How I Used HomeExchange to Experience Europe Like a Local.

On a chilly afternoon, under a slight drizzle, I got off the tram with my suitcase. Under the bridge where I stood, the River Garonne flowed gently. I walked the short distance to the nearby neighborhood, located the apartment and let myself in.

I found myself in a living room flooded with natural light, full of little touches, with a balcony overlooking the wilderness. A sweet handwritten letter welcomed me, gave me a quick orientation and pointed me to a careful curation of vegan snacks! This was going to be my home for the next four nights in Toulouse, in the south of France – my first HomeExchange experience.

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When HomeExchange first reached out to me to collaborate, I felt skeptical. The proposition was to use the platform to stay in local homes while the hosts travelled, but it didn’t have to be a ‘pure’ exchange. I had to pay an annual membership fee, but after that, my first two stays in France and Andorra (of 4 and 5 nights each), cost almost nothing!

During my nomadic life, I had looked up home swapping platforms (like in the movie, The Holiday), but never had a home of my own to swap. Now, with a rental home in Himachal, I could sign up but didn’t necessarily have to host someone to start being hosted. Instead, I could offer Guest Points to my hosts, who could use them to be hosted elsewhere.

Right from the time I began communicating with my potential hosts, I was reminded of the good old days of travelling. There was no pressure to choose their places, and some were kind enough to share recommendations even before I finalized the stay! While in Toulouse, my French hostess constantly kept in touch with me, and gave me a ton of great recommendations of cafes, markets and walks loved by locals.

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How HomeExchange works

HomeExchange started out as a home swapping platform. You could list your home on the platform, and swap with someone travelling at the same time. You stayed at their place, they at yours, on the same dates. That of course, is restrictive. It’s hard to find someone travelling on the exact same dates, and wanting to travel to where your house is.

So HomeExchange has added more flexibility, and become one of the best home exchange websites out there. Even though you still need to list your house on the platform, you don’t need to do a perfect swap. Instead, you can stay in someone’s house while they are travelling and offer them Guest Points. They can then use those Guest Points to stay in someone else’s house. Guest Points can be accumulated by completing your profile, listing details of your own place, referrals and hosting.

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How to get started with HomeExchange

• Sign up on HomeExchange by creating your account and adding your personal profile details. You’re welcome to use my referral link to receive 250 extra Guest Points!
• Upload photos and a description of your own house.
• Pay an annual membership fee of ₹7500 to use the platform.
• Upload documents of your house (property papers, rental agreement or phone bill etc) and apply for verification. This usually takes 24-48 hours.
• As you complete and verify your profile, and pay your membership fee, you can accumulate up to 1550 Guest Points, including the referral points from my invitation link.
• Once verified, start looking for homes where you are travelling. Most homes are open to Guest Points as well as a swap.
• Shortlist homes available on your dates and reach out to them. Since first-time users don’t have reviews, I found it useful to write a long message explaining my background, interests, why I was visiting, and why I wanted to stay at their place. Remember that this is someone’s lived-in house, and building trust is essential.
• With the Guest Points, you might be able to get your first one or two exchanges free or almost free! Most houses are priced between 50-300 Guest Points.

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HomeExchange Review: My personal experiences in France and Andorra

The stunning, cozy, lived-in apartment in France – and my wonderful hostess – set the benchmark rather high! I woke up to light-filled mornings, made a smoothie in the fully equipped kitchen and drank it on the balcony, listening to French lounge music played by Alexa. Thanks to my hostess’ recommendations, I spent Sunday morning at the Saint Aubin Market, trying food from around the world (including a Turkish gozleme after so long). Even though I was in Toulouse only for four nights, I felt like I was living, not just visiting.

In Andorra, a tiny country sandwiched between France and Spain, I stayed in a family’s cozy, wooden apartment, with a balcony overlooking the snow-clad Pyrenees. When the host heard I was vegan, she recommended a couple of places nearby, and called their chefs to ask them to take good care of me! It reminded me why I fell in love with a life of travel all those years ago.

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Why you should try HomeExchange

Like me, have you been feeling that travelling has become way more commercial since the pandemic? I’ve experienced that in some of my ever favorite places, from Goa to Thailand.

HomeExchange felt like a breath of fresh air. Real, lived-in homes, not just ones set up for commercial purposes. Hosts who actually care about your experience and comfort, not just a good review. Conversations rooted in cultural exchange, not just small talk. Even the platform, by virtue of using Guest Points, felt like it was enabling an exchange rather than a transaction.

From a sustainability perspective, I felt like this was a great way to share existing resources. In both France and Andorra, my hosts were travelling while I stayed in their homes. It can also have a broader positive impact by cultivating greater trust across borders and cultures.

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Tips to use HomeExchange for the first time

1) Be patient as you try to find your first stay

Finding my first stay was a bit tricky. As a first time user on the HomeExchange platform, I didn’t have any reviews. I totally understood people’s apprehension in hosting someone with no reviews. Here’s what eventually worked for me:

• Filling up my profile with as many details as possible.
• Crafting a long message to send to hosts, introducing myself and sharing why I’d love to stay in their home.
• Taking a chance on a host who was new to the platform too, and like me, had no home swap reviews!

2) Communicate well in advance to receive details and recommendations

My hostess in France was very prompt with her communication, and shared lots of details before my arrival, including public transport directions on how to get to her place and get the key to the apartment.

On the other hand, my hosts in Andorra were already travelling when I reached out, and slower to respond. Finding the apartment was a bit confusing, but when I eventually did, I met the nicest caretaker who gave me an orientation and some great recommendations.

As soon as you finalize your exchange, ask the host for all the details and recommendations you need, so they have enough time to get back to you.

3) Remember that you’re staying in someone’s home; treat it that way!

A community like HomeExchange is rooted in mutual trust. As travellers, we trust that the home we’re going to stay in will be as described in the photos and communication. As hosts, we trust that the travellers staying at our place will treat it with respect, and leave it the same way they found it.

Before I left the two apartments I stayed at, I made sure I tidied up the bed and living areas, and followed all instructions left by the hosts with respect to the linen and waste. I left my Toulouse hostess a little gift from India, and a handwritten note to thank her. I left my Andorra hosts the promised cleaning fee we’d agreed to beforehand, and a thank you note. Small gestures go a long way to ensure responsible exchanges in the future!

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Questions you asked

When I shared my HomeExchange experiences on Instagram, you had a ton of questions:

Is HomeExchange worth it?

I was a bit skeptical about paying the annual membership fee, but got more than my money’s worth! Travel accommodation costs in European cities are as high as 100-200€ (10k-20k₹) per night for nice places. And here I essentially paid 7500₹ for 11 nights!

More than the savings on accommodation however, I found HomeExchange worth it to experience a place like a local, to embrace travel as more than just a transactional exchange.

Does it only work for reciprocal exchanges?

That was the initial premise, but as mentioned above, HomeExchange now offers greater flexibility. We no longer need to do a direct exchange of houses (same dates, same locations). Instead, I could offer my hosts Guest Points in exchange for my stays, which they can use to stay elsewhere. I had to upload and list my home, but I haven’t hosted anyone yet.

Why do they charge an annual membership fee?

I suppose the annual membership fee covers the running costs of the platform. But more importantly, it is a kind of gatekeeping to allow only people who are seriously interested in the idea of becoming part of an exchange community like this. The membership fee feels more like a cover charge redeemable against your first stay!

Does HomeExchange only work in Europe?

HomeExchange has listings across the world, including India. However, it’s super popular in Europe and has the most listings within European cities.

Is HomeExchange similar to Airbnb?

Airbnb started out as a platform to offer an extra room in your lived house to a traveller. It now mostly features houses specifically set up for commercial reasons. On the other hand, people tend to list their actual home on HomeExchange when they are travelling. This means availability is not as widespread, but you also get to live in real, well-equipped homes, and feel like a local.

Can you use HomeExchange without uploading your own home?

HomeExchange only works once you’ve uploaded photos and a description of your own home, and had it verified on the platform through home-related documents. This is a security check measure, but also ensures that it remains a thriving reciprocal community.

How early do you need to finalize a stay?

The earlier the better, so both you and the host can plan accordingly. I ended up finalizing my stays only a couple of weeks before travelling, which was a bit stressful but eventually turned out really well!

How different is this from house-sitting or pet-sitting platforms?

House-sitting and pet-sitting typically involve responsibilities like looking after the house, pets etc. HomeExchange is based on the idea of living in someone else’s house while they are travelling.

What was your experience hosting someone through HomeExchange?

I haven’t hosted anyone at my place yet, but I heard from a couple of people in my Instagram community that they’ve (mostly) had great experiences!

For how long can you stay in someone else’s house?

That depends on how long they’re travelling. I noticed that some houses have a minimum stay of 3-5 nights, but I didn’t notice any maximum limits.

Is HomeExchange safe to use?

Communities like HomeExchange are rooted in trust. The HomeExchange Guarantee also protects hosts and their homes incase of damage or theft during a guest’s stay. You can chat or video call with your hosts or the people you’re hosting before finalizing. Besides document verification of houses, international home exchange reviews are a great way to build trust.

Would you use a platform like HomeExchange? Which city would you like to try it in?

*Note: This post is part of a collaboration with HomeExchange. I tried two stays, in France and Andorra, before I decided to recommend it. Opinions on this blog, as you know, are always mine.