A solo traveller who travels the world staying for free in people’s homes says she has saved £20,000 on holidays in two years. The consultancy manager was inspired to house swap her one-bed Parisian flat after watching the hit rom-com The Holiday.
Habiba Ben Othman, 34, followed the film’s female leads - played by Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz - and swapped her city flat for homes in the south of France following the first covid lockdown in 2020. In the two years since then she has travelled to 15 countries and stayed for free in properties in the UK, Hungary, Italy, Sweden and Brazil.
Habiba, who is single, is currently house-swapping in Malta and has no plans to stop. She said: “My bucket list is basically to travel everywhere, which is exactly what I’m now doing.
“Home swapping has changed my life because now travel is now a huge part of it. I can work remotely all over the world in beautiful countries and see the world in a different way.”
She first watched The Holiday one Christmas as a teenager, but it was only more recently that she realised it could be a reality. She said: “I remember watching it and thinking it was so romantic and adventurous and the two main characters were women who travelled alone, just like me.
“I do like travelling with friends, but I prefer to travel alone because it is easier to plan and budget and I’m really lucky my work is very flexible so I can work wherever I want.”
Habiba uses the website, Love Home Swap, and says she has stayed in “absolutely amazing” luxury properties and cottages. She said: “The website was full of like-minded people who were really easy-going and welcoming, so I did the same and started accepting people to mine too.”
In August 2020 Habiba travelled to the UK to live in homes across England, Scotland, and Ireland. She said: “I started with London and then Edinburgh and then travelled more around Scotland.
“One of my favourite adventures was last April, when I went on a road trip around the north coast of Scotland in a rented car. I stayed in a wooden cottage in the Highlands, that was like something out of a fairy-tale.
“There were deer passing the window and by night I could hear the owls as I sat by the fireplace. I felt like I was actually in The Holiday.”
Another of Habiba’s favourite stops was Stockholm, Sweden, which she said was “magical”. She said: “The city was so vibrant and welcoming. Throughout the summer they had different festivals so every night there would be music in the streets and new people to meet and history to learn.”
She added: “When I travel, I like to live like a local and really immerse myself into the local life and get the real experience. Plus, house swapping is more comfortable and you get a real home with character and decoration and a kitchen and TV you just wouldn’t get with a hotel.”
Habiba has made friends along the way too. She said: “One time, I swapped homes with a girl in Rome and she took me out to dinner to meet all her friends and that was amazing – they were so warm and welcoming. She is coming to my place for Christmas this year, which is lovely.”
House-swapping has helped Habiba to save thousands every year, which she would have spent on accommodation otherwise. She said: “I used to use hotels or Airbnb or bed and breakfasts, depending on what I could afford.
“If you want to get a nice hotel or Airbnb nearby the town, then you can end up spending a lot. If you swap your home with the owners of the one you are visiting, it is completely free.
“But even if you go somewhere you are not simultaneously swapping with, you only pay an £80 fixed fee – which would be for a whole 10-day stay, for example. I have basically saved between five and 10k each year by house swapping, rather than using hotels or Airbnb.”
For Christmas Habiba is planning another house swap in the UK where she has made good friends. She plans to be in London for Christmas and Edinburgh for Hogmanay which she says will be "really exciting".
She advises others, especially solo women, to take the plunge and swap their homes. She said: “I really want to advise other women to step out of their comfort zone and give it a go. “Start with a short trip and you will quickly discover it is so, so worth it.”
