Yes, you read that right—we spent eight incredible days in Costa Rica without paying a single dollar for accommodations. No hotels. No Airbnbs. No resorts. Just unforgettable experiences, beautiful homes, and total freedom—all thanks to HomeExchange. Would you rather watch than listen? Click the YouTube video below!
We just spent eight days in Costa Rica, and we didn’t pay a single dollar for a place to stay. This isn’t a sketchy travel hack or a sponsored stay. We literally stayed in Costa Rica for eight days and didn’t pay a single cent for our accommodations. We used an app called HomeExchange, and it has completely changed the way we travel.
This is actually our second video in our Costa Rica travel series. If you missed the first one, be sure to check out our video on what we wish we knew before going to Costa Rica. We talk about five mistakes we made, and now we can laugh about them. But more importantly, you get to learn from them so you don’t make the same ones. Read the full blog post here.
If you’ve ever seen the movie The Holiday, where they swap houses, that’s the basic idea behind HomeExchange. But honestly, it’s even better. HomeExchange allows you to stay in other people’s homes without needing someone to stay in yours. That’s because they use something called guest points, which I’ll explain in more detail.
So here’s how it works. For $220 a year, you get roughly 1,200 guest points, depending on how many things you do to complete your profile. When you pay the $220, you’re guided through a checklist: verify your home, upload photos, refer your friends, and more. Each task gives you guest points. Eventually, you can get around 1,200–1,300 points just from getting your account set up and sharing the platform.
Those guest points are what allow you to stay in other members’ homes without doing a traditional house swap. We’ve only exchanged our home once, but we’ve used HomeExchange to stay in four or five different places. It’s not that we’re not open to swapping our home—we totally are—but the timing just hasn’t worked out. Sometimes people want to come when we’re not available or the dates don’t line up. So having guest points gives us the flexibility to travel on our own terms.
And honestly, the $220 fee is what you’d spend on one night in a nice hotel. So if you use it even once, it basically pays for itself.
For our Costa Rica trip, we booked three different homes through HomeExchange. When we first landed in San José, we didn’t want to drive two and a half hours to our next destination right after a flight, so we booked a one-night stay through HomeExchange. It was a beautiful property with a pool and a studio apartment setup. The main house was behind us, but the owners were out of the country, so we had the whole place to ourselves—except for the neighbor’s dog who came to visit a lot. It was exactly what we needed to rest and reset before the next leg of our trip.
Then we drove two and a half hours to Manuel Antonio and stayed in another studio apartment setup, this time in a small apartment building with a pool and an amazing view. Monkeys were right outside our window. It was stunning. I honestly would have stayed there the entire time. Because we were there during the rainy season, there weren’t a lot of tourists around, so we pretty much had the entire building—and the pool—to ourselves.
Next, we drove five hours to La Fortuna, where we stayed in a beautiful guest house on several acres of private land. The main house behind us was empty—the family was out of the country—so we once again had the place to ourselves. We could walk down to the creek, listen to the howler monkeys, and just completely relax. It was paradise. We never would’ve had that experience staying in a hotel. Hotels are usually in the busiest tourist areas, and while that can be fun sometimes, we really prefer to be fully immersed in the culture and local environment. HomeExchange makes that possible.
People often ask us if we have to let strangers into our house to use the platform. The answer is no. You can if you want to, but you don’t have to. That’s where guest points are such a game changer. You can earn guest points not only when you first sign up, but also by hosting guests, referring others, and staying active on the platform.
Another common question is about safety. How safe is it really? Well, everyone on HomeExchange is reviewed and verified. You also have access to 24/7 customer support in case anything goes wrong. We’ve been using HomeExchange for about two years now and have had nothing but great experiences. We’ve used it in Bulgaria, Romania, Ocean City, Maryland (when we were there for a wedding), and now Costa Rica. It’s definitely our preferred way to travel.
People also wonder if you need a nice home to participate. You don’t. Our home is literally under construction all the time. We have people in and out constantly, and every time our friends or family visit, something looks different. Right now, our breezeway is completely torn up—it looks horrendous—and we still let people stay here. No one complains. We’re honest and transparent in our listing, and people appreciate that.
If you’re thinking about trying HomeExchange, here are a few tips to get started:
- Take great photos of your home. This builds trust and gives potential guests confidence. Even if your house isn’t perfect, show what it’s really like and keep your photos updated.
- Respond to messages quickly. One of the challenges with HomeExchange is that it’s not like Airbnb where you can instantly book a stay. You have to communicate with the other members. The platform tracks how responsive you are, and being active boosts your visibility. For example, I was recently searching for a place for our family to stay, and some listings had a zero rating for responsiveness because they never reply. I’m rated at 90% because I respond within 48 hours, and that makes a big difference.
- Use filters when searching. You can narrow things down by location, number of bedrooms, pet friendliness, proximity to the beach or mountains, and more. It helps you find exactly what you’re looking for.
HomeExchange is easy to use, safe, and it has completely changed the way we travel. If you’re curious and want to give it a try, you can use my referral link to start building your guest points right away. You’ll get a few extra points just for signing up—and so will I—so it’s a win-win. Click here to sign up for free!
That’s how we stayed in Costa Rica completely free. No hotels, no bills—just unforgettable experiences. If you found this helpful and want more travel tips and destination guides, be sure to subscribe. We share new videos and insights every single week. Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you next time!