House swapping on the rise

A number of web-based property sites are showing a rise in the number of people advertising their homes for a house swap. Gumtree recently announced a 12 per cent increase in the past year, with more than 2,000 properties available immediately. A website dedicated to home swapping – Homeswapper4sale – has more than 5,000 registered homeowners on its site, worth £1.4 billion, and says swapping will become more popular as mortgage finance remains tight.