In June, Christiane Roy spent her vacation in a house in the south of France with a lavender field behind it. “I had it all to myself. It was a dream,” says the resident of the Charlesbourg neighbourhood of Quebec City.
This cozy and intimate nest allowed him to live for a few weeks like the local residents. And the most wonderful thing is that the accommodation cost him nothing.
Since 2015, Christiane and her partner have completed 34 home exchanges, in Europe and Quebec, through the HomeExchange platform. The car and bikes of the people they are staying with are often also lent to them. She estimates that the cost of their travel is thus reduced by half. “I only have the plane to pay more than if I stayed at home,” she emphasizes.
Home swapping is far from new. The romantic comedy The Holiday (Holidays), starring Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet, had also given a boost to the notoriety of this practice and more specifically of HomeExchange in 2006. But with the price of hotels raising more and more eyebrows among travelers and the regulatory difficulties faced by rental platforms like Airbnb all over the world, its popularity seems to be growing.
HomeExchange, which claims to have an 80% share of the market after buying several competitors, has reached 180,000 members in 145 countries, up from 150,000 last year. Canada is the fifth most popular country by overnight stays, followed by France. The largest concentration of Canadian members is in Quebec, the company’s communications team said in an email.
To participate, you must subscribe for $230 per year, which is about the cost of a night in a hotel. You then offer your house, condo or apartment — the platform accepts renters — to other registered people, while specifying your own needs and desired destinations.
Christiane Roy prioritizes simultaneous reciprocal exchanges, which work a bit like a dating app. “We communicate with a person whose house interests us and we ask them if they would like to come to our place. Some people put your house in their favorites, so it helps to find the right one match ” she explains.
Another formula has been possible for a dozen years. By lending their home, subscribers accumulate points, which they can then exchange for a non-reciprocal stay. In all cases, there is no exchange of money between travelers and hosts, which keeps away users with commercial aims.
A human adventure
Are you tempted by the experience, but afraid of leaving your cocoon in the hands of strangers? This was also the case for Montrealer Gaëlle Lebreton and her family members, about ten years ago. However, their fears have dissipated. Trust is established beforehand with other travelers through good communication, whether in writing, by phone or by videoconference. They always found their residence in impeccable condition, with a little gift as a bonus.
“We want them to take care of our home as they want us to take care of theirs,” says the mother of two teenagers. The money saved by this type of accommodation allows them to pay for more excursions and activities as a family, reports Gaëlle.
There are sometimes problems, such as travelers canceling at the last minute due to force majeure, but HomeExchange generally finds satisfactory solutions, Christiane and Gaëlle believe.
Besides the economic benefits, the two regulars are delighted by the rich encounters they have experienced.
“In France, people welcomed us while they were there. We shared meals, our children of the same age got along well. Everyone loved it,” says Gaëlle.
The two followers say they have made valuable friends all over the world, whom they intend to see again.
This text is taken from the Courrier de l’économie.