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Swaphouse: The new WFH-friendly trend you need to know about
Swaphouse, a free home exchange platform for digital nomads and remote workers. Travel, swap homes, and work from anywhere.
Remember The Holiday? That dreamy, fairy-tale-like cottage in the English countryside that Cameron Diaz exchanged with Kate Winslet’s modern, LA home? Well, it’s no longer just a movie plot.
What if I told you that swapping homes—rent-free—is now a real, practical, and fast-growing way to explore the world? Thanks to the rise of remote work and digital nomadism, home exchange platforms are popping up to support this lifestyle shift.
What is home exchange?
Home exchange or house swapping is the concept of two people agreeing to exchange homes for a set period of time. Instead of paying for accommodation or staying in a hotel, you live in someone else’s home—and they live in yours. No money is exchanged. It’s simple, personal, and community-driven.
The arrangements for a home exchange are usually made through dedicated platforms. You create a profile, search for your dream destination, and match with someone interested in where you live. From there, the two parties set the terms: dates, house rules, and expectations—no middlemen, no agencies, no corporate fees.
Meet Swaphouse: The digital nomad’s new favourite platform
Swaphouse is one of the standout players in this space. A platform founded by Tobias and Katarina, a couple who turned a lockdown idea into a full-fledged platform designed for remote workers.
The platform is free to use and built to foster a trusted community of remote workers to explore the world in a safe and meaningful way—without the burden of short-term rentals or hotels.
Ready to learn more?
We sat down with Tobias to talk about how it all started, what makes Swaphouse unique, and why home exchange could be the next big shift in remote travel.
What inspired you and Katarina to create Swaphouse? Your “About Us” section mentions the idea was born during COVID-19. How long did it take before you started actively working on it?
During the pandemic, like many of us, we were working from home most of the time. We both work in tech, so it was easy to take our laptops and work from anywhere. That got us thinking, if we can work from home, why not work from Italy or France where the weather is often better than in the Netherlands? So we did, a few times. But we quickly realized accommodation costs add up fast, especially for longer trips. We often booked Airbnbs for a more authentic stay, but they became really expensive, and “remote work friendly” often turned out to mean slow or unreliable WiFi, or no proper place to work.
That’s when the idea came up: what if you could swap homes directly with other remote workers, so both sides get free accommodation and a proper work setup? Something simple, trustworthy, and designed for the remote work lifestyle.
I started Swaphouse.io with one simple landing page—just the idea, a short explanation, and a waitlist form. I thought a few people might sign up, but within months we had over a thousand email addresses. That’s when I knew there was real interest. I soon met my technical co-founder, and together we began building Swaphouse alongside our full-time jobs, coding and designing in the evenings and weekends. By November 2023, the first public version of Swaphouse.io went live. Now, a bit less than two years later, more than 2,200 homes are listed, the community is growing exponentially and more and more people are swapping homes with each other around the world.
For someone who’s never heard of Swaphouse, how would you explain the concept in simple terms?
Swaphouse is a home swapping community. It works like a dating app, but for home swaps. You list your home, browse other members’ homes, and “like” the ones you are interested in swapping with, either soon or in the future. If they like yours back, it’s a match and you can chat to arrange a swap.
There’s no money involved. It’s a free, mutual exchange of homes for an agreed period. You can collect as many matches as you like and filter by availability to see who’s free when you are. All homes are remote work-friendly, so you’ll always have (often verified) WiFi and a workspace wherever you go.
Who is Swaphouse designed for?
Swaphouse was built for remote workers and digital nomads who want to travel without paying for accommodation. Many members are planning swaps for weeks or even months, making it perfect for slow travel and workations, but it also works for weekend tips. All homes on Swaphouse are remote work-friendly, but you don’t have to work during your stay. Plenty of members also use it just for vacations, so it’s open to any traveler looking for a more local, affordable way to explore.
As a founder, do you also travel and swap homes? If so, what’s been your favorite experience?
Yes, absolutely! We almost never stay in Airbnbs or hotels anymore. We usually do 3–4 swaps a year, and they’ve taken us to amazing places in Germany, France, Spain, and Italy. Our most surprising and favourite swap was in Malta, on the smaller island of Gozo, where we exchanged our Amsterdam apartment for a 400-year-old farmhouse with a pool and beautiful sea views.
What makes Swaphouse different from other home exchange or house-sitting platforms?
First, Swaphouse is completely free. No membership fees, no paywalls, and no hidden charges for browsing, chatting, or swapping. Second, our match-based system means you only chat with people who are interested in swapping with you and whose home you like. That way, you avoid cold messages and focus on swaps that are genuinely a good fit. Lastly, Swaphouse is designed for remote workers. Every home has fast WiFi and at least one workspace. We have a built-in WiFi speed tester so hosts can verify their speeds before guests arrive.
How do you build trust between users? What systems or practices help ensure safe and respectful exchanges?
Everyone signs up to Swaphouse using LinkedIn, which helps create a level of transparency and trust from the start. We require each listing to have clear photos, a detailed description, and a full overview of (remote work) amenities. Members can also add more about themselves; what they do for work, a short introduction, links to their social media profiles, and photos of themselves or family members who’ll be joining the swaps.
Before confirming a swap, we always recommend a video call to get to know each other, discuss details, and do a quick virtual home tour. Many members also meet in person for the key exchange, we always try to do this ourselves as well. After the swap, both sides can leave a review that appears on the listing for other members to see.
For extra peace of mind, we partner with Truvi for optional guest screening and home swap damage protection of up to $5,000,000. More info here.
What tips would you give someone doing their first house swap?
- Be honest in your listing: show your home as it really is. Spend some time writing a clear, welcoming description and include plenty of high-quality photos.
- Communicate clearly: be responsive and take the time to get to know each other. Once there’s a fit, agree on dates, expectations, and house rules upfront so there are no surprises.
- Check your insurance coverage: make sure you’re covered for liability, home, contents, and travel. When speaking with your provider, clarify that a home swap isn’t a commercial rental; in some cases, it’s already included in your coverage. If not, consider Truvi’s Damage Protection Service for extra peace of mind.
- Treat the other person’s home as your own: respect goes both ways and is what keeps the community strong.
For more home swap tips, we’ve put together a full guide for remote workers and digital nomads.
What are the biggest benefits for Swaphouse members?
For digital nomads who do have a home base to swap, it’s one of the most affordable and authentic ways to travel. The biggest benefits are:
- Save on accommodation costs: eliminate one of the biggest travel expenses so you can travel longer and more often.
- Stay in real homes with everything you need: from reliable WiFi and a proper workspace to everyday comforts like a fully equipped kitchen, laundry, outdoor space, and sometimes extras like bikes, surfboards, or even a pool.
- Live like a local: experience neighborhoods tourists rarely see and enjoy a more authentic, community-based travel experience.
- Travel more sustainably: by staying in existing homes, you reduce the demand for new hotel construction and help keep tourism balanced.
Do you have any favorite success stories from your community?
What makes us most proud is that every story and review so far has been 5 stars. Swappers are genuinely excited about their experiences, and we highlight some of these reviews on our homepage, with more stories on Trustpilot. One couple loved their first swap so much that they wrote a full article for our blog, sharing tips and best practices from what they learned along the way: How to Prepare for a Smooth Home Swap.
What’s next for Swaphouse?
We are working on new features to make it easier to explore homes, find the best matches, and plan swaps from start to finish. Upcoming features include enhanced search filters, verification options, and a smoother process for confirming and managing swaps with built-in sections for house rules, key exchange, and cleaning preferences. Our main focus is to grow the global community and increase the number of listed homes so that members can find amazing swaps anywhere in the world, any time of year.
Ready to swap your way around the world?
Whether you’re a seasoned digital nomad or just getting started with remote work, platforms like Swaphouse offer a smart, affordable, and community-driven way to travel. Explore new places, live like a local, and make the world your home—one swap at a time.
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