French holidaying has become more popular as more and more people decide to house swap instead of paying for expensive hotels. There has been a surge in membership on home exchange websites this year, as people decide to turn their houses into holiday homes, in order to holiday in another part of the world.

Though it may sound like the perfect plan, Kathlyn Gadd had a bad experience when she trusted people to holiday in her house. She had exchanged her house in the Dordogne seven times with no trouble, until one couple from the US Virgin Islands asked if the cows in the field next to her French cottage could be moved.

Ms Gadd said: “They only stayed five days and left my house in an absolute tip.”

Another family’s experience with house swapping however, changed their lives. Mr and Mrs Ashton, along with their four children, exchanged their house in Phoenix Arizona for one in the south of France. Mr Ashton and his family liked it so much, that they ended up staying for a year, before eventually moving there permanently. Mr Ashton secured a job near their new home, he said: “This was totally and completely life changing.”

There are around 70 home exchanging websites to choose from on the internet. Users are required to upload photographs and a description of their house and its location, before specifying the location you would like to exchange to.

A huge amount of trust has to go into house exchange, but all credible websites will require both parties to sign a contract and take out some kind of insurance to ensure peace of mind.

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