Swapping houses: Home away from home

Would it not be a luxury to be able to live in a fully equipped furnished house in a distant place? It could be a travelers dream come true, that too for very less, but only if they are willing to let strangers live in your own house.
Thousands of travelers each year are swapping homes through many commercial exchange services, most of them on the Internet. Most sites allow users to list comprehensive descriptions and pictures of their home along with information about their city or region.
A few sites act as a go-between for customers, making contacts and arranging swaps. However, most connect exchangers directly through e-mail. The exchangers then work out the details of the swap on their own.
Some feature certain geographic destinations or cater to specialized audiences such as singles, senior citizens, academics, vacation-home owners or members of religious groups.
In a dishonest world here, again safety becomes a priority, as per home-exchange companies, typical home-insurance policies cover home-swappers. The swappers are, after all, invited guests and not paying customers. Some swappers even exchange cars under the same “invited-guest” theory.
Some such sites are listed: Home link Home exchange The vacation exchange
Swaphouse
Intervac Source: The Columbus Dispatch