Newsletter
Article of the Month
By Hannah Yoffa
The
mystery behind house swapping is a new, unique way to travel that is
being discovered by people from around the globe. This growing
international trend is becoming more popular, especially when trying to
cut travel expenses in regards to accommodation and transportation.
Before the internet, house swapping used to occur through friends and
family. The internet provides endless possibilities, thus allowing for
numerous websites specializing in house swapping. This provides
enormous potential for vacation spots. A person will first pick a
destination, pick a specific listing, and then begin contact with the
member. Most of the websites charge a membership fee in exchange for a
yearlong listing of a house or accommodation.
House swapping decreases the cost of spending
money on accommodations, transportation at a destination, and lessens
the cost of food. Depending on the arrangement, which is specific to
each party, people may include cars or other modes of transportation in
the trade. Rather than eating out for every meal, people can cook for
themselves, reducing money spent at restaurants. Many people feel that
house swapping gives visitor’s a better feel of the culture and
dynamics of a destination because they have the opportunity to interact
with the locals on a daily basis. For instance, a participant who went
to England got to know their local neighbors and was invited to a
traditional afternoon tea party.
According to the popular house swapping
website, www.houseexchange.com, there are two types of exchanges: home
exchange and hospitality exchange. Home exchange allows people to trade
homes, apartments and condominiums for a specified amount of time.
Traditional ideas of a home are not the only accommodations being
exchanged. People are now trading their house to take a trip on
someone’s yacht or go cross country in an RV. In this exchange, both
parties agree on a time to exchange their homes that is convenient.
Hospitality exchange allows participants to
meet one another. Participants take turns hosting one another at their
homes during specified times. Each exchange participant has the
opportunity to be a host at their own home and a guest at their
partner’s home. Hospitality exchange is becoming more popular because
travelers are able to interact with one another and gain insight into a
destination by having a personal tour guide.
To learn more about house swapping visit www.homeexchange.com or www.domuswap.com.
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