From Silicon Valley to Barcelona, travel has gotten pricey — and complicated. Cities are cracking down on short-term rentals, while lodging eats up nearly half of a vacation budget. But savvy travelers have found a workaround that skips the bans, slashes the cost, and opens the door to richer experiences: home swapping.
By exchanging your home with another traveler, you can save $5,000–$10,000 a year in lodging costs — all while staying in real neighborhoods and experiencing life like a local. It’s a reminder that your home isn’t just where you live — it can also be your passport to new adventures.
Why This Matters Now
Airbnb has become the go-to for travelers looking beyond hotels, but cracks are starting to show. Prices keep climbing, cleaning fees can feel excessive, and city governments are pushing back hard. Barcelona has announced it will ban short-term rentals entirely by 2028. New York City requires hosts to be present and registered, or face hefty fines. Other cities — from Amsterdam to San Francisco — are tightening rules to fight overtourism and rising rents.
So, what’s a traveler to do?
What Is Home Swapping?
Instead of paying $200–$500 a night for a vacation rental, homeowners trade nights in their homes. You stay in my Bay Area townhouse while I use your Aspen condo. No rental income changes hands. And no short-term rental regulations apply.
These platforms are making it mainstream:
- HomeExchange → $220/year for unlimited swaps. With 200,000+ members across 150 countries, it facilitated 460,000 swaps in 2024.
- Kindred → Free to join, with a $15–$35 nightly service fee plus cleaning. Launched in 2022, it already has 75,000 members across 150 cities.
Together, these platforms have turned a simple idea into a global movement, making it easier than ever for homeowners to trade places and see the world.
Want to know which platform is the best fit for you? Download my easy guide that breaks down the differences.
Why Travelers Love It
Travelers love home swapping for the savings — lodging can eat up 40% of a trip budget. They also get to stay in real neighborhoods rather than tourist zones, enjoy built-in accountability since members are opening their own homes in return, and benefit from insider tips that hosts happily share. To ease concerns, both major platforms include insurance and protections, adding an extra layer of peace of mind.
Lauren Shaw, from New York, summed it up in an interview with CNN Travel: "Ski lodging is often very expensive and cost prohibitive. Because you have to also let people stay in your home to stay in someone else’s, there is more accountability to treat the space as you would want someone to treat yours."
For her, home swapping through Kindred has meant skiing at premium resorts and traveling more often — without breaking the bank.
Esmond Fountain, a comedian from New York, used Kindred to take his first ever overseas trip to London. “It’s not just about affordable travel; the sense of community has made such a difference in my life,” he said.
The concept is simple, but the impact is big. For many, it’s not just about saving money — it’s about unlocking a whole new way to travel.
The Bigger Picture
Home swapping isn’t just about saving money. It’s about:
- More conscious travel – Since most properties are true primary residences, it doesn’t pull homes out of local housing supply. Every home swap is one less Airbnb driving up local rents.
- Community connections – Members often keep in touch long after their swaps.
- Richer experiences – Staying in someone’s real home brings a different rhythm than a hotel or short-term rental.
As Emmanuel Arnaud, CEO of HomeExchange, explained to CNN Travel: "Our promise is the reverse [of Airbnb’s]. Everything can be shared. Even your most important financial and intimate asset, your home, can be shared. And if we all share it, then we can unlock amazing travel possibilities."
The Bottom Line
While the world debates Airbnb regulations, savvy travelers are quietly discovering that swapping homes can be cheaper, friendlier, and better for communities. For Silicon Valley homeowners, this is especially powerful: our homes are among the most desirable in the world, giving you leverage for exchanges into premium properties — think Paris apartments, Tahoe chalets, or beachfront Hawaii villas.
It’s also a reminder that your home isn’t just an asset you live in — it can unlock experiences and even save you $5,000–$10,000 a year in travel costs. That’s a real lifestyle return, and one more way your home works for you even when you’re away.
Homeownership should work for you in more ways than one. Whether it’s navigating the housing market or unlocking new travel opportunities, I’m here as a resource to help you get the most value out of your home.
This article really resonated with me! As someone who loves travel but gets sticker shock from hotel prices, home swapping feels like a game-changer. The idea of staying in someones actual home, getting real neighborhood vibes, and not having to shell out cleaning fees is incredibly appealing. Plus, the community aspect—swapping with people worldwide and potentially making lifelong friends—is a huge plus. I appreciate how the article highlights its not just about saving money; its about more authentic and conscious travel that doesnt hurt local housing markets. It makes me want to check out those platforms and see if I can finally visit those dreamy places like Aspen or Paris without bankrupting myself. It’s amazing what sharing your own space can unlock!