home exchange
{{Short description|Form of lodging}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2015}}
{{Homestay service}}
Home exchange, also known as house swapping, is a form of lodging in which two parties agree to offer each other homestays for a set period of time. Since no monetary exchange takes place, it is a form of barter, collaborative consumption, and sharing. Home exchange can cover any type of residence including apartments, houses, holiday cottages, boats, or recreational vehicles. It can include an exchange of the entire home or just a room. The length of the swap can vary from a weekend to over a year. The swap can be simultaneous or non simultaneous. Home exchanges are usually arranged via specific types of social networking services, most of which charge a fee.{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/advice/2013/01/30/10-things-you-need-to-know-about-home-swapping/1877345/ |title=10 things you need to know about home swapping |first=Caroline |last=Costello |work=USA Today |date=31 January 2013}}{{cite news |title=8 Easy Ways to Choose a Home Swap Club and Enjoy a Dream Vacation for Half the Price |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/shelley-miller/8-easy-ways-to-choose-a-h_b_2593116.html |first=Shelley |last=Miller |work=The Huffington Post |date=7 February 2013}}
Like all homestays, home exchanges offer several advantages over hotel lodging, including a lower cost and opportunities for cultural diplomacy and friendship.{{cite news |url=http://www.nj.com/homegarden/homestories/index.ssf/2008/03/your_placeor_mine.html |title=On Holiday with Vacation Home Exchange |first=Kimberly L. |last=Jackson |work=The Star-Ledger |date=1 March 2008}}{{cite news |url=http://travel.nytimes.com/2006/06/29/garden/29swap.html |title=At Home in the World |first=Stephanie |last=Rosenbloom |work=The New York Times | date=29 June 2006}}{{cite news |url=http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Life-Swapping-When-you-live-in-the-Bay-Area-2526687.php |title=Life Swapping |first=Carol |last=Lloyd |work=San Francisco Chronicle |date=11 November 2003}}{{cite news |url=https://www.fodors.com/news/5-things-to-do-before-a-house-swap-5090 |title=5 Steps to a Successful Home Exchange |first=Suzanne |last=Bopp |work=Fodor's |date=18 July 2012 |access-date=3 February 2018 |archive-date=8 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230208033024/https://www.fodors.com/news/5-things-to-do-before-a-house-swap-5090 |url-status=dead }}
Some networks offer the ability to collect a security deposit.{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/advice/Guide-to-house-swap-holidays/ |title=House swap holidays: advice and tips |first=Rosie |last=Millard |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=21 February 2013}}
Summer is traditionally the peak season for house swapping, as families travel during school breaks.
History
Organized home exchange originated in 1953 with the creation of Intervac International by a group of European teachers looking to travel internationally economically during their summer breaks.{{cite web | url=https://us.intervac-homeexchange.com/facts-about-intervac | title=Facts About Intervac}} That same year, teacher David Ostroff created a home exchange network called "Vacation Exchange Club" (now HomeLink) in New York City.{{cite web | url=https://homelink.org/en/story | title=HomeLink}}
In 1992, Ed Kushins started what is now HomeExchange.com after a home exchange experience in Washington D.C. In 1995, he moved the business to the internet.{{cite news | title=Prepared in the Pacific | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/15/jobs/ed-kushins-of-homeexchange-on-building-a-career.html | first=Ed | last=Kushins | work=The New York Times | date=14 July 2012}}{{subscription required}}{{cite news | title=Ed Kushins' home exchange firm began as a hobby | url=https://www.latimes.com/business/la-xpm-2012-apr-29-la-fi-himi-kushins-20120429-story.html | first=Hugo | last=Martín | newspaper=Los Angeles Times | date=29 April 2012}}{{cite news | title=Home Exchange 101 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/04/travel/home-exchange-101.html | first=Amy | last=Virship | work=The New York Times | date=2 January 2015}}{{subscription required}}
In 1999, home exchange was estimated to be growing at 15-20% per year.{{cite magazine | url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,992461,00.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050211094235/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,992461,00.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=11 February 2005 | title=House Swapping | first=Francine | last=Russo | magazine=Time | date=8 November 1999}} In 2010, home exchange networks were continuing to experience rapid growth.{{cite news | title=Some travelers choose strangers' houses over hotels | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/11/AR2010061103900.html | first=Nancy | last=Trejos | newspaper=The Washington Post | date=13 June 2010}}
Academic research
Home exchange has been a subject of sociological studies, geographical and tourism studies, culture studies and peace studies. In 2008 it became also the subject of information and information security studies.{{Cite thesis |degree=Masters |last=Koszewska |first=Julia Maria |date=2008 |title=Gift, Exchange and Trust: Information (its role, management and access to information) in modern society on the example of free-hospitality networks |url=https://www.academia.edu/175528|language=en |publisher=University of Warsaw |via=Academia.edu}}
= Information studies =
The 2008 study by Julia Maria Koszewska explored "the role of information in modern society, particularly onaccess to information and information management as prerequisites for participative and democratic society". This was done by study of history of home exchange movement and its initiatives, websites, and functionality expressed by users experiences shared with the researcher.
=Participant demographics=
Participants tend to be well-educated and well-traveled. Home exchanges are popular with teachers during school holidays, particularly during the summer,{{cite news | title=House swapping - Stepping into somebody's else's life | url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/features/house-swapping--stepping-into-somebodys-elses-life-335125.html | first=Nuala | last=Woulfe | work=Irish Examiner | date=8 June 2015}} and with senior citizens, who have more time to travel.{{cite news | title=Seniors find creative ways to travel cheaply | url=http://www.dallasnews.com/business/money/2015/09/11/seniors-find-creative-ways-to-travel-cheaply | work=The Dallas Morning News | date=11 September 2015}}
A 2013 study by the University of Bergamo showed that participants were more skewed to higher age groups, with 28.3% aged 45–54, 18.7% 65+ and only 5.9% under age 34.{{cite web | url=http://homeex-ux.s3.amazonaws.com/affinities/1/pdf/homeexchange_bergamo_study_2013_EN.pdf | title=My House Is Yours | publisher=University of Bergamo | date=May–June 2013}} The study showed that 84.3% of respondents seek out museums and nature, 67% value environmentally-friendly tourism, and 98% express interest in cultural heritage. Fair trade food (63%) and organic food (73%) are also important. The study noted the strong degree of trust necessary in collaborative consumption, with 75% agreeing that most people are trustworthy. 93% were satisfied with their experience, with 81% having swapped homes more than once.
Companies
Home exchange services encompass various brands facilitating the exchange of residential properties for temporary stays. Several prominent companies operate in this domain: Homeexchange.com stands as the largest global service of its kind, boasting a substantial network of over 450,000 homes worldwide.{{cn|date=September 2024}} ThirdHome distinguishes itself as an upscale home exchange community exclusive to second-home owners.{{Cite news |last=Vora |first=Shivani |date=2020-03-17 |title=Vacation Home Swapping for the Very Wealthy |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/17/realestate/vacation-home-swapping-for-the-very-wealthy.html |access-date=2023-09-20 |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite news |last=Bulseco |first=Donna |date=2019-01-11 |title=The Secret to Scoring a Vacation Home That's (Practically) Free |language=en-US |work=Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/trade-secrets-of-holiday-home-swaps-11547228767 |access-date=2023-09-20 |issn=0099-9660}}
Popular culture
Home exchange was the subject of the 2006 romantic comedy The Holiday, directed by Nancy Meyers and starring Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jack Black and Jude Law.{{cite news | title=16 things you didn't know about The Holiday | url=http://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/entertainment/news/a40334/the-holiday-trivia-facts-things-you-didnt-know/ | first=Dusty | last=Baxter-Wright | work=Cosmopolitan | date=10 December 2017}}
Permanent home exchange
There are several situations in which people have exchanged homes permanently:
- During the subprime mortgage crisis, home exchange was used to help buyers and sellers when financing was harder to obtain.{{cite web | url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2008/02/08/slow-market-prompts-some-people-to-try-house-swapping/ | title=Slow Market Prompts Some People to Try House Swapping | first=Jennifer | last=Levitz | work=Chicago Tribune | date=8 February 2008}}{{cite web | url=https://www.zillow.com/advice-thread/How-to-permanently-trade-your-home-for-another-property-FAQs/34318/ | title=How to permanently trade your home for another property - FAQs | work=Zillow | date=6 June 2008}}{{cite news | url=http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/2009/0323/p13s01-wmgn.html | title=Can't sell your house in this market? Trade it. | first=Amy | last=Farnsworth | work=Christian Science Monitor | date=23 March 2009}}{{cite news | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/money/mortgages/when-theres-no-way-out-try-a-home-swap-1651066.html | title=When there's no way out, try a home swap | first=Chiara | last=Cavaglieri | work=The Independent | date=21 March 2009}}
- Mutual exchange is a mechanism for tenants of public housing in the United Kingdom to swap their homes.{{cite web | url=http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/HomeAndCommunity/Councilandhousingassociationhomes/Councilhousing/Counciltenants/DG_188555 | title=Swapping your council or housing association home | publisher=DirectGov}}
- During ethnic conflicts, such as in Iraq in 2006, members of ethnic minorities have swapped homes with friends who are members of different ethnic minorities in a different neighborhood. The goal is that each minority resident ends up in a neighborhood where their ethnicity is in the majority, thus reducing violence.{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/28/AR2006072800242.html | title=Iraqis House-Swapping to Escape Violence | first=Antonio | last=Castaneda | newspaper=The Washington Post | date=28 July 2006}}
External links
- [https://www.smartertravel.com/2017/06/19/home-exchange-guide/ Home Exchange: A How-To Guide]