Home Exchange Network Reviews

HomeExchange Review

Review updated: October 2020

HomeExchange.com

Founded in 2011 under the name Guest to Guest. This network bought and integrated HomeExchange.com (which was founded in 1992) in 2018 and took on the name HomeExchange.

Free to create an account and search for an exchange, membership required to finalize exchanges

$150/year 

Single founder, created by 22 families from around the world

English, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, German, Dutch

HomeExchange review

450,000 listings in 187 countries (I estimate 315,000 active listings)

HomeExchange is by far the biggest network out there. And their geographic diversity, especially in South America and Africa, is impressive. This network is the leader in the points-based exchange model. It’s been their focus from the start. Points allow for greater flexibility in finding swaps. But they can also lead to a sense of monetizing the process.

Because it’s free to create an account on HomeExchange there are a lot of inactive and incomplete listings. The network does delete listings that go three years without a member login. Last year I came up with an estimate of active listings based on profile completion. I’m not super happy with that metric since it’s based on completing only 60% of the listing. This year I’m basing my active listings estimate on the percent of listings that have a response rate to requests greater than 80%. This is a default filter used for all searches. So I’m assuming the folks working at HomeExchange consider this a reasonable proxy for active listings. That number is currently a bit over 70% based on my random sampling of major cities and countries. I’m using 70% as a fair estimate of active members.

Listings by region:

  • Asia: 2%
  • North America: 19%
  • South America: 4%
  • Europe: 72%
  • Africa: 1.5%
  • Oceana: 1.5%

This past year things have settled down considerably after a rough 2019 ironing out the issues with the integration of HomeExchange.com into the Guest to Guest platform. Some people quit the network because of the changes. But I think that was a vocal and active minority. The network is still quite large and growing. And they have responded (if a bit slower than some would like) to member complaints and concerns. Significantly, HomeExchange eliminated the option to pay per swap, switching entirely to a paid membership model. And they’ve some work to clean up the display of listings to remove inactive homes.

Searching: Searches start with typing in a location and optionally entering the number of travelers and travel dates. The searches return home summary profiles, alongside a map of listings. These search results are sorted by the relative activity and verification status of the members, which roughly translates into the likelihood that you will get a response to your request. The filter to hide anyone with less than 80% response rate is on by default. You can also filter out homes without pictures.

The website added in a reverse search this year. This important feature enables searching for people who want to swap to your area. Unfortunately it still doesn’t return many results. This is because everyone needs to redo their desired destinations due to a new map implementation. Those updates have been especially slow to happen during the pandemic.

Listings: Search results return listings with a picture and few details about the home. You can click into each one to see the details of the home and the member.

Individual listing details include a lot of information about each property in a readable format. My only criticism here is that it would be nice to have summary information on the owners (family size and number of kids) on the initial search results page, in case you’re looking for a reciprocal swap. Listings do indicate whether you have already contacted a member.

HomeExchange allows members to set calendar availability in three ways:

  • available for reciprocal exchange
  • available to host a GuestPoints stay
  • open to any request

This is useful because you can note when you’ll be away staying with family or friends and so can host a guest, but also can indicate the dates you are hoping to do an exchange and will also need lodging yourself.

This network offers the following variations on house swapping:

  • simultaneous or non-simultaneous house swap – this is the traditional model where two parties swap houses for an agreed upon set of dates. Non-simultaneous works best with second homes, but is also useful for people going on vacation and leaving their home empty. In this case each party picks different dates for the swap.
  • GuestPoints – earn points by letting people stay in your house when you will be away, and redeem points to stay in other people’s homes

HomeExchange gives away guestpoints for setting up your account, referring friends, and becoming a verified member. I think this ultimately leads to a problem with too many points in the system. Some HomeExchange members complain that this is already the case. But (pre-Covid) I am still able to use my GuestPoints for places I want to visit.

Primarily you earn GuestPoints by letting people stay in your home. Average properties charge between 100 and 200 points a night. The rate is suggested by HomeExchange based on information you enter about your house, but this can be modified somewhat by the user.

HomeExchange does allow people to purchase GuestPoints if you don’t have enough for a swap. The first 20% of the total GuestPoints needed costs 10 cents per GP. For the remaining GuestPoints needed the cost is 1 euro per GP. Obviously at that cost it’s usually not going to be a good value to buy GuestPoints for the entire value of the stay.

Site design: Modern look and feel with good responsiveness.

Additional features: The email facility is functional and reasonably well organized. They have some built in translation tools to try to display messages in the primary language of each user. Each message is displayed with details of the person’s home, a picture if available, and requested swap dates, which is very helpful.

HomeExchange offers insurance for all home swaps for paid members. You can find the details of what is covered here. They also offer a verification service. Members can submit documentation to verify their identity and this is displayed on the member profile.

Overall I’ve had some good success using HomeExchange to find swaps. I find the points system particularly useful when I’m traveling alone and my home won’t be empty, and when I need lodging for only a short period of time and so am unlikely to find a simultaneous exchange. People who quit the network and joined other smaller swap communities over the past year complain about too much focus on monetizing points, a loss of the sense of generosity and goodwill among members, and lack of responsiveness from people in the network.

Read my interview with the founder of Guest to Guest for more information about the history of this network.

If you’re trying to figure out which one to join, check out my reviews of all the major home exchange networks.

11 Comments

  • I was very disappointed in the Lack of Communication and respect the company at Home Exchange has for it’s customers.
    My wife and I have reached out VIA EMAIL. This is the ONLY method to get in touch with the company through a CONTACT US link. No Phone number at all. After research, it seems they are located in Paris. I could be wrong. They are not willing to share this info.

    NO RESPONSE from Home Exchange after 4 attempts to get in touch.

    We are very respectful guests. We have a beautiful home and have shared it a few times. We received a startling review with a slanderous attack on our family by a host. I only made this exchange through an email, no actual phone contact.

    This review, as I understand, is not within the bondaries of the Home Exchange policy, yet when we tried to reach Home Ex. to discuss, NO RESPONSE.

    ___SEE BELOW

    When using the Platform, you agree that you will:

    Not post on the Platform, or transmit to other Guests, Members, us, or our employees, any defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, obscene, profane, offensive, sexually oriented, threatening, harassing, racially offensive, or illegal material or communication, or any material that infringes or violates another party’s rights (including, but not limited to, intellectual property rights, and rights of privacy and publicity).

    ____

    Additionally, it is hard to find someone to trade with. Simultaneous is difficult. Additionally, if you continue with Home Ex. and no one trades with you, you have NO POINTS to offer to anyone and can not trade regardless.

    I do not recommend.

  • I am very disappointed with the service.

    When i joined guesttoguest i had many people staying in my house. This was not always easy but i gained GP’s. the deal was – people stay at my house, i stay at someone else’s house and if i want i pay for insurance.

    Then i mistakingly signed up for a yearly membership, which i didnt want. And i paid for it. And when I emailed them about it they didn’t offer a refund.

    I tried to find exchanges but i never went on one as there werent any suitable ones available, ever!

    And now, if I want to go on just one exchange, I have to pay for a yearly membership! This was NEVER what i signed up for. I went to so much trouble collecting guestpoints by having people stay over and now i have to pay some yearly membership fee.

    I emailed them about it. They don’t care.

  • Thanks so much for the info. Very helpful–especially the info on the points. I don’t think I like the points system either! It reminds me of when we had a time-share–entirely different, I know–but nothing was available in London, New York City, and other major cities we wanted to visit. I’m in the process of taking photos of my house so that I can join and list, but my house is a mess because of the virus! We haven’t had company in so long that I’ve let the house cleaning go! Thanks again.
    Sharon

  • Minor improvements made in the past year, but it’s still a long way from what we had with Home Exchange before the merger. Agree that we desperately need the number of travellers clearly shown and major improvements to the reverse search map – I can no longer reverse search for just “Australia” and find everyone who wants anywhere in Australia like i used to. I have been able to use some of my Guest Points this year, but I have accumulated so many I won’t want to host again for many years, so that’s 2 more houses not available for points. I am completely opposed to selling guest points, & giving away free guest points (especially to new listings). It is virtually impossible to get a points exchange in major cities like London, Paris or New York. We are staying with HE for now because of the higher number of listings, but hoping the much friendlier People Like Us network will continue to grow!

  • I’m new to home exchanges and just beginning to compare different websites. I’m confused by this review about Home Exchange: It states:

    “Two membership options:
    $15 per night during home swaps
    $150/year ”

    and then goes on to say:
    “Because membership is free, the listings on HomeExchange never expire.”
    Can anyone explain?

    • Actually this has changed a bit this year, but they still keep unpaid member’s profiles active. You just need to pay $150 when/if you want to book an exchange. So there are a bunch of people who haven’t paid but whose listings are still active.

    • @Sharon : the offer per night was removed at the end of 2019, you register for free, and suscribe to the annual membership to finalize your first exchange.

  • I agree with the above posts, since the merger the quality of members contacting me is way down, the system has become very beaurcratic and too complicated and the quality of management has plunged. Original home exchange site was superb this is like dealing with the government

  • Have been a member for over 10 years and im leaving….this company turned into AIR BNB w people coming to my home w little respect and almost IMPOSSIBLE to use the Points I have incured …

    • We agree with the above post. We had many positive experiences but since the merge with GuesttoGuest the site has become impossible. The administrators are rigid and unhelpful. I too have points and can’t seem to use them anywhere (now useless points that we collected before the merger). The few requests we now get are from people who seem to think our primary home is an AIR BNB that we can vacate last minute to accomodate them like a hotel.