Resources

Long-term home exchange guides

Guides and resources on long-term home exchange: job relocation, expatriation, studies, legal framework and glossary.

Long-term home exchange: the complete guide

The difference from tourist swaps, how it works, the cost and the framework: everything to know before you start.

Sell, rent or exchange: the three options compared, and why long-term exchange is gaining ground among expats.

Furnished rental, mobility lease, dual residence or exchange: the housing options when relocating, with costs and limits.

The key terms of long-term home exchange.

Long-term exchange: Reciprocal occupancy of two homes between owners for several months to several years, with no transfer of ownership and no rent. Built for life mobility, not tourism.
Simultaneous exchange: An exchange where both parties occupy each other's home at the same time, over overlapping dates.
Non-simultaneous exchange: An exchange where the occupancies do not overlap in time: each party occupies the other home at a different period. Useful when mobility calendars do not coincide.
Mobility lease: A 1–10 month, non-renewable furnished rental contract reserved for certain mobility profiles (relocation, studies, assignment). It is still a rental: rent is due.
Permanent swap: A property exchange: giving up one home for another, with a change of owner, notary fees and taxation. Distinct from long-term exchange, which is temporary and reversible.
Exchange agreement: A document signed between the parties formalising the exchange terms: the homes involved, duration, dates, responsibilities and costs for each side.