The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

I’m sure you’ve seen it all over social media: everyone is traveling the world for free by exchanging homes instead of spending their life savings on fancy hotels or Airbnb fees. Sounds like a dream come true, doesn’t it? Who wouldn’t want to explore a new city or country while saving money and living like a local? Like any travel option, HomeExchange comes with its own set of advantages and challenges. It’s time to unravel the truth about HomeExchange, so that you can decide if the good, the bad, and the ugly are worth it for you!

**If at any point you decide to quit reading and sign up, I would love if you use my referral link – we’ll each get an extra 250 points, which is enough for 1-3 nights**

The Good

I’ve actually written for the HomeExchange blog on the top reasons I would never stay in a HomeExchange. In that article, I debunk all of my own initial concerns.

Pets are not an issue. We actually save money on pet sitting because people often love to stay with pets. Worst case scenario my dog goes to my sister’s house and our guests take care of our cat, fish, and plants. Regardless, I’m still making points off of someone taking care of my pets and home.

If something gets broken, in either home, we’re all in this together – along with the HomeExchange team to figure it out.

My home isn’t fancy, but we’re all exchanging homes, not yachts.

So without the empty concerns, let’s get into the good!

Financial Wins

One of the most compelling reasons to consider home exchange is the financial benefit. We spent three weeks this summer in expensive areas like Tofino, Banff, Glacier, and Yellowstone and spent about $4 per night. In fact, our $150 membership fee for endless nights (I auto-renew – a new sign on is $220) was the same cost as the one night we needed in a hotel. No more nightly rates or dealing with extra fees: you’re simply exchanging homes with another traveler.

Comfort of Home

One of the biggest perks of staying in a home rather than a hotel is the comfort and space it provides. You get a kitchen to cook your own meals, a living room to relax in, a second bathroom to take care of long enema routines, space to play. It’s like having a home away from home, which can be especially comforting when traveling with children or for extended periods. Plus, having a washer and dryer at your disposal is a game-changer, reducing the amount of luggage you need to bring.

Oh, and sometimes it’s much better than home – with a pool, a hot tub, an arcade, a playground, a massive home theater system, etc., etc.. They also have hundreds of thousands of wheelchair accessible HomeExchange options.

Community and Local Flavor

This may be the least talked about benefit of HomeExchange. When you exchange homes, you’re not just getting a place to stay—you’re immersing yourself in the local community. You get to live in a neighborhood rather than a tourist zone, with an inside connection to a local guide, giving you a genuine taste of local life. Imagine starting your day at a neighborhood café or walking through parks that locals frequent. You’ll gain insights into the area that you would never discover from a hotel.

Even while looking for an exchange, you’ll discover that HomeExchange is a community of likeminded travelers.

The Bad

Ok, now you know why I rave. What about the rest?

Flexibility Required

Home exchange requires a certain level of flexibility. Since you’re staying in someone else’s home, you have to be adaptable to their schedule and preferences. This might mean accommodating different check-in/check-out times or adjusting your plans based on the availability of their home. Some people don’t respond to requests at all and some people tell you their home is not available, even though they’ve marked it as open for your dates. All of this is manageable with good communication and planning, but it requires some compromise and patience. It’s not as straightforward as booking a hotel room where everything is pre-set and predictable.

Expectations and Communication
You’re staying in a real home, not a rental property. While every home we’ve stayed in has been clean, they’re not all in pristine condition. The carpets are vacuumed, but the paint may be chipped. Some of these homes are quite luxurious, but they’re all still lived in.

We’ve also encountered homes that are marked as “wheelchair accessible,” but aren’t. It’s usually an issue of understanding what makes a home accessible and the home owner overlooked something. Communicating your personal accessibility needs ahead of time is vital to a successful exchange.

The Ugly

The Pre-Exchange Cleaning Ritual
This may be both personality and home dependent, but the ugliest part of HomeExchange for me is my own home! Imagine you’re preparing to swap homes and realize your own place needs a thorough cleaning. It’s almost as if you’re on a mission to make your house look like a showroom. From tidying up the clutter to giving every corner a once-over, the effort to ensure your home is in tip-top shape, while corralling three children who are destroying each room as you finish, can be surprisingly time-consuming.

To be fair, cleaning up for HomeExchange is also a chance to declutter and refresh your living space. It feels good to come home to a sparkly clean house, and our guests have always left it as they found it. Plus, it’s all part of the give-and-take nature of swapping homes. I DO appreciate that our hosts went through that same effort so that I could have a nice clean shower.

All the Rest

What did I miss?

I don’t worry about the people staying in my house because a) they’re sharing they’re own home, b) they have reviews on the HomeExchange platform, and c) HomeExchange really is like a connected community where everyone has a shared mission.

HomeExchange can be a fantastic way to travel, offering massive financial savings, a deeper connection with local communities, and the comfort of home. However, it does require flexibility and sometimes a dash of patience. Oh, and the pre-exchange cleaning ritual—it’s all part of the adventure!

We’ve embraced the good, navigated the bad, tackled and discovered that HomeExchange is exactly what we needed to see more of the world with less of our money. It’s revolutionized the way we travel and it’s worth every last scrubbed toilet.

**This is not a paid ad. All opinions are 100% mine. That said, if you do decide to check it out, use my referral link and we’ll both get an extra 250 points!**