Have you ever wonder what it would be like to travel to a dream country, live like a local and the best part of all, stay there for free? Well, this is now possible thanks to HomeExchange. Swapping homes is not very common in the UK but in the US it is very popular and has become the new way of travelling. If you are interested in giving this travel method a go, this GIVEAWAY is definitely for you as you can Win a One Year Membership To HomeExchange which gives you the opportunity to exchange your house with others within their network.
If you are able to save on accommodation, can you imagine how much more travelling you could be doing within a year? The costs of accommodation that we normally incur when we travel are are a significant portion so this will bring us a whole new world of opportunity to visit new places. For example, we are looking into the possibility of taking the girls to Orlando in the future so HomeExchange could be perfect for us.
Or perhaps we could go to California, or maybe somewhere closer, such as Florence in Italy! Or a lovely sunny holiday in Mallorca! OMG, there are so many amazing places in the world that I would like to visit. Knowing that HomeExchange will help me to visit more places in the world makes me super excited!
Maybe a holiday in Mallorca is what you need
ABOUT HOME EXCHANGE
For those of you that haven’t heard of HomeExchange, it started by home exchange pioneer Ed Kushins in 1992 as a printed, mailed book, and has grown into a social network and one of the first businesses to adopt “collaborative consumption”.
Respect, courtesy and open-mindedness are core values of the Home Exchange Community. They value authentic travelling and they believe nothing beats the “live like a local” experience.
HomeExchange is a community that connects like-minded travellers. They have over 65,000 listings in more than 150 countries – all combining to over 1,000,000 exchanges!
A trip to Florida?
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST & HOW DOES IT WORK
It costs £100 to join. To start, you need to register your details on their website as well as the details of the type of house you would like to stay and location. You can then start contacting people according to your preferences. You can also join their Facebook group which is very helpful when you have any queries.
They have 2 main HomeExchange types: Reciprocal Exchange and Non-Reciprocal (Balloon) Exchange
- Balloon Exchanges allow you to earn a Balloon by committing to host a fellow Member in your home as an invited guest while you are home or away. Then, redeem your Balloon to stay anywhere in the world. You earn a Balloon by committing to host another member who already has a Balloon. You are able to redeem the Balloon you earned to visit any Member’s home anytime. You can only use or earn one Balloon per exchange.
- Reciprocal Exchange is the way how Home Exchange was started, it means Member A would stay in Member B’s home and Member B would stay in Member A’s home.
What about Florence in Italy
Apart from these two main exchange types, they also recognise the following subcategories of reciprocal exchanges:
- Simultaneous Exchange occurs when Members exchange homes at the same time.
- Non-Simultaneous Exchange occurs when the exchange is done in two parts. For example, Member A will stay at Member B’s home for a week in spring, and Member B will stay in Member A’s home for a week in summer―with the hosts staying elsewhere during each visit.
- Hospitality Exchange many Members choose to host each other in their homes, welcoming their exchange partners as guests. While some Members prefer their privacy, the advantages of a hospitality exchange include more flexibility in scheduling the trip and the potential to have your own local tour guide. Some exchangers also enjoy the social aspect of a hospitality exchange.
If you don’t complete an exchange in your first year, you get another year for free.
Or perhaps a trip to California?
Doing this you get to have a holiday where you would like, and you don’t need to pay. You just need to make sure that your house is available in return or have a balloon in exchange. On average, using HomeExchange can save you as much as 58% a year on your travel costs. Isn’t that fantastic?
I thought this was a really interesting approach to travel and if it will save money meaning you can travel more then why not check it out! I have been given a balloon exchange to try out on a future exchange so stay tuned as I will be documenting my experience.
GIVEAWAY
Now onto the giveaway. If you would like to try HomeExchange out, then this GIVEAWAY is perfect for you. You can Win a One Year Membership To HomeExchange. In order to have a chance of winning, you just need to enter the giveaway below. Good luck!
THIS GIVEAWAY HAS NOW ENDED
*Terms & Conditions:
- Open to UK & Ireland residents only.
- UK entrants over the age of 18 only.
- You can Win One Year Membership To HomeExchange.
- ONE winner will be chosen via Gleam and announced on this page.
- The winner will be contacted by e-mail within 7 days of when the competition ends. If they do not respond within 10 days once notification is sent, another winner may be chosen.
- All times are GMT.
- There is no cash alternative.
- This set will be provided by HomeExchange
- Please allow 14 days for delivery.
- Incomplete or duplicate entries will be deleted.
- Entrants must leave a means of contact: either twitter handle or email address.
- By entering the prize draw, entrants are sending their personal information to Jazwares who will at all times process an entrant’s personal data in accordance with the UK Data Protection Act 1998, The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) as well as other applicable laws.
- This Giveaway starts on Monday 3rd December 2018 at midnight.
- This Giveaway closes on Monday 24th December 2018 at midnight.
Are you planning your next holidays? Which country would you like to visit? Could HomeExchange be a new option for you?
*Disclosure: I was given the opportunity to give a One Year Membership To HomeExchange to one of my readers. I have also given a balloon exchange for the purpose of doing a future review of my experience.
Have a look at all my other GIVEAWAY
Thanks for stopping by,
Love you all ❤️
Franca 💋
Margaret GALLAGHER says
Gosh that sounds brill – heard so much about this scheme – would love to go to France – amazing opportunity
amomentwithfranca says
It is a great way to travel!
Ruth Harwood says
We’ve booked to go to Portugal next September – we have relatives there we’d like to see! xx
amomentwithfranca says
Portugal sounds lovely 🙂
Johanne Currie says
Amarica is where I’d like to go so yes this would be great
amomentwithfranca says
Fantastic! Fingers crossed! 🙂