Trading places

House-swapping is a popular option for cheap holidays with a touch of local flavour.

- BY ANTHONY SHARPE

The cost-of-living crisis sweeping across the globe has hit South Africa with a bang, crushing many potential travel plans. When it’s a choice between a swanky hotel and groceries for the next couple of weeks, it’s not really much of a choice, is it? If only there was a way to take a vacation, gain local knowledge about your destination, stay somewhere with a bit of character and get a cheap car to rent.

Thankfully, there is such a way: You simply swap your house for someone else’s. They take a vacation by staying in your home and vice versa. It’s a stunningly simple solution, provided you do your homework properly.

Ten years ago, the idea of a total stranger moving into your home was unthinkable for many South Africans. However, people’s perspectives have been broadened by the rise of sharing economy services, most notably Airbnb, which launched in South Africa in 2015.

House-swapping has been around since the 1950s when Intervac International was founded by a group of Swiss teachers. In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, holidaymakers sought out more private accommodations as anxiety about shared hotel spaces increased. Currently, house-swapping is proving to be an ideal way to satisfy the world’s insatiable appetite for travel, as it serves as an economical means of satisfying it.

HOW IT WORKS