Jean-Baptiste de La Mettrie and Estibaliz Martinez founded Homeforswap.com in New York in 2009. Both had travelled the world, and both had always preferred staying in a home on the spot rather than in a hotel.

They realised that the few home exchange platforms that existed were archaic, and that the idea deserved a modern, intuitive website – one that would help travellers organise a home exchange easily, quickly and safely. That is how Homeforswap.com was born: the home exchange site, now available in six languages. It brings together a community of more than 20,000 people in 120 countries, all looking for an alternative to the cost of hotels on holiday.