If you’d love to vacation but find hotels and home rentals are out of your price range, there’s another option to consider — home swapping.
It’s exactly what it sounds like. You swap houses with someone else who is also looking to get away from home.
It was the premise of the 2006 rom-com “The Holiday” starring Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet.
GMA took a look at the trend. You can watch the story in the video at the top of this article.
They interviewed an Austin woman who found a home to swap in a Facebook group.
“You get to stay somewhere for free -- and if it feels like you’re making friends, connections as you do this,” Wanders told “Good Morning America.”
In addition to social media, travelers looking to trade properties can also use companies like Home Exchange and People Like Us. Those companies charge an annual membership fee.
GMA offered the following advice for anyone looking to swap homes.
- Vet the owner before doing any sort of exchange — ask for references and check out any previous reviews.
- Cross-check the property on Google Maps or in public records.
- Read your own home insurance policy to make sure it covers someone else staying in your home.
So, would you do it?