Holidaymakers are choosing house swapping more an more to save money on breaks. Research shows that 3.4% of UK travelers have already arranged to swap their houses this year. This is double the percentage of a year ago. The most popular among these destinations are Scotland, Devon, the Lake District and Cornwall.

In a Lloyds TSB Insurance online study of 2,000 British adults last month, 15% of those surveyed were heading for Italy, the same to Spain, 12% to France and 10% to the US. 51% admitted choosing a home swap as a cost-effective way to spend their holidays. However, 24% of them reported returning home to a damaged property.

Lloyds TSB Insurance urges homeowners to tell their insurer before deciding to house swap, as well as register with a well-known house swap website. Head of online claims Paul Spillane says that house swapping looks like a trend for this year, as this type of holiday caters to so many different kinds of people. To make sure holidaymakers get the most out of their house exchange holidays, they are urging them to alert their insurers so that they don’t jeopardize their coverage, he added.

HomeExchange.com is one of the biggest listing websites, offering 39,000 different properties. President Ed Kushins says that expensive hotels aren’t the way to go anymore. Apartments and private homes are in, as they are more appealing, less costly and more comfortable, he explained.

The National Childbirth Trust (NCT) has been running a house swap program since 1976, but it’s been really taking off in the last 3 years. NCT House Swap Scheme manager Steven Mitchell, says that they have seen the program become more popular than ever due to the economic downturn. They have already seen a 34% increase in memberships this year, he continued. The scheme allows families to enjoy a great budget holiday in a new location, he added, with the addition of having all they need for their kids available.