What DIY House Swap Is

This site exists to help homeowners find each other and share information so they can decide, for themselves, whether a house swap makes sense.

We provide:

• A place to discover and contact other homeowners
• A structured way to share useful information about homes and potential swaps
• Practical resources, templates, and examples based on real-world experience

That’s it.

We are not a booking platform, property manager, insurer, broker, or authority.

What DIY House Swap Is Not

To be clear, we do not:

• Inspect or verify homes
• Verify the accuracy of listings or user information
• Approve, reject, recommend, or match swaps
• Handle payments, deposits, or escrow
• Provide insurance, legal, security, or safety guarantees
• Mediate disputes, damage claims, or disagreements

All swaps are arranged directly between users, at their own discretion and risk.

If you are looking for:

• Guarantees
• Managed bookings
• Someone to inspect properties
• Someone else to take responsibility

This platform is probably not for you.

How Responsibility Works Here

House swapping relies on two people being comfortable trusting each other with their homes.

Things can break.
Plans can change.
Expectations can differ.
People can misunderstand each other.

Using this platform means accepting that:

• You are responsible for deciding who you swap with
• Other users may disclose information inaccurately or incompletely
• You should verify anything that matters to you
• No profile, checklist, agreement, or guide can eliminate risk

Our role is to reduce surprises, not risk.

We aim to make important information visible early so both sides can decide whether a swap actually makes sense.

What We Expect From You

If you choose to use this platform, we expect you to:

• Describe your home honestly
• Disclose anything that could materially affect someone’s stay
• Ask questions you actually care about
• Be clear about your expectations
• Verify anything that matters to you
• Walk away if a swap doesn’t feel right

Not every potential swap should become a swap.

Finding that out early is a good outcome.

What You Can Expect From Us

We aim to be:

• Clear
• Practical
• Honest about the limitations of DIY house swapping

We won’t approve your swap or tell you whether you should proceed.

We will provide tools and information to help both sides have better conversations before they agree.

If This Isn’t For You

DIY house swapping means accepting responsibility for who you allow into your home and whose home you stay in.

If you’d rather have:

• Verified properties
• Managed bookings
• Guarantees
• Customer support handling problems
• A company responsible for the transaction

A managed home-exchange or accommodation platform may suit you better.

One Last Thing

If something goes wrong in a swap arranged through this site, we are not involved.

We didn’t approve it.
We didn’t recommend it.
We didn’t arrange it.
We didn’t benefit from the swap itself.

We simply provided a place to connect and information to help you organise it yourselves.

If you’re comfortable with that, you’re welcome here.

Disclosure Guide

The Point of Disclosure

Disclosure isn’t about making your home look perfect.

It’s about making surprises unlikely.

Most problems don’t start because somebody deliberately lied.

They start because one person thought something wasn’t important enough to mention and the other person did.

If something could materially change someone’s experience of staying in your home, disclose it.

What to Disclose — At Minimum

1. The Home Itself

Be clear about things such as:

• Stairs and accessibility
• Number and type of beds
• Shared or private spaces
• Outdoor areas
• Parking
• Security systems
• Pools, spas, fireplaces, or other features requiring particular care
• Areas or rooms that are off-limits
• Anything unusual about accessing or using the property

A good description should help someone understand what actually living there will be like.

2. Known Problems and Quirks

Mention things such as:

• Appliances that don’t work properly
• Temperamental locks or doors
• Plumbing issues
• Heating or air-conditioning limitations
• Unreliable Wi-Fi
• Ongoing repairs
• Noise
• Construction nearby
• Anything else you’ve simply learned to live with

“The shower takes a few minutes to get hot” might feel trivial to you.

To someone arriving late at night in an unfamiliar house, it isn’t.

3. Pets, Plants and Other Responsibilities

If staying in your home comes with responsibilities, make them clear before agreeing to the swap.

For example:

• Feeding pets
• Walking dogs
• Cleaning litter boxes
• Watering plants
• Putting bins out
• Collecting mail
• Pool maintenance
• Garden care
• Accepting deliveries

A house swap shouldn’t quietly become a house-sitting job nobody agreed to.

4. House Rules

Be clear about things such as:

• Pets
• Smoking
• Parties
• Additional guests
• Children
• Shoes indoors
• Use of particular rooms or belongings
• Working from the property
• Parking
• Noise expectations
• Check-in and departure expectations

If something matters to you, don’t assume the other person will know.

Say it.

5. Neighbours, Buildings and Local Restrictions

Where relevant, disclose:

• Apartment or building rules
• Shared entrances or facilities
• Quiet hours
• Parking restrictions
• Security procedures
• HOA or strata rules
• Neighbours who may need to know someone else is staying
• Restrictions on guests or short-term occupancy

The swap involves more than the inside of your home.

6. Insurance Assumptions

Be clear about:

• What you believe your home insurance allows
• Whether you’ve discussed house swapping or non-paying guests with your insurer
• Any relevant excess/deductible
• Anything you are unsure about

Uncertainty is better than pretending you know.

Why Omission Is Worse Than Bad News

Most people don’t expect someone else’s home to be perfect.

Problems arise when expectations don’t match reality.

A small issue disclosed beforehand is usually just information.

The same issue discovered unexpectedly can feel very different.

Most disputes start with:

“If I’d known that, I would have made a different decision.”

That’s exactly what good disclosure is designed to prevent.

“Looks Fine Until It Isn’t” — Common Examples

These are the sorts of things worth mentioning:

“The Wi-Fi works, but not upstairs.”

“The neighbours are lovely, but they’re sensitive to noise.”

“The washing machine works, but you have to use this setting.”

“The cat is easy, but she needs medication every morning.”

“There’s parking, but not for larger vehicles.”

“The heating works, but the bedrooms stay quite cold.”

“The back door sticks unless you lift it slightly.”

If you automatically explain something to every guest who stays at your house, it probably belongs in your disclosure.

A Simple Rule of Thumb

If you’re debating whether something is worth mentioning:

Mention it.

You’re not trying to sell your house.

You’re trying to find someone whose expectations match what you’re offering.

Let the wrong swap fall apart early.

That’s a good outcome.

Swap Agreement Template

Why writing it down protects relationships, not just homes

What This Agreement Is

This template exists to:

• Make expectations explicit
• Record what both sides actually agreed
• Reduce misunderstandings
• Give both parties something to refer back to

It is a non-commercial agreement between the parties only.

We don’t enforce it.
We don’t review it.
We don’t benefit from it.

What It Should Cover — At Minimum

1. Who Is Involved

Record:

• Homeowner(s)
• People authorised to stay
• Other expected guests
• Emergency contact details

2. What Is Being Swapped

Identify:

• The properties
• Addresses
• Swap dates
• Arrival and departure arrangements
• Whether the swap is simultaneous or non-simultaneous

3. What Is Allowed and Not Allowed

Agree on things such as:

• Additional guests
• Parties or events
• Pets
• Smoking
• Use of vehicles, bicycles, pools, or other equipment
• Rooms or belongings that are off-limits
• Any explicit house rules

4. Responsibilities and Costs

Agree in advance on:

• Responsibility for damage
• Cleaning expectations
• Utilities where relevant
• Consumables
• Lost keys
• Pet or plant care
• Any agreed household tasks
• What happens if plans change or the swap is cancelled

The point isn’t to anticipate every possible problem.

It’s to remove the assumptions most likely to cause one.

5. Insurance Understanding

Record:

• What insurance each property has
• What each owner believes it covers
• Any relevant excess/deductible
• Whether the insurer has been informed where appropriate
• Any uncertainty that remains

Why “Non-Commercial” Language Matters

A genuine home exchange is different from renting a property to a paying guest.

However, insurers, building rules, local regulations, mortgage conditions, leases, and other agreements may treat different arrangements differently.

Clearly describing what you’ve actually agreed helps avoid ambiguity.

It doesn’t guarantee how a third party will classify the arrangement.

Jurisdiction Reality

There is no agreement that works everywhere.

Property, insurance, occupancy, and other rules vary between locations.

Treat the agreement primarily as a way of making expectations clear between the people swapping homes — not as a guarantee that nothing can go wrong.

Insurance Reality Guide

Don’t Assume — Ask

Home insurance policies vary enormously.

Some may allow guests without difficulty. Others may contain conditions relating to:

• Non-owner occupancy
• Extended absences
• Home exchanges
• Security
• Valuable belongings
• Accidental damage
• Liability
• Unoccupied periods

The fact that no money changes hands does not, by itself, tell you how your policy will respond.

Common Assumptions Worth Checking

Don’t automatically assume:

“They’re guests, so they’re covered.”

“No money changes hands, so it doesn’t matter.”

“My normal home insurance covers everything.”

“Their insurance will cover anything they damage.”

“It’s basically the same as having friends stay.”

Maybe.

Maybe not.

If it matters, check.

Useful Questions to Ask

Depending on your policy and circumstances, you may want to confirm:

• Can non-paying guests stay while I’m away?
• Does a home exchange change the coverage?
• Is accidental damage caused by guests covered?
• Are theft and personal belongings covered?
• Does leaving the property for an extended period affect coverage?
• Is liability coverage affected?
• Is there an excess/deductible?
• Are there security requirements while someone else occupies the home?

You don’t need to turn a house swap into an insurance investigation.

You do need to understand the risks that would matter financially to you.

A Better Way to Think About Insurance

Insurance is a financial backstop subject to the terms of the policy.

It isn’t a substitute for choosing the right person to swap with, communicating clearly, or documenting your home before handover.

Handover Framework

Why a good handover makes everything easier

The Problem With “They’ll Figure It Out”

Your house makes perfect sense to you.

You’ve used the same locks, appliances, heating, Wi-Fi, bins, switches and temperamental shower for years.

Someone arriving for the first time hasn’t.

A good handover isn’t about producing an instruction manual for every object in the house.

It’s about removing the little frustrations that make staying somewhere unfamiliar unnecessarily difficult.

What Should Be Documented

1. Condition

Before the swap, record the general condition of:

• Main living spaces
• Bedrooms
• Kitchen
• Bathrooms
• Outdoor areas
• Valuable or fragile items
• Any existing damage

You don’t need to catalogue every scratch.

Focus on anything that could reasonably cause confusion later.

2. Getting In and Out

Provide clear information about:

• Keys
• Lockboxes
• Alarm systems
• Gates
• Garage access
• Building entrances
• Spare keys
• What to do if someone gets locked out

Arrival should not require detective work.

3. How the House Works

Explain anything someone genuinely needs to know, including:

• Wi-Fi
• Heating and air-conditioning
• Hot water
• Washing machine
• Dishwasher
• Oven
• Television
• Security system
• Pool or spa
• Fuse box or breaker panel
• Water shut-off where relevant

Focus especially on anything unusual.

Nobody needs instructions explaining how a normal toaster works.

4. Household Responsibilities

Leave clear instructions for anything you’ve agreed they’ll take care of:

• Pets
• Plants
• Bins and recycling
• Mail
• Pool
• Garden
• Deliveries

Include schedules and important contact details where necessary.

5. Useful Local Information

This is where a good handover becomes genuinely helpful.

Consider including:

• Nearest supermarket
• Pharmacy
• Hospital or urgent care
• Public transport
• Parking rules
• Bin collection days
• Useful neighbours or local contacts
• Favourite cafés and restaurants
• Playgrounds or parks
• Anything about the neighbourhood that isn’t obvious

This isn’t just risk management.

It’s also part of what makes a house swap enjoyable.

6. Inventory and Off-Limits Items

Make clear:

• What they’re welcome to use
• What you’d prefer they didn’t use
• Where useful household items are
• Whether bicycles, sports equipment or other gear are included
• Any particularly valuable or sentimental items that should be left alone

If something really matters to you, putting it away is often better than relying on instructions.

Photos: What Actually Helps

Take enough photos to establish the general condition of the property before the swap.

Focus particularly on:

• Existing damage
• Expensive furniture or appliances
• Fragile items
• Areas where damage would be difficult to distinguish later
• Any equipment included with the swap

The goal isn’t to photograph every teaspoon.

It’s to create a simple shared record so nobody has to rely entirely on memory if a question comes up later.

Documentation isn’t about distrust.

It’s about making the swap easier for everyone.