How to holiday in luxury for free: House swapping surges in share economy
Some Aussie travellers are spending more wisely on holidays by finding ways to secure amazing luxury accommodation and save money.
National
Don't miss out on the headlines from National. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Australians are saving thousands of dollars on accommodation during their holidays by swapping homes.
As the cost of food, fuel and airfare tickets continues to soar, avid travellers are spending wisely by embracing the ‘sharing economy’.
People Like Us, the third largest home exchange website in the world, boasts more than 6000 homes in 110 countries.
The website’s Sydney founder, former IT worker Drew Seitam said empty nesters and families made up the bulk of Aussie members and most preferred to travel domestically.
“Australians have a love for Europe and the US, but most of our activity is up and down the east coast: Sydney to or from Melbourne and to or from Queensland, and lots of closer city to country exchanges, usually shorter in duration,” Mr Seitam told News Corp.
For an annual fee of around $150 a year, people are exchanging for anywhere from a week to a year.
Aussie House Swap, Australia’s largest home exchange site, has 1500 homes up for exchange nationally for just $84 a year.
Its NSW founder Kylie Fuad said members were saving on average between $700 and $1500 a week by taking up free accommodation.
“It really is a great example of the true sharing economy,” Ms Fuad said.
“You are saving thousands of dollars a year, especially if you are a family and have a couple of kids, it can get pretty pricey if you get an Airbnb.
“You can swap your property even if you are a renter, but you need to check with your landlord.”
Mindahome, an Australian house sitting service, has 45,000 homeowners listed of which 700 to 1000, at any one time, are looking for house sitters to take care of their pets and home while they are away.
Unlike home exchange sites, the house sitter does not need to have their own home or have anyone in their home.
The site’s Melbourne co-founder, former Tupperware promoter Sue Coombs, said Queensland has the most jobs “because everyone wants to go there” followed by NSW and Victoria. The ACT and NT are the least in demand.
“Once you find a sitter you gel; it’s a win-win arrangement for the sitter and pet owner.”
The service, which charges sitters an annual fee of $59, is popular with couples and families but the biggest users are those aged 55-plus followed by 25-35 year olds.
“We have sitters that have saved $20,000 to $30,000 in a short time because they are saving to buy a house,” Ms Coombs said.
‘THE ONLY WAY TO TRAVEL’
Kerrie Demunk estimates she has spent more than 120 nights of exchanging since she took up the nifty idea in 2016.
The 60-year-old from Ballarat in Victoria has travelled to metro and regional Victoria, Cairns, Bali, Honolulu, Florida and New Orleans without spending a cent on accommodation.
“In New Orleans we were picked up by a surgeon in his scrubs at the airport, he was going to drive us to the place and show us around, it was just amazing,” she recalled with a smile.
“We stayed smack bang in the French quarter, one of those stereotypical two storey buildings with that beautiful lace work at the front.”
Mrs Demunk, a member of People Like Us, travels with her husband Paul, 55, and daughter Ella, who is now 16.
“We spent 14 nights in Florida; that was a six-bedroom, five-bathroom house. It had a pool and everything, it was amazing.”
She is returning to Bali in September staying at two different residences and to Hawaii in January staying at the home of a family from Washington.
The US family will stay at the Demunks’ Ocean Grove holiday house in September.
“This is the great thing about exchanging; it is so flexible. It doesn’t have to be at the same time, you don’t even have to go to that particular person’s house,” Mrs Demunk said.
Her advice for new members is “have a conversation about what your expectations are”.
“Some people are different. Some people do not want to clean when they go on holidays, I do anyway. But it’s all about what you expect.”
HOUSEMATES’ HOUSESITTING TRAVELS
Melbourne friends Inés Hennings, 31, and Ale Silva, 34, signed up to house sitting in 2021 after taking up jobs that allow them to work remotely.
The housemates joined Mindahome after deciding to explore Queensland and are booked up with sits until the end of this year.
“There’s a wide range of amazing houses we have experienced. The house we have now is in a bay area so you can see the bay from the huge terrace we have,” Ms Hennings, who is staying at Cleveland in Brisbane, said.
“In Trinity Beach, the homeowners wanted us to take the dog to a different beach every day so we got to see a different beach every day and use their car.”
The keen travellers said they couldn’t afford to move around otherwise and will continue for as long as they can because “it’s fun”.
Their advice to anyone taking up house sitting is to respect the pets and homeowners.
“Do it because you love animals, not for free accommodation. And listen to your gut feeling about a certain house-sit that might not be a good fit. It needs to feel right for all involved”.
PEOPLE LIKE US
Find a member who lives in your destination and exchange your home with them. You can swap at the same time or later on (perfect if you have a holiday home).
Join for around $150 a year.
https://peoplelikeus.world/en/join
AUSSIE HOUSE SWAP
You have a holiday in their house, and they have one in yours. You spend nothing on accommodation.
You simply browse for free, create your house listing and then swap via secure messaging system.
Join for $84 a year
https://www.aussiehouseswap.com.au/
Originally published as How to holiday in luxury for free: House swapping surges in share economy
‘Wait and see’: Albo’s big election threat
The Prime Minister has refused to rule out a double dissolution of parliament as he faces fierce opposition to his signature housing legislation.
‘Wait and see’: Albo’s big election threat
The Prime Minister has refused to rule out a double dissolution of parliament as he faces fierce opposition to his signature housing legislation.