HomeExchange - a different way to travel - The Urban Traveler - Toronto Travel Advisor & Content Creator

HomeExchange – a different way to travel

HomeExchange is a platform similar to Airbnb or VRBO.

You log into your account and based on your preferences and dates, you stay in someone else’s home…

….but HomeExchange is a different way to travel.

What sets HomeExchange apart is their unique model. There are no costs to stay!

You are probably thinking “huh” “wow” “what”? That’s exactly what I thought! Let me put you on…I’ll explain!

Stays don’t require money.

Your stay can be arranged on a reciprocal basis (you each decide to stay at each other’s homes) or through a points system (you gain points for hosting or use points for stays), making it a more community-driven and cost-effective way to travel.

My first experience using the platform was an exchange between my home in Toronto and a beautiful home in Montreal. The homeowners we exchanged with were architects with three children. Not only was their home stunning in design—unsurprising given their profession—but it was also thoughtfully set-up for kids. This made things so much easier and more comfortable for me and my little one!

Kinds of home exchanges

The initial method of “I’ll stay at your home and you’ll stay at mine” was previously the only way to exchange, but HomeExchange solved the issue that sometimes it is very difficult to organize a simultaneous exchange because the other person may not be interested in coming to your city/region or they won’t be traveling at the same time. That is why the option of non-reciprocal exchanges was created: that is, someone from Barcelona goes to Paris and the person from Paris doesn’t go to Barcelona, but goes to New York instead, and in turn, the one from New York decides to go to Hawaii.

There are currently 2 types of home exchanges:

How do GuestPoint exchanges work exactly?

When you host members whose homes you don’t plan to visit, they give you GuestPoints (GP) in exchange for your hospitality.

You can then collect and use these GuestPoints to visit other members’ homes, in the destination of your choice, at a time that suits you.

Basically, GuestPoints make it possible to organize non-reciprocal exchanges – which is great because who can find someone who wants to travel at the same time you do?! It’s nearly impossible.

Earning Points

You can easily earn points in a variety of ways like:

Opening a new account by using another member’s welcome code (mine is jazz-62f3b)
Adding details to your profile
Becoming a member
Sharing your code with your friends and family and earning once they sign-up
Reciprocal exchanges where your property “costs” more than theirs*
Each time you exchange your home for GPs and it is not a reciprocal exchange

*You don’t have to exchange for the same value. My home can be 250GPs/night and I can exchange with someone who is offering their place for 150GPs/night. They would owe me the equivalent of 30GPs/night.

Or – you can exchange with 0 GPs – meaning it is a straight (value) exchange. In this scenario, no one uses their GuestPoints.

HomeExchange – The Guide

Click the image to read HomeExchange’s 12 page PDF guide called the “ABC’s of HomeExchange” and/or click GuestPoints to learn how they work.

There are many benefits to traveling this way. What I love most is the opportunity to be immersed in a neighbourhood, community or culture, as a resident, which is something hotel stays can’t always provide. This also fights mass tourism and encourages support of local economies and minimizes environmental impact.

If you would like to try HomeExchange, don’t forget to sign-up using my affiliate link, create a page for your home, play around with the platform, and “favourite” some properties you will visit in the future!