Portofino, Italia
Trade a couple vacation weeks at your home in Boulder for a villa in Spain? Or perhaps New Zealand, or Croatia is more to your liking. According to Craigslist, home-swap postings have grown by 50 percent in the past year. Consider that the average hotel stay can cost more than flights, meals, and entertainment combined, and you can understand the appeal of free lodging. Plus, many home-exchange websites or clubs include swapping pet care and cars as part of the arrangement. Not to be confused with the skater-dude couch-surfing set (not that there’s anything wrong with that), the demographic for homeexchange participants is of the decidedly more mature and affluent professional type. But because it’s affordable and fun, Helen Bergstein who founded the Digsville Home Exchange Club in 1999 notes that the concept is starting to catch on with Gen Xers too. It’s no wonder, Digsville’s exchange listings span the globe— they have listings in over 55 countries—so no matter your age or destination, you’re likely to find a fit. For as little as $45 (or free on Craigslist), you can list your house, set your parameters, and start receiving offers. Here are a few sample swaps we found enticing.
Dalmation Coast, Croatia (www.homeexchange.com)
Right on the beach! This newly refurbished detached five-bedroom villa has 180-degree views over the beach, the Adriatic Sea, and the outlying Dalmatian Islands. On three levels and built back on a sloping site, the villa has balconies and terraces off almost all its rooms, giving ab-fab views all around. The inside is a quaint 2,000 square feet, but a vine-covered and barbeque equipped terrace adjoins the living room, adding space for family gatherings or entertaining. Situated at the end of a small beach in the former fishing village of Zivogosce, even getting to this Dalmatian Coast abode is an adventure: there is no car access. To get to the front door, you’ll have to leave your car in the village and walk about 150 yards along the beach. The village itself is between Split (45 miles/1 hour) and Dubrovnik (100 miles/2.5 hours), with the majestic Biokovo mountain range as its backdrop. It has a grocery shop, a beach restaurant and bar, and an open stall selling fresh fruit and vegetables.
Palazzone, San Casciano dei Bagni, Italy (www.digsville.com)
Lovely villa in Tuscany! La Casina is the perfect home-base for a trip to the Tuscan countryside. Rolling vineyards, olive groves, and cypress trees are all strategically situated halfway between Florence and Rome, a mere 15 minutes from the Chiusi train station. The well-equipped villa is within walking distance of the village of Palazzone (San Casciano dei Bagni, province of Siena), and less than an hour’s drive from the spectacular towns of Orvieto, Todi, Perugia, Pienza, Siena, Montepulciano, Cortona, and Bagni Vignoni. The main house is furnished in a simple but elegant country style and has three double rooms, one single room, and three baths. If that’s not enough for the whole family, spill into the guest cottage’s bedroom and bath. A lovely private pool in the midst of an olive grove overlooks the distant towers of the medieval town of Città della Pieve, but the highlights of this Italian dream are the guest-house dining porch and several furnished garden living areas.
Playa Flamingo, Costa Rica (www.homelink.org)
Pura Vida! Gorgeous Playa Conchal (Shell Beach)—one of the best beaches in Costa Rica—is just a half mile away, and this tropical swap sits between Playa Flamingo and Tamarindo on the blue Pacific. Built in 2007, this one-bedroom unit has one bathroom, but sleeps up to four—if you include the living room futon. And, it offers a fully-equipped kitchen, air conditioning, and a quarter-acre private garden. Swimming, snorkeling right off beach, scuba, fishing, sailing, hiking, and golf are available—and there’s good bird watching from both of it’s tiny balconies. The casita is close to several national parks, and there’s turtle nesting and whale watching opportunities in winter. Save time to hit the killer breaks (or catch a lesson at surf school) just 20 minutes away.
POLL RESULTS:
Would you ever consider swapping houses for vacation?
81% Yes 19% No
