Home Exchange

Call for Input: Home Exchange Network Reviews

6 years ago
15 Comments
home exchange review
Helping you compare apples to apples when selecting a home swap network

It’s that time of year again, when I update all my home exchange network reviews along with my spreadsheet comparing them. If you belong to a network and have an opinion, good or bad, I’d love to hear it! I don’t have the time to be an active member of all of these house swap networks. I do my best to investigate the ones I’m not using. But even with the memberships I have, my opinion might not cover things that are important to you.

I’m updating this spreadsheet which currently has 72 home exchange networks (and more columns of info than shown above)

So this is a call for input.

Home exchangers: tell me about the networks you use. The features you like, the features you wish they had. And how good is their customer service?

Home swap networks: Send me your updated listing counts. I’m looking for total ACTIVE listings. And also a break out by continent or other regional distribution. Please be sure to include some information about how you determine that a listing is active. Maybe members have to pay annually to stay active. Or maybe you deactivate listings if the member doesn’t log in for 12 months. Or maybe you just leave listings active forever. Inquiring minds want to know. Check out my request from last year for more on what data I’m looking to update.

Here are a few ways to contact me with your input.

Thanks for your help!

15 Comments

  • Like most of the people that commented already I consider myself a refugee from HE. I have been a member for more than 10 years, had -according to them- more than 55 exchanges, and was a proud Ambassador from the beginning. I really felt ‘at home’ for many, many years, but that all has changed dramatically since the merger, and I feel I have found my new destination in PLU, the friendliest and warmest exchange community one can imagine. This is where I belong, this is where I want to continue exchanging homes and meeting new friends. Very, very highly recommended: PLU is awesome and Drew -the founder- deserves a gold medal !

  • I logged in to HE this year to find I’d been a ‘member’ for 16 years so does this mean I’ve been counted as a listing all this time? I read sharetravellers article about people like us, and the Aussie guy that started this, I signed up with them too. Although I have not exchanged yet, the Facebook community is fabulous on PLU and willing to help anyone (and it’s addictive)!

  • Lack of respect, privacy and feeling with the exchange community is the reason that we have fled from HomeExchange.
    We have found a warm nest at PLU. The PLU site works very well and every day hard work is done to make it even better. Suggestions and tips, often made via Facebook, are embraced and, if they are essential, often quickly implemented.
    The members are very active and helpful on Facebook and this really gives a sense of family. We have not yet made an exchange through this site. A matter of patience. The number of members increase every week. As far as we are concerned, PLU is recommended.

  • This is my first experience with a home exchange site and it has been great. Very friendly and welcoming and I feel a genuine supportive community. Drew, the facilitator is outstanding- very responsive to feedback and he continually strives to make improvements and listen to the PLU community. He ensures that the vibe is positive, accepting and friendly.

  • I love peoplelikeus.world
    I found not only an web site to exchange homes, but a community with values and the willing to share cultures in addition to houses.

  • People Like Us is what home exchanging should be. We left Homeexchange.com when it lost its focus and have happily arranged an exchange on PLU. The administrator of PLU is totally responsive to members.

  • In December of 2018, while on a home exchange in Italy, I learned that the organization I’d been a member of for more than 15 years was sold and merging with another large company in France. I was dismayed that there was no communication in advance nor did the administration seem to care about loyal members input. I began to look in earnest for a new exchange site that better reflected my values, respected its membership and welcomed input and feedback. I was very happy to land on the People Like Us Facebook page. I immediately decided to join the FB group and then list my home on http://www.peoplelikeus.world exchange site. It has been a great pleasure, if not a privilege to join the ranks of this very experienced, friendly, and inclusive site. I’m especially happy to watch this fledgling organization grow into a vibrant community of happy exchangers, now in over 68 countries in the world. The congenial spirit of its members is a direct reflection of its leader who has built a platform that values the wisdom and intelligence of the collective group.

    Reports of happy exchanges are coming in every day. While exchanges in and of themselves are nothing new, this particular group feels more like friends and family than any other I’ve seen. Yeah, People Like Us! I’m excited to conclude my first exchanges on People Like Us in the coming months.

  • https://peoplelikeus.world/en. I too have registered with PLU. The name says it all. a friendly group of people who have “old fashioned values” of commitment, trust, and a desire to swap with like minded people. The site owner, asks his members what they think of any ideas before he implements them. We feel valued and respected.

  • I use People Like Us the most for finding exchanges. The Facebook group is amazing with a real sense of community. It is like a warm bath. So many friendly and warm people.

    The website is build by someone who clearly has great moral and values and it shows in the community. He always listens to what people want and need.

    I have found some great exchanges here and looking forward to more!

  • https://peoplelikeus.world/en
    Is the platform I use too and I found there a great community with a lot of experienced exchangers around the world which have the same spirit, and share their homes with the same values
    A platform easy to use and with an administrator very reactive!

  • Hello. I’m French. After use
    “homeexchange” since 2015 and realize 5 exchanges, I try “people like us” since feb 2019.
    The new Homeexchange was, for me, a bad experience (no contact, no acceptation against guetspoint, Loss of the values of the old site…)
    I found a real community spirit, with no material value, at People Like Us.
    I look forward to making my first Exchange on this site.
    https://peoplelikeus.world/fr

    • https://peoplelikeus.world/en

      People Like Us is definitely my number one hi e exchange…..in fact, I have not renewed the platforms I was formerly on. For me, this incredible community is what home exchange is all about…..friendly like minded traditional home exchange based on trust and generosity of spirit…..for me it is a community as much as a home exchange…..People Like Us!