Kindred House Swaps Make My Work Life Possible
Three Kindred members share how house swapping has saved them thousands of dollars while helping them pursue their professional and creative dreams.
Oftentimes people think of house swapping as an alternative to vacation rentals, or as a way to take more affordable family vacations. But many Kindred members use the platform for work instead of (or in addition to!) pleasure. Here, three Kindred members share how house swapping has opened up new career possibilities.
Kindred House Swapper Esmond Fountain, NYC and Atlanta
What I do: I’m a comedian and storyteller living a bi-coastal life between Brooklyn and Atlanta. Kindred made that possible. It let me move closer to family in Atlanta while still traveling to New York regularly for gigs and projects. More importantly, it helped me maintain the friendships I was so scared to lose, because some of the best people I know live in NYC.
How Kindred helps me achieve my dreams: I genuinely wouldn’t have considered relocating if not for Kindred. It changed how I view my career. I’m no longer tied to one place. I get to be a traveling artist. Kindred has opened up a whole new rhythm to how I work and live. It allowed me to dream, and as an artist, that’s the whole point.
How much I’ve saved with Kindred: I just wrapped a two-week run of my solo show in New York. While I am settling into my place in Atlanta, I stayed in two Kindred homes for a total of $500 using my Kindred Passport. That alone is a game changer. I've saved easily upwards of $4,000 since joining Kindred. Plus, because I was staying in real homes, I could grocery shop and cook proper meals. One of the kitchens I used was so pristine, I’m convinced the host was a professional chef. It made a huge difference — not just financially, but in how I felt during the stay.
Favorite Kindred trip: London was my first time leaving the country, and I went with another Kindred member. We stayed in Islington and saved so much money by using Kindred that I was able to get a tattoo to commemorate the trip. It was one of those moments that made me feel like I was really living my story and writing it at the same time.
Kindred House Swapper Fiona Conrad, NYC and Lisbon
What I do: I’m a French-American wedding photographer. After 15-plus years in NYC, I recently relocated to Lisbon, and continue to work between NYC and Europe.
How Kindred helps me achieve my dreams: Kindred has made it possible for me to maintain this dual-city business without drowning in bills from hotels or short-term rentals — or relying on friends’ couches. (I need my rest, and toddlers digging into my camera bag is not the vibe!) It’s allowed me to feel at home whenever I land back in NYC, leaving me creatively and mentally recharged when I show up for my clients.
How much I’ve saved with Kindred: So far, I’ve stayed around 25 nights in NYC with Kindred, and I have 15+ nights already booked for upcoming work trips in the next few months. I estimate I’ve saved my business upwards of $6,000 in accommodation costs. It’s allowed me to confidently take on NYC projects without hesitating over travel expenses or logistics. And, sure, I could stay with friends, but being able to rest, recharge, and work comfortably during a work trip is truly priceless.
Favorite Kindred trip: All of my NYC stays have been wonderful, but my most recent one really stands out. From the moment I arrived at “my” beautiful Kindred home in Cobble Hill, everything just clicked. The location was so convenient that, for the first time in years, I rode the subway from JFK to Brooklyn, even with all my photo gear, instead of taking an Uber. When I walked in, I immediately felt at home — the decor reminded me so much of my old Brooklyn apartments. I loved the outdoor terrace and the feminine, playful touches in the home. On a personal level, Kindred has helped soften the emotional transition of moving to Lisbon; it makes me feel like I haven’t fully left NYC, like I’m still a New Yorker.
Kindred House Swapper Sophie Noel, Nova Scotia
What I do: I am a musician and a music industry creative, and I used Kindred for the first time in April. I was in tour with my band, and we stayed in a Kindred house in Toronto for four nights.
How much I’ve saved with Kindred: Two rooms in a hotel would have easily been $1600. I used four of the five free credits you get when signing up, and then cleaning and service fees were $395 USD, which is around $500 Canadian. It saved me at least a grand in accommodations. And, it was so much more comfortable!
Favorite Kindred trip: So far, we just did that one trip and played little shows all around the greater Toronto area. Having that home base meant that we were comfortable — we knew where we were sleeping every night. Dmitri, who was the host, was so accommodating. It was very homey. It was clean and everything was put away, but it was still clearly someone’s home, and that felt nice. It felt like staying with a friend as opposed to something less personal.
Dmitri and I did a FaceTime before we locked it in. He was talking about Kindred, and he made it sound very appealing to want to be a part of that community of people. I love how there’s not a monetary element to Kindred. There’s no money exchanged between the two members. That sharing economy is really fantastic.
How Kindred helps me achieve my dreams: Touring can be really stressful — emotionally, financially — because you’re playing shows every night, and it’s a lot of energetic output. For independent artists who are taking care of everything and don’t have a team behind them and financial backing, having a comfortable and safe and affordable place to stay is more of a game changer than I can even say.
Sophie and her bandmates ate meals at this Kindred home between shows around Toronto.
New to Kindred? You probably have questions!
What is Kindred?
Let’s start with the basics: Kindred is a members-only house swapping platform that makes it easy to exchange homes with vetted members around the world. Members list their home, find other Kindred hosts in destinations they want to visit, and exchange stays — either simultaneously or flexibly, using credits. You earn credits when you host, and use those credits to stay at one of 140,000+ Kindred homes.
Can I have access to Kindred without becoming a hosting member?
In order to join Kindred, you have to apply and see if your house is a fit. Then, when you are accepted, you have five free credits to try out Kindred and make sure it’s a fit for you. After you use those five credits, you do have to host to collect more. That’s what makes the community special: Everyone has skin in the game!
How much does Kindred cost?
There are no annual membership fees with Kindred — we don't even take your credit card until you book a trip! At that point, you'll pay cleaning and service fees that average out to $35 a day. Here is more info about our pricing model.
How is Kindred different from short-term vacation rental sites?
Kindred is a house swapping platform, not a short-term vacation rental company. This third way of travel takes some getting used to — but once you do, the benefits (not only the lower cost, but the community, and the increased travel opportunities) just might surprise you.