Would you let complete strangers stay in your home in exchange for five weeks on the other side of the world?

A mum has taken part in a real life version of Hollywood film ‘The Holiday’, swapping her home for getaways abroad.

Pam Daniel, aged 54, a single mother from Dronfield, has been swapping her home with people from across the world for five years, as a way to pursue her love of travelling.

placeholder image — Pam Daniels | Contributed/Emily Hawtin

From Amsterdam’s vibrant tulip festival to the historic streets of Barcelona, Pam and her two children have holidayed in some of Europe’s most popular destinations without facing costly accommodation, through house swapping.

By welcoming different people into her home and earning loyalty points through each stay, Pam has visited homes across Europe using the points she's gained.

Now, she's saved enough credit to book a five week holiday in two gorgeous seafront homes in Nelson, New Zealand, in January 2027 - completely free of charge.

Mum, Pam Daniels with her daughter, Yasmin Daniels at the tulip festival in Amsterdam | Contributed/Emily Hawtin

Pam, a freelance life coach and mentor said: “House-swapping has taught me there are a lot of good people in this world. I’ve been a single parent for 18 years and it's given me and my children so many opportunities we would have never had otherwise.

“I have always hated being cold, so I’ve had a goal in life to never be here for a full winter and I have finally reached that goal. My children have left home, I’ve given up my job and I am a woman on my own so I have the freedom to do what I want and I have made this happen.

Pam enjoying Barcelona with her son | Contributed/Emily Hawtin

“I haven’t had much money all my life, but I have a desire to travel and I have a desire to learn and to see other places and my bucket list is New Zealand.”

After a close friend recommended Nelson in New Zealand to Pam, she decided to spend some of her well-earned points on two gorgeous homes overlooking the crystal-clear waters of Tamsan Bay - a highly sought after location, where accommodation typically costs anything between £1,000 - £3,000 through the traditional Airbnb app.

Pam has earned points by sharing her home in Sheffield with strangers | Contributed/Emily Hawtin

The two New Zealand properties were listed on Home Exchange, a website Pam frequently uses to rent properties through a points-based system.

Members can earn points by inviting people to stay in their homes, and in return, use this currency to rent other properties listed on the platform.

Over the course of this summer, Pam has welcomed nine different families into her home while she has travelled elsewhere.

But it's not just the opportunity to travel which keeps Pam returning, it’s also the welcoming community she has met along the way.

Pam's cosy home in Sheffield | Contributed/Emily Hawtin

Pam said: “Most people are petrified of the thought of letting somebody else into their home, but then it's not for them.

“House sharing isn’t just about being able to afford cheaper holidays, it's also about the genuine friendships I have made along the way. It has introduced me to so many like-minded people and I’ve made some wonderful friendships.”

Pam’s house-swapping journey began back in August 2021, where she simultaneously swapped her cosy semi-detached home in Dronfield for a beautiful new-build in Cambridge.

Since that first successful exchange, Pam has fallen in love with the scheme’s affordable and easy-going nature and continues to open up her home to many more people from across the world.

Pam said: “Sometimes it can be met with negativity, but house sharing has taught me that there are some people like me who are easy going, kind, thoughtful and will open their homes and let other people in. And for those people who do it, it's beautiful.”