts can be PUBLICLY RATED (similar to Airbnb, for example) and you can read the experiences of others in advance before deciding on a particular exchange.
Our Home Exchange apartment
To end this post, let me quickly show you our apartment. There is a small space downstairs that acts as an entrance hall or cloakroom, and then we go up the stairs to the living area. You are greeted by a fairly large space, in which on one side there is an open and well-equipped kitchen, opposite which is a dining area with a large table, and directly across from it is an open living room with a smart TV and a sofa bed. We have two bedrooms, each with a large double bed, and then of course a bathroom with a shower and toilet, and another additional toilet. The apartment is really comfortable for 4-6 people, and also includes air conditioning, a fireplace, a washing machine – dryer, an oven, a fridge with freezer, a microwave and a dishwasher. It also has a beautiful view of the Julian Alps.
You can view the apartment by clicking on the link below. If you would like to come to our region for a mountain vacation, send us a message. If you are interested in registering on the Home Exchange platform, don’t forget to use the above-mentioned code (katja-16691), which will earn you and us extra points.
So, what do you think? Did I inspire anyone with this special way of traveling? If you have any more questions, just ask below, or of course you can read more on the official website of the Home Exchange platform.
