Home exchange
| Part ofa serieson |
| Homestays |
|---|
| Hospitality exchange services |
| Hospitality for work |
| Hospitality for money |
| Home exchangeand others |
Home exchange,also known ashouse swapping,is a form oflodgingin which two parties agree to offer each otherhomestaysfor a set period of time. Since no monetary exchange takes place, it is a form ofbarter,collaborative consumption,andsharing.Home exchange can cover any type ofresidenceincluding apartments, houses,holiday cottages,boats, orrecreational 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 ofsocial networking services,most of which charge a fee.[1][2]
Like all homestays, home exchanges offer several advantages overhotellodging, including a lower cost and opportunities forcultural diplomacyandfriendship.[3][4][5][6]
Some networks offer the ability to collect asecurity deposit.[7]
Summer is traditionally the peak season for house swapping, as families travel during school breaks.[4]
History
[edit]Organized home exchange originated in 1953 with the creation ofIntervac Internationalby 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) inNew York City.[9]
In 1992, Ed Kushins started what is nowHomeExchangeafter a home exchange experience in Washington D.C. In 1995, he moved the business to theinternet.[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
[edit]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 andinformation securitystudies.[15]
Information studies
[edit]The 2008 study byJulia Maria Koszewskaexplored "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
[edit]Participants tend to be well-educated and well-traveled. Home exchanges are popular with teachers during school holidays, particularly during the summer,[16]and withsenior citizens,who have more time to travel.[17]
A 2013 study by theUniversity of Bergamoshowed 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.[18]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%) andorganic food(73%) are also important.[18]The study noted the strong degree oftrustnecessary incollaborative consumption,with 75% agreeing that most people are trustworthy. 93% were satisfied with their experience, with 81% having swapped homes more than once.[18]
Companies
[edit]Home exchange services encompass various brands facilitating the exchange of residential properties for temporary stays. Several prominent companies operate in this domain:Homeexchangestands as the largest global service of its kind, boasting a substantial network of over 450,000 homes worldwide.[citation needed]ThirdHomedistinguishes itself as an upscale home exchange community exclusive to second-home owners.[19][20]
Popular culture
[edit]Home exchange was the subject of the 2006 romantic comedyThe Holiday,directed byNancy Meyersand starringKate Winslet,Cameron Diaz,Jack BlackandJude Law.[21]
Permanent home exchange
[edit]There are several situations in which people have exchanged homes permanently:
- During thesubprime mortgage crisis,home exchange was used to help buyers and sellers when financing was harder to obtain.[22][23][24][25]
- Mutual exchangeis a mechanism for tenants ofpublic housingin theUnited Kingdomto swap their homes.[26]
- Duringethnic conflicts,such as inIraqin 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 reducingviolence.[27]
External links
[edit]References
[edit]- ^Costello, Caroline (31 January 2013)."10 things you need to know about home swapping".USA Today.
- ^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.
- ^Jackson, Kimberly L. (1 March 2008)."On Holiday with Vacation Home Exchange".The Star-Ledger.
- ^abRosenbloom, Stephanie (29 June 2006)."At Home in the World".The New York Times.
- ^Lloyd, Carol (11 November 2003)."Life Swapping".San Francisco Chronicle.
- ^Bopp, Suzanne (18 July 2012)."5 Steps to a Successful Home Exchange".Fodor's.Archived fromthe originalon 8 February 2023.Retrieved3 February2018.
- ^Millard, Rosie (21 February 2013)."House swap holidays: advice and tips".The Daily Telegraph.
- ^"Facts About Intervac".
- ^"HomeLink".
- ^Kushins, Ed (14 July 2012)."Prepared in the Pacific".The New York Times.(subscription required)
- ^Martín, Hugo (29 April 2012)."Ed Kushins' home exchange firm began as a hobby".Los Angeles Times.
- ^Virship, Amy (2 January 2015)."Home Exchange 101".The New York Times.(subscription required)
- ^Russo, Francine (8 November 1999)."House Swapping".Time.Archived fromthe originalon 11 February 2005.
- ^Trejos, Nancy (13 June 2010)."Some travelers choose strangers' houses over hotels".The Washington Post.
- ^abKoszewska, Julia Maria (2008).Gift, Exchange and Trust: Information (its role, management and access to information) in modern society on the example of free-hospitality networks(Masters thesis). University of Warsaw – via Academia.edu.
- ^Woulfe, Nuala (8 June 2015)."House swapping - Stepping into somebody's else's life".Irish Examiner.
- ^"Seniors find creative ways to travel cheaply".The Dallas Morning News.11 September 2015.
- ^abc"My House Is Yours"(PDF).University of Bergamo.May–June 2013.
- ^Vora, Shivani (17 March 2020)."Vacation Home Swapping for the Very Wealthy".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved20 September2023.
- ^Bulseco, Donna (11 January 2019)."The Secret to Scoring a Vacation Home That's (Practically) Free".Wall Street Journal.ISSN0099-9660.Retrieved20 September2023.
- ^Baxter-Wright, Dusty (10 December 2017)."16 things you didn't know about The Holiday".Cosmopolitan.
- ^Levitz, Jennifer (8 February 2008)."Slow Market Prompts Some People to Try House Swapping".Chicago Tribune.
- ^"How to permanently trade your home for another property - FAQs".Zillow.6 June 2008.
- ^Farnsworth, Amy (23 March 2009)."Can't sell your house in this market? Trade it".Christian Science Monitor.
- ^Cavaglieri, Chiara (21 March 2009)."When there's no way out, try a home swap".The Independent.
- ^"Swapping your council or housing association home".DirectGov.
- ^Castaneda, Antonio (28 July 2006)."Iraqis House-Swapping to Escape Violence".The Washington Post.
