Home exchange is a novel concept for those who love to travel but have limited budget. This is also called home swap, where all you need to pay for is your travelling expenses and not for your accommodation, as you are staying in someone else's house in exchange of them staying in your house.
It is not only for tourists with limited budget, but home exchange is a growing concept amongst different kinds of people with varied reasons for travelling, especially those who have an omnivorous taste in travelling and love to explore different cultures and traditions and at the same time feel at home, which is not possible if you stay in a hotel or a resort or even a bed and breakfast accommodation as well.
It is also a common tradition amongst travellers who love to get the local feel while vacationing in a completely different part of the country or a different country altogether. This is possible only when you stay in a locality in a home, where there is no concept as room service, rather you have to fetch for your own requirements by visiting local shops and areas of entertainment. A lot of people, who are passionate about travelling, have found out home exchange as a wonderful option to fulfil their hobby as well as not spend a huge amount on their stay, while they are out touring some distant part of the world.
Having said that, it is true that people who have never exchanged homes have their own anticipations and apprehensions about strangers living in their house, and this is quite natural. However, when done through a safe media, like a home exchange website or a club, this can alleviate a lot of your worries and help you relax and enjoy your vacation. When you are a member of such a group or website, you can have a detailed interaction with another family, member of the same website or association, before going in for a home swap with them.
Home exchange is also the best way to ensure your pets are getting taken care of as well, while you are away from home. You can either take them along with you, or leave them at home so that the family that comes to stay at your home during the home swap can take good care of your pet.
A home swap comes with its own benefits. A lot of travellers have admitted that home exchange gives them new perspectives of running a household, taking care of things or pets, learning to run a new electronic gadget or picking up a new hobby. It helps them cover a lot of new destinations, even the unaffordable ones.