Here's How to Live Abroad for Free

If you're dreaming of moving to another country for an extended period of time, you might be thinking how the logistics of such a move might be too much. Just considering the cost of housing can be enough to keep us from chasing dreams of life abroad. What if you don't want to give up your housing in your home country? Taking on rent on to top of your pre-existing rent or mortgage isn't possible for most. And who would look after your home? HomeExchange is the answer to all of this, so hear us out when we say it is possible to move abroad (almost) for free! At least when it comes to your housing.

Discover how HomeExchange works

How To Live Abroad for Free with HomeExchange

How does HomeExchange work?

Have you heard of home exchanging? Let us break it down. A home exchange is just that, two parties exchanging homes in a mutually beneficial manner. Instead of paying money, you lend your home to your host, who is also your guest! You can exchange homes during the same dates, or at different times as long as they work for both parties.

All the other details can be arranged between both of you from watering your house plants, to caring for the garden, to even taking care of pets. In fact, we've even had guests chip in with some handy work around the house during their stay! The idea is that each party treats the others home as they would like their own to be treated, with care and respect.

You can even exchange cars, bicycles, boats, and more during this time as long as it's okay with you. In the case of living abroad, there are tons of perks to a home exchange. Being away so far from home isn't always easy. Wouldn't it be great to know someone is there for you looking after it? Meanwhile, in a foreign country you'll be happy to have all the comforts of a real home to help you settle in.

How much does it cost?

And can you believe it...all of this for free! Well, almost free. While it's not free to live abroad because you'll need to travel there and have other costs like food etc., you can rest assured that with HomeExchange you won't incur any surprise fees for your housing. For just $220 you can unlock unlimited exchanges for an entire year. We guarantee you that's...

• far less expensive than paying for a second house, apartment, or even room to stay in while you're abroad.
• much more affordable than paying a house-sitter, pet-sitter, plant-sitter, or gardener.
• definitely more cost effective than paying for a costly language learning program to host you.

Read more about our membership

Why Choose HomeExchange When Deciding How to Live Abroad for Free

While we're not the only home exchange site in the world, we are the most extensive and most reputable. Though that's just one of the reasons to choose HomeExchange amongst other websites, and we've got many more. Here's some things you might like to know about us :

• We have built the largest home exchange network. HomeExchange has been in the business for the better part of a century, beginning as a catalog 70 years ago before going online later. Since then, we've created a network of like minded travelers including over 150,000 members across 145 countries. Because of so many possibilities, an exchange is finalized every 2 minutes on our website!
• Our members trust us. With all this experience, we believe we've really perfected the art of home exchanging. So much so that we have over 10,000 reviews on TrustPilot earning us an excellent rating of 4.7 / 5 stars. If you want to read some of our reviews and find out more about others experiences you'll find them here.
• We are here to help. Every step of the way, from setting up your profile, to confirming your first exchange, and during your travels, HomeExchange and our support team is here for you 24/7 to guide you through the process. We remain available to you to answer questions and problem solve in the very rare event that one should arrive.
• We have a unique Guest Points System. Our unique Guest Points system makes setting up exchanges even easier. You can accumulate guest points for hosting members and spend them on stays when a reciprocal exchange isn't possible.
• We are B Corp Certified. We are proud to have earned the prestigious B Corporation label, meaning that our business meets the highest expecatations for economic and environmental sustainability. We're proud to work for a better world!
• We offer great guarantees. Our HomeExchange Guarantees let you travel with peace of mind. For hosts we offer security deposits, theft protection, and damage coverage, and for guests damage coverage, cancellation compensation, and compliance garuntees, among other guarantees.

Most of all though, we truly believe we've created a network of like minded travelers sharing values of respect and the goal of getting more out of your travels while paying less. Our community is based on caring, generosity, and gratitude and you can refer to your hosts during your time abroad for local information to make the mot of your stay.

Sign up for free today

Start Planning How To Move Abroad for Free with HomeExchange

Getting started with HomeExchange is easy. Once you've decided some places you might want to move abroad for an extended period of time, keep this in mind: you don't need to exchange with only one other member. If you want to travel for an extended period of time, you can find a reciprocal exchange that is also looking for an extended stay. Or, you can break up your trip into multiple stays and places, the choice is up to you how to get organised. Here's how to get started:

1. Sign up for free. You don't have to pay anything to start exploring and begin setting up an exchange. You'll only pay to sign up once you are ready to finalize an exchange so it's risk free!
2. Complete & verify your profile. This is the moment to introduce yourself to the community. Talk about yourself, your interests, where your home is, and what brings you to HomeExchange.
3. Activate your membership When your profile is ready, pay the one time annual $220 fee and enjoy unlimited exchanges for one year from there on out.
4. Begin searching & setting up exchanges. You can search by location and a number of other filters that allow you to find the perfect home exchange. When you do, start reaching out to set them up!

Home is truly where you make it and with HomeExchange it can be nearly anywhere in the world...for just $220 ! Let your dreams of living abroad run wild because with our incredible global network the possibilities are endless. Your budget won't be what's stopping you for experiencing life in other country. HomeExchange helps you find a place to stay while you're away and someone to look after your own home in your absence with the care and respect to give you peace of mind, including when it comes to your finances. So get your passport ready and start planning your move abroad for free with HomeExchange.

Sign up for free today