Place two strangers who meet online and decide to swap houses for a while, going on a journey in opposite directions. This is the scene of a famous movie. “Love Don’t Go on Vacation” With
the main characters are Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet and Jude Law, who actively promoted the “house swap” mechanism. A mechanism that allows you to travel (almost) for free around the world supported by platforms that create a real community of travelers who want to exchange
own home (or second home) to travel to selected destinations, practically reducing living costs and paying only for transport.
A dream that turns into reality for those who love to travel and seems to be increasingly common in Reggio, where the world’s leading home exchange platform “HomeExchange” is advertised from the Tyrrhenian side to the Ionian side.
How House Exchange Works
In practice, the exchange works like this: home owners who want to join the community register on the portal, describe their house in the ad, strictly with photos, indicate the dates on which it is free, any special conditions and insert directions with
they would like to trade. It can be exchanged in two ways: “mutually” with another member’s home or in a non-mutual exchange by paying with “Guest Points”,
the only “currency” allowed, which is points earned for placing other people in your home, and in exchange you can choose from over 100,000 homes available in over 130 countries.. “There is a home for all your desires”, because the portal says, just select your preferred criterion “to have an unforgettable experience”.
The slogan “Hospitality”
The system is secure and reliable, the only costs are the annual subscription and shipping costs, and every exchange is covered for damage, theft and cancellation. The rest will be taken care of by the community, because everything is based on a close trust relationship (every member is verified) and on a “mutual exchange of hospitality”.
The key concept of the house exchange is precisely “hospitality”: gThe hosts open the doors of their homes to guests as if they were friends or family members. Thus, the exchange acquires not only economic but also cultural value and is based, according to HomeExchange, on the values of “reception, exchange,
trust and respect.”
Not only. There is no obligation to exchange your house for a similar one: therefore, you can “exchange” a modest studio apartment for a villa with a pool, outdoor areas, barbecue, bicycles, etc.
Reggio is also on HomeExchange.
Reggio is also on HomeExchange. The new travel frontier is now depopulated and, given the numbers, it is destined to grow bigger and bigger: listings ranging from a villa in the hills to a penthouse in the center scattered throughout the province, from Tyrrhenian to Ionian.
Let’s start with Silvio’s house, which offers a comfortable apartment in the city center in exchange for hospitality in Portugal, Barcelona or Amsterdam. Then there is the Christmas House offered by a young couple who would like to exchange houses in the Canary Islands or southern Spain.
Among the most popular are Paula and Antonio’s villa, available in October, and the veterans’ villa (more than 27 exchanges have already been made) Luca and Stefania, a couple of 53 and 48 years old, he is a mechanical engineer, she is a nurse, we read on the portal that they like the “exchange a home experience that offers unique opportunities to meet new places and people.” Pair provides their hillside villa, surrounded by centuries-old olive trees and with breathtaking views of the strait and Mount Etna, and even a small car (but only for the month of August).
Again, Carmen’s home for sale by a professional couple: 150 meters of attic, super-equipped including a Playstation, overlooking the strait with a large terrace. And for those who wish, even a car and a scooter. “We love to chat and all of our exchanges have become friends”
veterans state in their profile. Favorite destinations? Greece, Andalusia, especially Granada and Italy.
The province has: Daniela’s house in Siderno, a separate house 100 meters from the beach with a beautiful garden, a balcony overlooking the strait in Campo Calabro di Loredana, Anna and Nino’s house in
the sea at Palizzi, two retired teachers with their adult children “interested in traveling and getting to know the places and customs of the countries visited.” Since 1998, they have switched houses and settled in houses in London, New York, Berlin, Paris, Budapest, Switzerland, Denmark, Poland, Rome and Florence “always with
great mutual satisfaction.”
Also worth mentioning is Simone’s attic in Caulonia, “full of the warm light of the south”, and Maurizio and Elena’s house, a completely restored 1920s building in Roccella, where father and daughter, respectively, former members of the Alitalia crew, lived. and photography student live when they are not busy traveling around the world, because “
house swap is a great solution.