5 luxury vacation homes you could exchange with your own

Here’s a luxury travel secret that owners of luxury second homes need to know. Anyone who has a rental property and has looked into the possibility of swapping their home with other like-minded owners will be aware that there’s a plethora of home exchange sites out there. House swapping has seen increasing popularity over the years but the luxury end of the market – the crème de la crème of the home exchange market – has been inadequately catered for. Until now. 3RD HOME is the new home exchange site that’s turning all of that on its head. Its members include only the finest properties worldwide, with each participating home being carefully reviewed and approved. Second homeowners with listed properties can exchange time in their own holiday homes for stays in premier luxury destinations the world over. Owners of premium homes can deposit weeks in their homes in order to earn credits – or ‘keys’ – which they can trade for weeks in luxury accommodation in holiday destinations elsewhere. Doing this prevents the accommodation from being let to anyone outside of the 3RD HOME network but enables the owners to trade the keys they earn with other available properties and in over 40 different residence clubs, including the likes of The Ritz-Carlton Destination Club®. Second homeowners can apply by visiting the site. The normal initiation fee of $2500 is currently being waived and there are no required annual membership fees. Instead, participants pay a transaction fee of anything from $395 $995 for each week that they travel. As a participating member, here are five amazing homes that you could be staying in as part of the scheme: Calypso Shores, Montego Bay, Jamaica This beachfront villa can be found in a residential neighbourhood of Montego Bay within an exclusive gated community with 24-hour security, tennis courts and an oversized lap pool. Just 10 minutes from Sangster Airport, it has four beautiful bedrooms and a fabulous veranda for dining out. Cottars Mara Private Homestead, Masai Mara, Kenya Bordering the Masai Mara National Reserve, this new homestead at the award-winning Cottar’s 1920s safari cam offers beautiful views over the savannah plains. From here you can watch the annual migration of wildebeest and other animals, or venture from the property on guided game drives to see the wildlife up close. The property is for up to ten discerning guests who seek the highest standards, and comes complete with a staff of eight, including waiter, housekeeper, guide, spotter and security staff. Island Park Lodge in Yellowstone Country, Island Park, Idaho, USA What could be better than your own luxurious mountain lake house with its own private beach and dock? With five suites – all with incredible lake views – and the Yellowstone National Park just minutes away, as well as three world-class ski resorts within driving distance, this is the ideal year-round rental home, holding just as much appeal in the Winter months as it does in the Summer. The Old Hall, Norfolk, UK This Grade II listed building in the East Anglian county of Norfolk has been featured as one of the 50 best British breaks in The Independent newspaper. Set in 17 acres of its own land, complete with private pool, tennis court and croquet lawn, this beautiful home can sleep up to 18. It’s perfect for large families and there’s even a treehouse for the children to escape to. The Famous Malibu Wing House How about something completely different? Sleeping under the wings of a Boeing 747? This home – made from cement, steel and glass, and topped with the wings of a 747 – occupies an idyllic position in the Santa Monica Mountains and comes complete with a 60-foot swimming pool. Sleeping just 4 people, it lies within a 55-acre estate and offers the perfect getaway for couples and families alike (children must be at least 12 years of age). Disclosure: This post is sponsored by 3RD HOME.