How one startup makes home swapping the new way to travel

Are you thinking about taking a trip? Want to avoid the hotel room or bugging friends and relatives for a place to stay? Then home swapping might be for you. Let’s look at what exactly it is, and how a startup called Holiday Swap makes it an affordable, easy, and fun travel option.

Disclosure: This sponsored post on home swapping comes at a great time as things start to open up again, with many people wanting to see other parts of the world again or for the first time.

Travel like in The Holiday movie

The Holiday movie was the first time I realized what home swapping was. When the movie came out in 2006, swapping residences was still far from being easily accessible like Holiday Swap makes it today. But the movie provided a great introduction to the idea.

The film stars Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, and Jack Black. The two women swap homes for a set period of time after having love problems and wanting to get away. Ironically, they find love in the new locations. Their two homes are far apart (California and England), and they are very different in style.

This romantic comedy is one that I watch around Christmas as it is sweet, funny, and makes me think about the possibilities abroad. What if we rent out our home and stay in another house abroad? It would be a cool experience.

Well, now you can live that dream. Holiday Swap makes the experience shown in The Holiday movie into a reality.

How does home swapping work?

It is as easy as using an app. Holiday Swap makes it simple to book, host, and swap homes for set time periods using their travel app. “Book” means to select the house you want in the location of choice that is listed on the platform. “Host” means putting your residence in the listings area. “Swap” means making the switch and beginning your exciting trip.

It’s convenient to do all of that with just a few clicks. Browse popular homes and trending regions on the site, then book them for a low price.

While hotels can be expensive, the aim of the startup is to provide an affordable travel option. The key is the in-app travel token currency.

When you list your home, you become a host and start to earn tokens as you share your home with other travelers. Then, use the tokens to book a home at a reduced cost. You’re saving money while getting to explore the world!

This tokens set Holiday Swap apart. It helps you save on what would otherwise be high-priced accommodation while away on a vacation.

There’s also a premium feature that you can sign up for. That provides you with unlimited home swapping worldwide. Plus, you obviously have the opportunity to save big money while doing what you love – traveling. It can add up to thousands of dollars in savings.

Earn tokens by hosting your home and completing achievements in your profile dashboard. It could wind up that some of your trips are free!

Benefits of joining Holiday Swap

There are many advantages to using this app for home swapping. They include:

Save Money – As earlier mentioned, the token currency has the potential to provide massive savings. Plus, home swapping in itself is a cost-saver as you’ll skip overpriced hotel stays.

Privacy – Rather than staying with a relative on your trip, enjoy the privacy of staying in a home. You get to do what you want when you want, coming and going as you please.

Feels More Like Home – It’s hard to leave the comforts of home when you travel, and now you don’t have to. Avoid spending the night in a cold, unfriendly hotel room. Instead, stay in an inviting home of your choice.

Fun – It’s a new way to travel. Experience another city or country in a home away from home. It’s an adventure that’s fun to tell people about when you return.

Easy – It’s as easy as creating an account on the app. Book, list, and swap homes around the world.

More about the Holiday Swap startup

The startup launched in 2018. A year later, it was active in 185 countries. Fast forward to 2020, and there were 250,000 active users. During COVID, that number doubled.

In 2022, the Holiday Swap app has over 1 million users. More than 10,000 homes around the world are on the listing pages.

The startup projects 10 million users by 2023 and 1 million homes listed, as per their website. That is a fast growth, showing that the app appeals to those who want to switch houses with like-minded travelers.

Download Holiday Swap on the App Store or Google Play to get your travel on! You will be living a page out of The Holiday movie.

Does home swapping interest you? Where would you visit, if you could go anywhere in the world?