Amsterdammers are increasingly exchanging homes via the home exchange platform Home Exchange. For example, the number of house exchange nights in 2022 increased by 36 percent compared to before corona. Based on the already booked overnight stays, the platform expects another increase of 84 percent this year.
Annemieke Koppeschaar, who has already exchanged her house 28 times, understands that the popularity of the platform is increasing: “It is a big surprise beforehand where you spend a weekend because you do not know from which country you will receive another request this time. ” Olga Bykova is also happy with the concept: “I really like to immediately feel like a resident of the city.” Just last weekend she exchanged her house near Westerpark for a house in the middle of London.
According to the platform, the increasing popularity can be explained by the fact that people want to go on holiday more and more budget-consciously: “Home exchange offers the opportunity to go on holiday with a limited budget. With an annual subscription of 149 euros you can exchange unlimited homes for a year,” says a spokesman.
The target group that uses the platform the most are families with children. “You don’t have to think about which toys to bring, everything is already in the house,” says Koppeschaar. What she does with her pets? “We often take the dog with us, but the two cats are part of the furniture”.
To trust
The basis of trading is trust. “I do trust people and respect their place” says Bykova. Koppeschaar is also very trusting: “I leave everything in the house, both my clothes and the picture frames on the wall”. But the degree of trust also has its limits. “Around the Amsterdam Dance Event I received a request from someone who wanted to come with four friends, which I rejected,” says Koppeschaar.
Reverse
However, the increasing popularity also has a downside: “People are increasingly putting their second home on it, which makes it more commercial. I don’t like that myself”. Nevertheless, Koppeschaar continues to exchange houses: “There are so many users that there is always a house for us”.