A woman travels across Europe by swapping homes with strangers

A woman has traveled throughout Europe by swapping houses with strangers.

Chisara Nwabara, 35, from North London, and her canine companion, Sensi, have saved almost £5,000 by living at strangers’ houses.

She has visited various parts of the United Kingdom as well as much of Europe, including Portugal, France, Hungary, Germany, and Spain.

The product management director has spent the previous three years traveling to ten different places while strangers remain in her one-bedroom apartment.

‘I just see it as I have a friends staying at mine whilst I’m not there,’ she says.

‘I want to share my home because there is a certain spirit in sharing what you have – I would rather do it this way than just provide a service.’

‘People who stay at mine treat it with a different level of respect because they’re part of the same home swapping community too.’

‘I hate wasting money and I never want to spend it if I don’t have to.

‘By house swapping, I can literally travel for peanuts – I save thousands considering the size of the properties that I stay in.’

Chisara says she never worries about leaving her dog with strangers because she lets others inside her home to care for him.

‘I don’t want him to only rely on me,’ she adds. ‘He loves other people and being around new faces is good for his separation anxiety.’

‘I also use the site Trusted House Sitters, which provides me with reviews and I have a mini interview with potential sitters over the phone first.’

‘Most people in this community are animal lovers and have some experience looking after dogs anyway but I trust my ability to judge characters.’

Chisara has been able to travel around Europe like a local, saving money on accommodations.

‘A lot of the accommodation is away from the inner city, so I get a lot more peace and quiet,’ she says.

‘One of the best things about travelling is this way is that you get to explore places you wouldn’t normally and you get to experience the city like a local would.

‘One trip we can be in an apartment in Berlin or Barcelona, the next we are in the Cotswold, or on the grounds of a French chateau.

‘I have saved so much by using house sitters. Hiring a professional sitter to stay with a reactive dog like mine would cost me £50-100 a day.’

‘Next month we are going to Copenhagen – Sensi loves going on adventures and seeing new things with me.’

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