Affordable Travel: Why Home Exchange on Mallorca Is Booming

When the Holiday Apartment Suddenly Becomes Your Living Room

I know this from the neighborhood: Instead of packing suitcases and booking a hotel, I hear more and more people say, 'We're swapping this year our house in Palma for an apartment on the mainland.' Home exchange may sound old-fashioned at first, but it's actually on the rise — and not just among students or long-term travelers.

How the principle works

In short: Members pay an annual fee (on well-known platforms it's around 175 euros) and make their home available to a network. In return, they can use other houses — either directly in the swap or via a points system when the timeframes don't match. No rent, no annoying check-in rituals, more like being a guest with friends.

Why it’s growing on Mallorca

Three reasons I keep hearing in conversations with locals: First, many were looking for quiet options after the Corona years, second, rising vacation costs push many into alternative models, and third, sustainable travel is gaining weight — because it doesn't further drive the local rental price spiral.

Specifically: On the Balearics, swap overnight stays rose noticeably in 2025. More than 115,000 overnight stays were reported, and especially in summer the number of actual swap transactions rose noticeably. That means: more and more people are using their property as a ticket to other places — without money flowing.

Practical or complicated?

Of course there are hurdles. Key handovers, insurance and the question of whether neighbors participate — these are real issues. But from my own neighborhood conversations I know: those who communicate openly and set clear rules (Who waters the plants? How is garbage sorting handled?), rarely have problems. And the positives often outweigh: children who find new playmates through swaps; seniors who can stay longer with relatives; couples who snag a cheap weekend trip to the sea.

A tip from a local

If you want to try it: choose clean, well-documented listings, talk to the swap partner several times beforehand and take photos of the apartment's condition. And budget realistically: Home exchange is a mix of saving and personal encounter — not a fully commercial hotel replacement model.

On Mallorca I see the appeal: For many it's a way to experience the island in everyday life not only as a tourist, but also to swap people and places. And the best part? At the end of summer you often hear: 'We'll do it again next year.'