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A direct swap system. You take someone’s home, and they take yours. It is purely a member-to-member exchange system that fosters a sense of responsibility when people live in each other’s homes at the same time. Offers include several days to months of swap. Berlin is one of the swapping destinations. If you register your home on Kaza, you need to keep in mind that agreeing on the dates with the other party could take time. So, plan ahead if you want to use this platform during the Euro Cup.Â
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A subscription-based service costing $220 per year to join. The good thing is that it has been around the block and has hundreds of thousands of members who can vouch for the details of your next stay. The style and quality of homes vary, but the variety of locations – from big cities to countryside stays – cannot be beat. You can exchange homes simultaneously or on different dates, or use your earned points.Â
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Not city stays but farm stays in more than 130 countries around the world. You pick a country, choose a farm and the amenities you can’t live without (Wi-Fi, please), read the reviews of other guests to know what to expect, and then contact the farm owner. We looked at a farmhouse in Brazil with a nursery of native tree seedlings of the Araucaria Forest ecosystem. For agreed hours of work at the nursery, you would get your own room, organically grown food, internet access, and most importantly, new knowledge, skills, and the pleasant company of nature, animals and sometime, people. Ah, isn’t this a perfect exchange?
