A retired British couple who have completed more than 120 home exchanges say they no longer pay for accommodation and — by HomeExchange’s estimate — have saved at least £45,000 while travelling across Europe, Australia, New Zealand and the United States.
Joan Patterson, 67, and her husband, Noel, of Buxton, Derbyshire, told PA Real Life they have relied on the HomeExchange network — originally through LoveHomeSwap, which the couple joined in 2017 and which later became part of the HomeExchange group — to arrange swaps ranging from a central Paris garret to a luxury Bangkok apartment with an infinity pool.
The platform allows members to exchange homes simultaneously or arrange non‑simultaneous swaps and, in some cases, to offer GuestPoints to hosts when reciprocity is not possible. HomeExchange charges an annual membership fee of about £180 and says it has more than 200,000 members in 155 countries.
The Pattersons said their swaps have given them access to properties they would not otherwise have stayed in, including a three‑storey, five‑bedroom Australian house overlooking a whale migration and, on another occasion, a week aboard a yacht that had been used during Prince William’s stag party. In the yacht exchange, Joan said the couple paid for fuel and their hosts’ lunches while using GuestPoints for the booking; the boat’s owner acted as skipper and invited them to sail.
The couple said they have chosen swaps to suit long holidays — they typically enjoy walking, hiking and exploring local history — and they use a one‑bedroom holiday home in Criccieth, North Wales, to make their Buxton property easier for guests to accept. Joan described their first exchange as a small, well‑located student flat in Paris where cheap local bars and a neighbourhood feel made the experience different from a hotel stay.
"It’s not possible to put a price on our trips," Joan said, adding that home swapping provides both accommodation and a connection to local people. "The main thing is that money cannot buy the experience of being welcomed into someone’s home and being in a proper local living community."
The Pattersons, who retired after running an education company, said they have stayed in a wide range of homes, from properties with large gardens and swimming pools to family houses with chickens and pets to unconventional dwellings in Tasmania surrounded by wallabies. Joan said she has never had a negative experience hosting or staying, and that respect for other people’s belongings and properties has been central to each exchange.
HomeExchange defines different exchange models — simultaneous reciprocal swaps, non‑simultaneous exchanges and point‑based stays — and says the service offers listings across lifestyles and price points rather than only high‑end properties. The Pattersons noted that non‑simultaneous arrangements often include hosts who provide local guidance, pick visitors up from airports and introduce them to neighbours and sights that would be hard to find from a hotel.
Joan and Noel have several swaps planned: three weeks in Italy’s Dolomites this autumn and a trip to Malta in March next year. Joan said she does not keep a bucket list, preferring to seize opportunities as they arise. "Life only goes in one direction, so you should hurry up and do it," she said.
Home swapping has gained renewed attention as travellers look to manage costs and seek more local, experiential stays. The Pattersons’ experience illustrates how one couple has used a formal swapping network to travel frequently while avoiding traditional accommodation expenses and cultivating friendships around the world.