Erika, a former property developer, turned her renovated one-bedroom flat in Tottenham into a travel asset by joining the house-swapping platform Kindred. While travelling through Asia, she welcomed guests into her home, earning credits she later used for stays in Europe, including a five-night visit to a rug designer's apartment in Palermo, Sicily, for about £220 in fees.
How the credits system works
Unlike traditional house-swapping platforms, Kindred members build up credits when they host visitors, which they can then spend in other members' homes. Erika prefers this flexibility over direct swaps. "Everyone who uses the platform has to share their own home so you can't just take money, which I think keeps it respectful and encourages trust," she says.
Erika, who converts industrial buildings into live-work spaces, had already signed up to Kindred before her travels. She enlisted friends to help set up her home for guests, with Kindred providing cleaning, bed linen, and other amenities.
A design-led home in Tottenham
Erika bought the property in 2021 through Modern House, drawn to the juxtaposition of its Edwardian façade and industrial interior. The internal walls had been removed from the first floor, and ceilings were knocked through to create a double-height space. "I knew the feeling of living here would be exactly what I wanted and that I'd have the space to grow into it and the flexibility to have an iterative approach to the design," she says.
She lived in the space for a year before renovating, starting with the garden, adding fences for privacy and clay pavers. Inside, she installed solid oak boards from Devon and added a wall to block the view from the front door to the garden. The bedroom was originally on the loft level, but she converted the entire first floor into a double-height bedroom, using the top floor as a home office. She has since secured planning permission for a roof terrace.
Furnishing with restraint
Erika's furnishings are minimal and thoughtful, balancing soft elements with brutalist pieces. "I wanted the volume and light to be the defining characteristics of the house so designing has been as much a process of holding back as of adding things," she says. Prized pieces include Hans Wegner dining chairs, an antique Italian Carrara marble pedestal table, and a Maker & Son Song love seat, alongside concrete side tables and a stainless steel bench from Monument gallery in Leyton.
Her travels have not led to collections of trinkets. "I travel super light so I don't tend to carry that much around," she says. "I have some nice volcanic rocks I've picked up on my travels and a few wooden vessels and a candlestick holder."
Benefits beyond cost savings
House swapping offers more than financial savings, including local tips from hosts and a more domestic setup. "I'm very into health and nutrition so it's nice having a good kitchen and space to exercise, compared with being cooped up in a hotel room," says Erika. Kindred says it welcomes everyday comfortable homes but notes it has some very beautiful, design-led properties on the platform, including Gustaf Westman's Sweden flat.
Erika believes the platform's map-view searches have helped her home's appeal, given Tottenham is not a top tourist hotspot. With credits still to use, she is considering swaps in Paris, Marseille, and Corsica this summer and plans to keep listing her home. "London is a pretty year-round destination so I'm pretty confident it would get booked whenever," she says.
