Home Exchange Travel Hack

How I booked a 10-night stay in Mexico City for $175

HomeExchange.com is the #1 home exchange platform in the world, allowing members to exchange their home through a reciprocal exchange or GuestPoints.

• Reciprocal: I host the person whose home I am staying in (I am both the host and the guest)

• Non-reciprocal: One member of the exchange (either me or my partner) is not interested in going to the other's home, in which I offer a pre-determined amount of GuestPoints per night for his hospitality (I will either be a host or a guest thanks to the GuestPoint system)

I signed up for HomeExchange in June 2022 with the intention of swapping out my apartment in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. I have been a member for almost a month now, and I have not received a single request to stay in my apartment.

The lack of response to my listing could be because it is currently low season in Puerto Vallarta. With temperatures hovering around 90 degrees and the humidity in triple digits, my little Mexican oasis may not be for everyone. Still, my lackluster response should not discourage travelers from signing up and scoring a travel deal.

HomeExchange offers new members GuestPoints before an exchange occurs to introduce you to the platform. After signing up and paying the annual $175 fee, I received 1,500 points.

I was awarded 450 points for signing up, 350 points for completing my profile, an additional 100 points for verifying my identity, 350 points for describing my apartment, and an added bonus of 250 points for linking my home through a member referral. That’s 1,500 points!

So… what does it all mean? What can I do with these points?

After reaching out to a handful of members, I was able to book a 10-night stay in the heart of Mexico City next to Alameda Central Park, Mexico City’s oldest municipal park. The two-bedroom apartment includes parking, 24-hour security, a gym and an indoor pool. That’s a steal… $17.50 per night for my $175 annual membership… all before I have had a single conversation about swapping my place.

My Mexico City trip is scheduled for August. I will write a follow up article later.