Join the Summer Holiday Swap Shop

So you want to have beach views from a Sydney apartment, be seconds from snow-covered slopes in a Swiss chalet or paddle in the pool of a villa in Provence? Well, pick your fantasy picture postcard and bag a free holiday home. From Parisian studio apartments to 10-bedroom Moroccan villas they won’t cost you a penny. The catch? While you’re living the high life in a free luxury pad, your own home is under siege back in Blighty.

Welcome to the worldwide home exchange club where it’s estimated more than 250,000 swaps take place every year, according to Channel 4 Homes. Some just exchange house keys, but others trade cars, pets, gym memberships and even best friends to create a budget holiday that includes every luxury.

And with more people surfing the internet, the worldwide swap shop is growing. For the humble price of membership, online exchange agencies facilitate holidays as far afield as Asia, Iceland and Australia.

Cut-price airfares and the absence of hefty accommodation bills can take you further around the globe – and ensure your spending money lasts the distance.

This is a quote from an article in The Scotsman - 6th May 2005
By Lisa Haynes, PA Features. Click here to read the full article