Family Home Exchange Guide
Going on a holiday with the littlies is tough – there’s so much more to check off your to-do list (kid-friendly hotels, booster seats in your rented car, family friendly attractions…need we go on?). Trade your house, maybe even your cars, with someone at the exotic locale of your choice, at a fraction of that expensive hotel bill from the previous trip. Well, if you own a swanky apartment in Manhattan or a beachfront villa, the world of house-swaps lie at your feet, but we think Singapore-dwellers ain’t too shabby either.
Home Exchange
One of the more established sites, you might recognize Home Exchange from The Holiday, a rom-com starting Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, and Jude Law, While searching for home swaps is free, you need to be a member (from US$9.95 per month) to actually make a swap. We love that they included things like baby items and toys as amenities when you’re on a hunt for a property!
Search homes online at Home Exchange.
Exchange Away
The folks at Exchange Away did us a favour by categorizing members’ properties into themes (probably ideal for your family getaway too) like beach, ski, countryside, and mountains. Full membership is required for house swaps too – it costs £16.95 per quarter, but it’s still cheaper than what you spend on a nice dinner.
Search homes online at Exchange Away.
Love Home Swap
You know the people behind Love Home Swap mean business when they have a statistic claiming their members save an average of US$3,487 per swap. We also like that parents can cut to the chase while on the hunt for a home swap with a kid-friendly property filter. Membership starts from US$15.75 per month (with a free 14-day trial), so jump on the bandwagon!
Search homes online at Love Home Swap.
Knok
Knok members seem to have it better with two ways to travel; choose from the usual home swap or opt for Knok Days. Knok Days can be earned when lending your home to a fellow member and spend when you book homes. So connect with like-minded members (ie. other mamas) at €14.90 per month, home insurance included!
Search homes online at Knok.
Kid and Coe
Not exactly a swap, but more of a property rental site. All Kid and Coe properties are carefully curated to cater to the munchkins. We love the thoughtful City Scout guides you can access upon booking – a detailed online guidebook and custom map attached. They’re not a house swap – they’re better (if you’re not on a budget!).
Search homes online at Kid and Coe
AirBnB
AirBnB isn’t a house swap club but it made our list for having the widest vacation home rental network that caters to every budget. Earn a higher ranking profile by positive feedback to make you more attractive to landlords. So you’re sure to find something here, whether it’s the entire house or just a private room. They even have some unusual properties listed like cabins, mobile homes, and even sailboats.
Search homes online at AirBnB.
PandaBed
The new (they only started last year) Asian equivalent of AirBnB is probably a treasure trove for the aspiring Asian wanderers that you are. Their listed properties, cherry-picked homes that are lovingly managed with excellent housekeeping standards (so no worries there mamas), stretch from a US$20 single room to a US$1, 500 12-room villa.
Search homes online at PandaBed.
Images: Home Exchange, Love Home Swap, Kid & Coe.