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Daniel Prince (46) and his wife Clair (46) live in Singapore for work. However, since 2014, they have no longer had a fixed residence. They pursue a nomadic lifestyle, working while traveling. However, the life of this family of six is far from aimless. They live a "nomadic" lifestyle in some of the most glamorous properties in Thailand, the United States, Canada, Australia, and Europe.
New type of tourism
Daniel's family is financially well-off, even during the pandemic. Raising four children is not a problem for them.
"He worked 24/7 to keep the table full. However, we never saw him," Clair said.
She admitted she wanted a more fulfilling life. Traveling the world was a vision that had crossed Clair's mind. In 1996, the couple moved to Singapore because Daniel worked in foreign exchange. They spent time traveling around Asia before having children.
"We can't travel the world with such a large family. We can only travel during holidays, which is expensive. Two hotel rooms cost £150 a night, plus lunch and dinner. Each day of travel would cost us £500. That's not a good price," she said.
A family of six travels the world.
Not to mention, if they travel, they might have to leave their children with someone else. Childcare costs aren't cheap. Then, they found a solution to this problem: house swapping. This solution sounds quite "crazy" and like something out of the movie The Holiday. However, the results of the house swap made Daniel's family happy. They can travel everywhere, stay in luxurious places, without worrying too much about money.
"It sounds interesting, and we're debating whether or not to do it," Clair said.
After months of deliberation, they decided to try swapping houses in 2014. The couple sold their house in Singapore and kept only their vacation home in Koh Samui, Thailand. They then used the Thai house as a bargaining chip with other people.
Dream life
Following this decision, their lives changed dramatically. Their house in Thailand was exchanged with another owner in England. They used this trip to visit friends and family. The Prince family then exchanged homes with others in Croatia, Dubai (UAE), Thailand, and Cambodia before arriving in Australia around Christmas 2014.
"It was a fantastic experience. Why wouldn't anyone else do the same?" Clair asked.
The couple earns a stable income of around £1,000 per month. They make it by letting others stay in their home. The annual fee on the website where they list their house for exchange only costs them £120.
You can earn points (a form of virtual currency) through house swapping. For example, if another homeowner moves into your house and there is no reciprocal arrangement, the other homeowner will have to pay you with points. You can then use these points whenever you want. Additionally, homeowners will not receive any extra money.
"All the houses are peaceful and comfortable. We can live on a reasonable budget. Some days, we'll do nothing and spend time exploring and picnicking," she said.
They didn't have to pay for accommodation because they moved in with someone else.
Of all the places they've stayed, Croatia was their favorite. They described Croatia as a beautiful country with a friendly community in the village where they stayed. They also have many fond memories from their trip, such as horseback riding along the New Zealand beach, boating in Marbella harbor, and visiting the Sydney Opera House on Christmas Eve.
By swapping homes and traveling extensively, the couple reported saving around £100,000. The website of the agency facilitating these home swaps also highlighted that members saved "a lot of money" through free travel. For each stay of over seven nights, members could save an average of over £1,000.
The reason is that a large portion of travel expenses comes from hotel and accommodation rentals. If you don't need to do this, you'll save a significant amount of money to spend elsewhere.
Mary Lou, a member of this community, revealed: "My family has moved around for almost nine years. We've been to the Bahamas, Antigua, San Francisco, Seattle, Bali, Menorca, Paris and dozens of other beautiful places in England... We've saved thousands of pounds and had some amazing holidays. Now, thinking about where to book a holiday is something I'm not very familiar with."
