Paul Hurren, 58, and his partner, Phil Brown, 61, were determined to make the most of life after Paul suffered a heart attack in August 2018 and started staying in other people’s luxurious homes across the world
A London duo swapped swanky hotels for home swaps, inspired by the flick The Holiday and have toured the globe in style to the tune of £20,000 saved.
Paul Hurren, 58, and his partner Phil Brown, 61 – directors at a consultancy firm and fathers to Charlotte, 29, Daisy, 26, and Peter, 23 – caught the home swapping bug in 2018. Their globetrotting dreams nearly faltered when Paul had a heart attack that August, but the scare only spurred them to seize life. Unfazed, they welcomed travelers into their plush two-bed, two-bath apartment via HomeExchange.
Post-recovery, the pair jetted off to stay in opulent homes around the world, including an unforgettable trip to Kenya complete with an entourage of house staff. These savvy holiday swaps let them soak up authentic local life, sidestep tourist clichés, and pocket a fortune in accommodation costs.
Paul said: “It sounds really corny, but my two girls’ favourite movie is The Holiday… and we wondered how that works. I imagine (the holiday in Kenya) is what it is like going to Necker Island with Richard Branson. It was so remote that we had to place all of our menu orders before we left so the food could be delivered ahead of our arrival.”
This routine became part of their lives after they were inspired by the 2006 film ‘The Holiday’, which sees Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet swap homes across the Atlantic. Searching online in March 2018, Paul stumbled upon HomeExchange, a service where members can arrange home swaps or earn GuestPoints if they prefer hosting without swapping.
The couple quickly listed their abode. Initially anxious about hosting, their nerves were settled following glowing feedback from a Newcastle guest. However, life threw them a curveball when Paul suffered a heart attack in August 2018. As Paul recuperated, they persisted in welcoming guests, gathering enough GuestPoints to secure complimentary stays across the globe.
“It does polarise your thoughts as you get one crack at life. This isn’t a rehearsal, this is it… so for our holidays, we decided to go big,” Paul said.
In 2019, they embarked on their maiden home swap adventure to St James, Barbados, nestled on the island’s coveted Platinum Coast.
Their nine-day holiday was a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, and despite the whole trip costing just £2,000 for one business class BA flight—thanks to free digs and a mate’s rate BA companion ticket—it was packed with reuniting with pals, culinary experiments, tasting fine rum and soaking in the sights. That same year, Paul, Phil, and their offspring hunkered down for a nine-day stay in a nostalgic 1950s bungalow in Palm Springs, California, which boasted both an Audrey Hepburn altar and native hummingbirds flitting about.
In 2020, the pair touched down in Kenya, met with open arms by domestic helpers—a chef, housekeeper, and security. Their residence swapped views between an elephant sanctuary, complete with infinity pool, and a seaside retreat. Rolling back into Kenya in 2024, they opted for the familial vibes of Tandala House nestled in the African hilltops.
Phil and Paul have crisscrossed the globe, visiting places from Oregon to Lanzarote, and Portugal, as well as UK gems like Norfolk, Horning, and Tynemouth—all without paying a penny for accommodation, thanks to racking up loads of points, bar a modest cleaning fee of about £40-50. Their London pad has welcomed 19 sets of guests, including a US family on a UK adventure and visitors from Australia, California, and New Zealand.
Previously, Phil’s work took him to America and Amsterdam, while Paul backpacked the world at 26 – both no strangers to globetrotting. Home swapping, however, has given them a deeper dive into local life and the chance to discover spots off the beaten path.
For those considering house swapping, he advises: “You have to be prepared that complete strangers are going to be sleeping in your bed – but if you were going to a hotel it’s not that different, you just have to get over that. We have had 19 incoming stays and we have not had a broken glass, a chipped plate, spilled glass of wine.”
“People are respectful, and they care for your property so I’d say 100% swap and do it.”