Jewett Street - House Swappin'
Looking for a more intimate experience when you travel? I discovered Jewett Street in a comment left over at Apartment Therapy yesterday and thought I'd share. The idea of swapping homes isn't exactly a new one, but it's definitely more common, even considered trendy, making your stay in a boutique hotel almost pale in comparison. More and more are jumping on house swapping for several reasons, the first being that in most cases, it's more affordable and comfortable than a hotel. With hotels soaring into the hundreds per night, staying in one is no longer the best way to spend your vacation dollars. Especially when you can stay in a place that looks like this. Charming, don't you think? It's a flat available for swapping in Edinburgh, Scotland over at Jewett Street.
Next, house swapping is the best way to sink your teeth into your new culture and experience day-to-day life. You really get to take it all in this way (especially helpful if you're planning to relocate there someday. House swapping gives you a chance to experience living there without the commitment.) Of course, many more benefits exist, but you usually don't know what they are until you've experienced it. And if you cannot house swap, consider looking into rental apartments when you travel. I have connections in my favorite cities so that when I need to travel there, I know who to call for an apartment.
I think that people are much more open to the idea of letting strangers into their home because of the internet. Let's face it, we share so much of ourselves online, you can google anyone! We have less walls around us, people aren't as fearful as they once were. Remember back years ago, if a friend told you she was dating a man she'd met online what did you think? Didn't images of murder and/or abduction play through your head? No one thinks twice about meeting those they've met online today, so the same goes for swapping homes. There isn't as much fear in the idea. Maybe we are more trusting? I don't know. Of course, there is still a need to exercise caution, but house swapping sounds like a great travel option to me and totally worth looking into. If you want to learn more about how home swapping works, visit the Jewett Street website and register if you're interested.
Have you swapped homes before? What was your experience? If not, would you consider it? I'd love to know what your thoughts are on this.
(image from jewett street)