
The British home swapping marketplace lists more than 75,000 homes in 160 locations and the takeover of its Dutch counterpart is part of an ongoing plan to absorb other businesses operating in the space .
Love Home Swap’s model requires interested consumers to register for a fee of £12-40 a month – the price varies depending on the chosen membership – to connect with likeminded people and trade homes for holidays, rather than use hotels. Of course, Airbnb is a prolific travel industry disrupter, but those looking for accommodation are required to pay each time they want to stay somewhere, whereas Love Home Swap users pay the monthly fee in exchange for unlimited swaps. The HomeForExchange takeover comes after Love Home Swapping secured what has been called a “strategic partnership” with hotel group Wyndham Worldwide – which translates into a reported investment of £7.5m. The merger now provides users access to some 100,000 properties globally.Read more on the sharing economy:
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Wosskow added: “We’ve seen a sharp increase in people signing up to Love Home Swap in 2015, as the Sharing Economy becomes part of the mainstream and more and more people look to stay in homes when they travel. “We’re well set for home swapping to become a major part of the alternative accommodation scene as we move into 2016.” Love Home Swap was inspired by Christmas film The Holiday starring Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz – given the time of year, it’s perhaps likely the company can expect to see an increase in bookings. By Zen TerrelongeShare this story