Buzz
A family of 6 has lived in 25 different countries over 8 years. They saved £100,000 (2.7 billion VND) by exchanging their home for stunning villas worldwide.
Daniel Prince (46) and his wife, Clair, both hail from Essex (UK) and relocated to Singapore for work.
In 2014, the couple felt tied down by their jobs and in need of a change. They decided to become nomads, working while traveling.
However, their nomadic lifestyle unfolds amidst the most enticing real estate in Thailand, the US, Canada, Australia, and even Europe.
Daniel Prince and his four children trekking the Alps in France.
The challenges of traveling with a large family.
Daniel's affluent family, despite the pandemic, boasts 80 business establishments worldwide. Yet, they yearn for a more fulfilling life.
'Daniel works tirelessly around the clock to provide a comfortable life for our family, yet he remains invisible,' Clair remarked.
From here, globe-trotting became Clair's envisioned future. Their trip to Singapore in 1999 paved the way for their Asian adventures.
That marked their last extended vacation before settling down with their children.
'Traveling worldwide with a family of six is impractical. Even holidays are rare due to the expenses. For our family, it takes two hotel rooms at £150 per night, plus daily meals, totaling around £500 a day,' Clair explained.
Not to mention the cost of sending their children elsewhere while traveling, which is also not cheap. Then, they stumbled upon a solution: house swapping.
While unconventional, this solution proved satisfying for Daniel's family. They could travel far and wide, staying in luxurious homes without worrying about money.
Daniel and his wife sold their house in Singapore, keeping only a vacation home in Koh Samui, Thailand. They then exchanged this property with others.
Dan and Clair's residence in Koh Samui, Thailand.
The decision couldn't have been better.
'We can't believe how great it turned out,' Clair said. Since making this decision, their home in Thailand has been exchanged for another owner's in the UK.
Subsequently, the Prince family swapped homes with others in Croatia, Dubai (UAE), Thailand, and Cambodia before moving to Australia in Christmas 2014.
The couple earns around £1,000 per month by letting others stay in their home.
The annual fee they have to pay to list their homes on the website for online exchange only costs them £120.
'When you swap homes, you'll have to cover utility bills, but the rental savings will offset this. All the homes are very peaceful and comfortable. We can easily live within a reasonable budget. There are days when we do nothing and spend time exploring, hiking,' she said.
With home swapping, after living in New Zealand, they moved to various locations in the US, starting from San Francisco before heading to Seattle, Vancouver, New York, and Virginia.
The whole family enjoyed their trip to New York in July 2015.
'Of all the places we've been to, Croatia is our favorite. It's incredibly beautiful, and the people are so friendly,' Clair shared.
Returning to Europe after 2 years of traveling, Daniel and Clair decided to slow down their journey. They rented a house in France and lived there for the next 2 years.
'We've been traveling for 2 and a half years. It's been amazing, but we want our children to learn different languages, and the best way to do that is to integrate with the locals,' she said.
Fortunately, just as their new life in France stabilized for a short while, the pandemic hit. Daniel started with his online consulting job, then ventured into creative content on podcasts.
Traveling the world through home exchange has helped this couple save about £100,000 (approximately 2.7 billion VND).
The intermediary website for home exchange transactions also received feedback that members have saved a lot of money through 'free' travel.
The main reason is that most of the travel expenses come from hotel stays. If you don't have to do this, you'll save a significant amount of money for other things.
Mary Lou, a member of this community, revealed: 'My family has been exchanging homes for nearly 9 years. We've been to the Bahamas, Antigua, San Francisco, Seattle, Bali, Menorca, Paris, and dozens of other beautiful locations in the UK... We've saved thousands of pounds and had amazing vacations. Now, the thought of booking accommodation for vacations doesn't sit well with me anymore.'
As per Vietnamese Women's Magazine
Posted by: Thien Hoang
Keywords: Family of 6 travels the world for 8 years without spending money on hotels
