Ahhh….a week playing in the sand dunes of North Carolina’s coast….are you feeling me? Yeah, it is true that one of America’s favorite past times is doing very little for a week or two every year and heading off to the beach or, if you are into snow bunnies, the ski slopes. Vacations are about as integrated into the American Psyche as Baseball and American Pie.
However, the recent push in gas prices and rising inflation is putting more than a little burden into the pocketbooks of the average American in need of the yearly get away. So, what to do when you want to spend a week in Miami but don’t have the cash for one of those swanky hotels?
Can we say…Vacation Home Swapping?
Now, the idea of switching homes for a Orlando Homes For Vacation Rental is not something new to most…in fact, people have been swapping their homes for decades now. However, what most people don’t know is that if you live in a desirable place (think mountain or coastal view or big city hustle to small town charm), chances are there is someone, somewhere that wouldn’t mind trading homes with you for a week or two.
And if you think that by swapping homes with someone, it means an invasion of privacy, think again. Most home swappers are courteous and simply want to place to stay where they aren’t subjected to the high cost of hotels and ALSO have the convenience of modern day living.
Here are some advantages of Vacation Home Swapping…
- Saves Money on Hotels– If you have ever spent a week at a hotel, you likely have gotten sticker shock from the bill. Most hotels cost anywhere from $100-400 per night. Think a condo near the beach is any different? Try $1,200+ per week for one of these…
- Get the convenience of a home for nothing– When you swap your homes, you get some luxuries that you wouldn’t get from a hotel…namely, you get a kitchen and a washer/dryer. Essentially amenities that most hotels can’t offer.
- If you have kids, you get separation– Once again, a hotel room means everyone is crammed into the same room (or two rooms if you are lucky). Swap a home and suddenly everyone gets their own room.
- You can work out a deal for “family” members that can’t vacation with you– I speak of those four legged family friends that would otherwise either be kenneled or home sat. Many vacation home swapping companies find like-minded home owners. You know, “you care my cat, I care for yours”.
- Build relationships with someone in a community– Like many people, most will go to the same place year in and year out. Forge a relationship with a home owner and you will likely be able to swap homes later in the future.
- Find homes from like minded home owners– The popularity of home swapping has reached a point where you can swap homes with people in your own profession and age group. If you are a senior citizen, you can find other seniors that are willing to temporarily trade homes. Likewise, if you are a lawyer, teacher or doctor, you will be able to locate a home of someone in your demographic. And this means that you won’t “step down” when trading homes.
The idea of swapping homes for a vacation should be something that every home owner should in the very least investigate. And don’t think that just because you are in a small town, someone from a big city like New York wouldn’t consider an escape from the hustle and bustle of city life a vacation. Likewise, a home owner who gets to see the ocean from their back porch every morning would probably long for a mountain view from a rustic cabin in the Smokies. If you own a home and want to save money on the hotel expenses, vacation home swapping is definitely something that you should consider.