I'm not planning a trip to the French Caribbean right now, but the idea of a complimentary four-bedroom home with a pool on the island of Guadeloupe might make me reconsider. A week or two in Paris isn't really in the works either, but when I read the description of the luxurious houseboat on the Seine at the foot of the Eiffel Tower with a nightly rate of zero, I priced transatlantic flights just for fun. These two properties, and thousands more, are available to families at no cost as long as you are willing to let their owners stay in your home at the same time you stay in theirs.

Thanks to the Internet and the sheer practicality of it, home-swaps are becoming more popular than ever before. Think of it as a matchmaking service; you pay a fee and list your home in a print directory or on the Internet, describing its virtues and the advantages of your location (and just as in a dating service, honesty pays in the long run). Then you search the directory for a house or apartment in a city or region you want to visit.  You contact those that interest you in hopes that someone will fall in love with your home and want to trade with you.

Flexibility Pays Off

Home swaps are especially well-suited to families:  "We like vacations to include a lot of downtime and relaxation for our family," says Peggy Estrada, a California mother of two children ages 6 and 9. "We've traded homes in County Kerry, Ireland and Aix en Provence, France. Trading houses gives us the extra space we need, a full kitchen so we can shop in the local markets, plus an interesting neighborhood. But the best part of a home trade is the price," she adds. Even if your first choice home-owner doesn't want to visit your town, there is bound to be someone who will. The Day-Farnsworth family of Seattle originally planned to trade homes with someone in Tuscany, Italy: "There were several limiting factors," says Kate Day. "We wanted a three-bedroom home that could accommodate us and our two teenagers, who are each bringing a friend. But Tuscany is a very popular region right now and our area, the Pacific Northwest, is rather undiscovered for Europeans. We couldn't find a trade, so instead we're going to an undiscovered region of northern Italy that is a short drive from the beaches of the Adriatic Sea, wonderful hiking in the Dolomite mountains, Lake Garda, and countless vineyards."

How-To's of  Home Swaps

Once a match is made, the two parties write, call, or e-mail each other to hammer out details, such as trading cars (surprisingly common) or taking care of pets and houseplants. The correspondence provides both sides an opportunity to get to know each other and to put aside any fears either has about strangers staying in their home. Some families simply request that certain items such as delicate china and silver not be used, while others lock their valuables away in a closet. Some home traders even arrange airport transportation, neighborhood contacts, and maid service for each other. 

A useful website, www.freehomeawayfromhome.com, created by the authors of "The Home Exchange Guide" (2004, Poyeen Publishing), provides information on home exchanging organizations and relevant issues.

Most home exchange companies charge $75-$170/year to list a home in their directory, approximately the cost of one night's stay in a hotel. The biggest and best organizations have strong partnerships with home exchanges in other countries -- that way you get plenty of options all over the world.

Two of the largest, Intervac (800/756/HOME) and Homelink(800/638-3841) both use print directories and Internet access to provide listings to members.  One newer service, Global Home Exchange (250/740-1740) costs only $37/year!  They have 1,000-12,000 listings apiece, with an especially good line-up in Europe and North America.

Internet-only businesses, such as Homeexchange.com (800/877-8723) are becoming more common. They offer a lower listing fee and open access to communicate with those who list via a secure e-mail service. Since so many Americans and Canadians are online, they tend to be especially strong in North American listings. (European listings are more limited because less European homes have Internet access.) However, all home exchange companies foresee their business eventually moving to an Internet access model.

Veteran house swappers recommend starting early to arrange a trade. "Put in your application and a photo of your house in the fall for a summer trade," suggests Estrada. "Your house will appear in the January directory and you can jump on the best places first. We're already planning next year's summer vacation. The only stumbling block is deciding where to go -- back to Aix en Provence, to Spain, or to somewhere even more exotic."