Love Home Swap
Love Home Swap was a London-based home exchange platform that let individual travelers and families swap properties for vacation stays via reciprocal exchanges or a points-based GuestPoints system. It was acquired by HomeExchange and merged into its 230,000-property, 130-country platform.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Love Home Swap does
Love Home Swap is a London-based home exchange platform founded in 2011 that enabled individual homeowners, couples, and families to swap their properties for vacation accommodations instead of paying for hotels. The platform operated as a self-serve, web-based peer-to-peer marketplace with two core exchange modes: a traditional reciprocal swap (simultaneous or staggered dates) and a non-reciprocal option powered by its proprietary GuestPoints system, a points-based currency that hosts earn when accommodating other members and can spend on stays elsewhere.
The business model is a consumer subscription: free registration, with the £180 annual membership fee charged only after a member's first successful exchange, unlocking 12 months of unlimited exchanges, 24/7 member support, cancellation assistance, and material damage protection. Go-to-market is product-led and community-led, relying on destination-specific SEO landing pages, organic word-of-mouth, and member-shared local recommendations rather than paid acquisition or sales intervention. The product carries no native mobile app, no third-party integrations, and no disclosed AI/ML components.
The company raised approximately $4.2M in total disclosed funding between 2012 and 2013, led across multiple rounds by MMC Ventures. In December 2015 it acquired HomeForExchange, and was subsequently itself acquired by HomeExchange (operated by Charles-Edouard Girard and Emmanuel Arnaud), the world's leading home exchange platform with 230,000+ properties across 130+ countries. Following the acquisition, lovehomeswap.com was redirected to homeexchange.com and Love Home Swap member profiles were automatically migrated. Leadership at acquisition included David Kelly (Chairman) and Ben Wosskow (CMO). The entity is no longer operating as an independent brand.
Love Home Swap firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Love Home Swap
- Website
- https://lovehomeswap.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Love Home Swap was a London-based home exchange platform that let individual travelers and families swap properties for vacation stays via reciprocal exchanges or a points-based GuestPoints system. It was acquired by HomeExchange and merged into its 230,000-property, 130-country platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Love Home Swap industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Home Exchange / Vacation Accommodation Marketplace
- NAICS
- General Rental Centers (5323)
- SIC
- Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Owner-Occupied Private Rooms (Homestays) (THAMABAA)
Keywords
Where Love Home Swap is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
Love Home Swap business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Annual Membership Subscription: Members pay an annual fee of £180 for 12 months of unlimited home exchanges. Registration is free, with revenue generated upon first successful exchange. The model provides predictable recurring revenue from subscribers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Single annual membership tier at £180 per year |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
Love Home Swap product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Love Home Swap is a home exchange membership platform that enables members to swap their houses or flats for vacation stays either through reciprocal exchanges (simultaneous or staggered dates) or via the GuestPoints system for non-reciprocal stays. The platform has been acquired by and merged into HomeExchange, providing access to over 230,000 properties across 130+ countries with a free registration and £180 annual membership fee.
Product overview
Love Home Swap operates as a home exchange service that has been acquired and integrated into the HomeExchange platform. The core offering consists of HomeExchange, a peer-to-peer home swapping marketplace where members can exchange their properties either through reciprocal swaps (simultaneous or staggered dates) or via the GuestPoints system (non-reciprocal stays where hosts earn points to use for future exchanges). The Love Home Swap brand was acquired by HomeExchange and has been merged into its platform, with all existing Love Home Swap member profiles automatically transferred to HomeExchange. The platform covers over 130 countries with a membership costing £180 annually after a free registration.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- HomeExchange Platform A peer-to-peer home exchange marketplace enabling members to swap houses or flats either on a reciprocal basis (simultaneous or staggered dates) or using the GuestPoints system for non-reciprocal exchanges. Offers over 230,000 properties across 130+ countries with no money exchanged between members.
Quantifiable outcome
- Access to properties in 130+ countries
Companies that use Love Home Swap
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Love Home Swap technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Love Home Swap partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- HomeExchangecoreLove Home Swap has merged into the HomeExchange platform. HomeExchange is a home and flat exchange platform operated by Charles-Edouard Girard and Emmanuel Arnaud. The merger consolidates Love Home Swap's user profiles and property listings into HomeExchange's larger global network of 230,000+ properties across 130+ countries. Existing Love Home Swap members' profiles were automatically transferred to HomeExchange.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Love Home Swap competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Intervac Home Exchange: Long-running home exchange club focused on reciprocal international house swaps; competes for the same enthusiast traveler segment as Love Home Swap.
- HomeExchange: Parent company and direct home exchange peer; operates the same reciprocal and GuestPoints-based home swap model and absorbed Love Home Swap's user base into its platform of 230,000+ properties.
- GuestToGuest: Earlier-generation home exchange platform acquired by HomeExchange; offers reciprocal and points-based (GuestPoints) swaps directly comparable to Love Home Swap's core product.
- HomeLink International: One of the oldest home exchange networks, originally UK-based, offering reciprocal house swaps globally — directly comparable offering serving the same member base of vacation home swappers.
Emerging players
- Switchome: Younger home exchange platform emphasizing design-led brand and modern UX; targets the same 'authentic travel' niche with comparable reciprocal exchange functionality.
- Kid & Coe: Family-focused home exchange and vacation rental platform; overlaps with Love Home Swap's family traveler segment while specializing in kid-friendly inventory.
- 9flats: European peer-to-peer short-term rental marketplace; broader offering than pure home exchange but overlaps with Love Home Swap's short-stay, owner-direct accommodation model.
Broad incumbents
- Airbnb: Dominant short-term rental platform with vastly larger inventory; competes for the same traveler's accommodation budget and has explored swap-style features that directly threaten the dedicated home exchange category.
- Vrbo: Major vacation rental marketplace (part of Expedia Group); offers whole-home short-term stays in family destinations that overlap with Love Home Swap's family travel use case.
- Vacasa: Large professionally-managed vacation rental company; competes for the same vacation-home traveler with professionally managed inventory rather than peer-to-peer swapping.
Market position
Strengths3 records
Weaknesses3 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Love Home Swap social profiles
Digital presenceLove Home Swap financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Love Home Swap leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Love Home Swap funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Love Home Swap M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Love Home Swap
What does Love Home Swap do?
Love Home Swap is a home exchange membership platform that enables members to swap their houses or flats for vacation stays either through reciprocal exchanges (simultaneous or staggered dates) or via the GuestPoints system for non-reciprocal stays. The platform has been acquired by and merged into HomeExchange, providing access to over 230,000 properties across 130+ countries with a free registration and £180 annual membership fee.
Is Love Home Swap a public or private company?
Love Home Swap is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was Love Home Swap founded?
Love Home Swap was founded in 2011. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Love Home Swap based?
Love Home Swap is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Love Home Swap make money?
One revenue line is on record: annual Membership Subscription.
Who are Love Home Swap's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Intervac Home Exchange, HomeExchange, GuestToGuest and HomeLink International. Emerging players are Switchome, Kid & Coe and 9flats. Broad incumbents are Airbnb, Vrbo and Vacasa.
Does Love Home Swap have an API?
No public API is recorded for Love Home Swap.
What industry is Love Home Swap in?
Love Home Swap's product category is Home Exchange / Vacation Accommodation Marketplace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAMABAA, Owner-Occupied Private Rooms (Homestays). Its NAICS code is 5323 and its SIC code is 7000.