Holidays just aren’t what they used to be – they’re better. Independent travellers who want to live like a native New Yorker, artistic Indonesian or safari-owning South African can now do it in a very friendly, cost-effective way. Home exchanges – where you stay in someone’s house while they stay in yours – are one of the most civilised ways to feel at home abroad.

If you’d prefer to get up close and personal, rather than stay in a soul-less hotel, try the route taken by hundreds of thousands of people a year and swap your home, or even your second home.

The international home-exchange movement, founded by teachers after the second World War, allows like-minded people to seek out possible exchanges through dedicated websites or annually published catalogues.

For €70 to €100 a year, you can place a listing of your property on a home-swap website. The private listing includes a photo of the home and an auctioneer-type description of its features, local amenities and distance from the city centre and public transport.

Website members from all over the world have access to the listing. If they like the look of your place, they’ll email or phone you to see if you are interested. A typical exchange lasts two to three weeks but can vary from two days to years.

As a member, you can also explore the site and daydream about where you’d like to go next: a romantic weekend in Paris, a trip to Costa Rica, snorkelling in Bali or a long trip exploring the South American rainforests.

Usually, you’d need a hefty salary or inheritance to realise these travel dreams but, as a member of a home-exchange organisation, all these trips are only an email or phone call away. All you need is the plane fare, living expenses, and matching dates and expectations.

Since joining www.homelink.ie 10 years ago, Dublin-based Martine Maguire Weltecke, her husband, children and parents have seen much of the world. Germany, Paris and Ottawa are their most recent sojourns. They tend to do most of their exchanges in Germany. “My husband is German and, since our work is internet based, it’s a good way of living abroad.” The pair can do their jobs and live their everyday life while spending time with the German side of the family.

Home swap is not for everyone. Weltecke says that many people are put off by the thought of a stranger in their home but, she says, it’s really not like that. You quickly get a sense of what people are like through the ongoing correspondence. “If you get a good vibe through the emails and phone calls, and listen to your instincts, you’ll be ok.”

If you’re one of the lucky few that have a holiday home, you have even more options. Marie Murray, who runs the Irish branch of Homelink, says there has been a slight increase in the number of people offering a holiday home rather than their main residence.

It’s handy because the home is always ready so there’s no last-minute cleaning. “It also means the holiday home is being put to some use while also indirectly paying for their holiday abroad,” says Murray.

Members with second properties also have the added bonus of being able to do a non-simultaneous exchange rather than having to co-ordinate exact exchange dates.

What about accidents in the home or theft? Anything that could possibly go wrong is usually covered by insurance. Cars can also be part of the exchange.

Traditionally, hosts leave guests a ready-made dinner on the first night and wine. Some members also leave a full fridge and a houseful of toys for any children.