Home exchange

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.[1][2]

Like all homestays, home exchanges offer several advantages over hotel lodging, including a lower cost and opportunities for cultural diplomacy and friendship.[3][4][5][6]

Some networks offer the ability to collect a security deposit.[7]

Summer is traditionally the peak season for house swapping, as families travel during school breaks.[4]

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.[8] That same year, teacher David Ostroff created a home exchange network called "Vacation Exchange Club" (now HomeLink) in New York City.[9]

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.[10][11][12]

In 1999, home exchange was estimated to be growing at 15-20% per year.[13] In 2010, home exchange networks were continuing to experience rapid growth.[14]

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.[15]

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".[15] 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,[16] and with senior citizens, who have more time to travel.[17]

A 2008 survey conducted by homeexchangeguru.com showed that 92% of participants have attended university and more than 60% have done post graduate work. Of participants, 52% travel with children or consist of groups of three or more, while 48% travel without children or in groups of two or less.[18]

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.[19] 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.[19] 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.[19]

Home exchange was the subject of the 2006 romantic comedy, "The Holiday," directed by Nancy Meyers, in which a home swap between Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz leads to romance with Jack Black and Jude Law.[20]

Permanent home exchange

There are several situations in which people have exchanged homes permanently:

  • 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.[26]

References
  1. Costello, Caroline (31 January 2013). "10 things you need to know about home swapping". USA Today.
  2. Miller, Shelley (7 February 2013). "8 Easy Ways to Choose a Home Swap Club and Enjoy a Dream Vacation for Half the Price". The Huffington Post.
  3. Jackson, Kimberly L. (1 March 2008). "On Holiday with Vacation Home Exchange". The Star-Ledger.
  4. Rosenbloom, Stephanie (29 June 2006). "At Home in the World". The New York Times.
  5. Lloyd, Carol (11 November 2003). "Life Swapping". San Francisco Chronicle.
  6. Bopp, Suzanne (18 July 2012). "5 Steps to a Successful Home Exchange". Fodor's.
  7. Millard, Rosie (21 February 2013). "House swap holidays: advice and tips". The Daily Telegraph.
  8. "Facts About Intervac".
  9. "HomeLink".
  10. Kushins, Ed (14 July 2012). "Prepared in the Pacific". The New York Times.(subscription required)
  11. Martín, Hugo (29 April 2012). "Ed Kushins' home exchange firm began as a hobby". Los Angeles Times.
  12. Virship, Amy (2 January 2015). "Home Exchange 101". The New York Times.(subscription required)
  13. Russo, Francine (8 November 1999). "House Swapping". Time Magazine.
  14. Trejos, Nancy (13 June 2010). "Some travelers choose strangers' houses over hotels". The Washington Post.
  15. Koszewska, Julia Maria (2008). "Gift, Exchange and Trust: Information (its role, management and access to information) in modernsociety on the example of free-hospitality networks" – via Academia.edu. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  16. Woulfe, Nuala (8 June 2015). "House swapping - Stepping into somebody's else's life". Irish Examiner.
  17. "Seniors find creative ways to travel cheaply". The Dallas Morning News. 11 September 2015.
  18. Mensinger, John (25 September 2008). The Homeexchangeguru.com Guide to Trading Your home. Createspace Independent Pub.
  19. "My House Is Yours" (PDF). University of Bergamo. May–June 2013.
  20. Baxter-Wright, Dusty (10 December 2017). "16 things you didn't know about The Holiday". Cosmopolitan.
  21. Levitz, Jennifer (8 February 2008). "Slow Market Prompts Some People to Try House Swapping". Chicago Tribune.
  22. "How to permanently trade your home for another property - FAQs". Zillow. 6 June 2008.
  23. Farnsworth, Amy (23 March 2009). "Can't sell your house in this market? Trade it". Christian Science Monitor.
  24. Cavaglieri, Chiara (21 March 2009). "When there's no way out, try a home swap". The Independent.
  25. "Swapping your council or housing association home". DirectGov.
  26. Castaneda, Antonio (28 July 2006). "Iraqis House-Swapping to Escape Violence". The Washington Post.
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