Despite the Covid crisis, prices in the real estate market continue to rise. Especially in big cities, the housing market is a tough place where new solutions are much needed. Instead of struggling with an estate agent or hundreds of people in flat viewings, flat swapping is an interesting alternative to the conventional flat search.
The online platform tauschwohnung.com makes permanent flat swapping feasible for everyone. The matching algorithm helps apartment seekers find the right exchange partner. Whether it’s a flat, a room in a shared flat or a house – anything can be exchanged. While traditional websites for flat listings usually only offer empty flats, tauschwohnung.com also includes flats that are currently occupied. This means that the flats offered here cannot be found on any other website.
In addition to its own platform, tauschwohnung.com offers cities, housing associations or housing cooperatives the possibility of providing their own exchange platform with individual adaptations and functions. For example: the city of Düsseldorf and the Düsseldorf housing office offer their own platform for flat swaps in cooperation with tauschwohnung.com involving local actors such as the city’s relocation management. The platform tauschwohnung.com is a product of swap-me UG (hb).
Why is it interesting?
- The matching platform saves both exchange partners a lot of time.
- Moving costs can often be shared and thus almost halved. Double rent payments and estate agent fees are also avoided.
- The housing market eases due to a better distribution of living space. Large flats can be exchanged with small flats.
Potential
- Other advisory systems can be integrated into the housing exchange process. For example, the need for further care measures, especially for elderly people, can be recognised during an exchange.
- What other resources can we exchange in cities?
Photo: © Tauschwohnung.com, Source: polis award