Sourcing home exchanges

Homelink International (www.homelink.org) is a Brussels-based organisation offering home exchange locations in many destinations.

Sixteen years ago, an Irish subsidiary (www.homelink.ie) was established in Portmarnock, Co Dublin.

A fee of £63 a year buys a spot on the Homelink website and details of your home in the homelink brochure, which is printed five times a year.

Home Exchange International (www.homeexchange.com) is a far-reaching, well-organised US site with a range of properties worldwide.

Intervac International (www.intervac.com) focuses on Europe but provides a convenient search engine. Users simply enter the country and preferred travel dates and the site provides possible matches.

The Swopit Holiday Club (www.swopit-hols.co.uk) provides unusual types of accommodation such as yachts, caravans and motor homes.

The International Golfers' Exchange Register (www.tigeregister.com) is an exclusive and expensive home exchange service for golfers wishing to play the world's greatest courses. Members pay a one-off £175 registration fee and an annual membership fee of £70. There is also an exchange fee of £140 for each week of the exchange.

New York Habitat (www.nyhabitat.com) and Manhattan Getaways (www.manhattangetaways.com) arranges short-term sublets and B&B accommodation for cash in the metropolitan New York area. NY Habitat also has a sister business in Paris.

Irish Farmhouse Holidays (www.shannon-dev.ie) and Italy Farm Holidays (www.italyfarmholidays.com) are two of hundreds of sites offering agricultural tourism to the masses.

Visitors may press olives, pick grapes and organic vegetables or feed the livestock. Farm fresh produce is used in daily meals.

Some other sites include: www.home-swap.com, www.swap-and-go.co.uk and www.seniorshomexchange.com.