House swapping - Stepping into somebody’s else’s life

Fancy visiting a far-flung destination or just popping to somewhere in Europe, but your budget doesn’t stretch to accommodation? Then maybe house swapping is for you, says Nuala Woulfe.

HOUSE-swapping used to be so unusual it featured in movies, such as The Holiday or Tara Road (Maeve Binchy house-swapped to research her bestselling book). House exchange is more common now, and popular with Irish expats.

“We’ve Irish people wanting to come home from countries like New Zealand, but don’t necessarily want to stay with grandparents, and they’re finding it difficult to get property here. Fortunately, some people in Ireland, who want to go ‘Down Under’ to visit family, are realising the benefits of home exchange and are now making their property available,” says Marie Murphy, of www.homelink.ie.