{"id":105532,"date":"2026-06-11T12:28:11","date_gmt":"2026-06-11T12:28:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/105532\/"},"modified":"2026-06-11T12:28:11","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T12:28:11","slug":"i-stayed-in-this-cool-canalside-loft-in-amsterdam-without-paying-a-penny-and-lived-my-main-character-moment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/105532\/","title":{"rendered":"I stayed in this cool canalside loft in Amsterdam without paying a penny and lived my main character moment"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>If Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet gave us anything, it\u2019s an infatuation with home swapping. Ever since I first watched The Holiday back in 2009, I\u2019ve romanticised the idea that one day I might step outside my own routine and, however briefly, be folded into somebody else\u2019s world.<\/p>\n<p>Last month, that dream became a reality when I crossed the threshold of someone else\u2019s second-floor apartment for the first time. I came across it on the homeswapping platform Kindred, and fell in love with its location \u2013 beside one of Amsterdam\u2019s most famous canals.<\/p>\n<p>Our story isn\u2019t quite as romantic as the switch you see in the movie, but it\u2019s also not far off. Kindred operates a give-to-get system, meaning that every member begins with five complimentary credits to spend on a stay somewhere in the world. Once you become a host, you earn credits to spend on future trips. Swaps can be like-for-like or, more commonly, a fellow homeswapper will stay at your place, while you go on to another home elsewhere.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Image may contain Indoors Interior Design Lamp Hardwood Stained Wood Wood Closet Cupboard Furniture and Shelf\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"ResponsiveImageContainer-dkeESL cQPiWi responsive-image__image\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/kitchen-MFA-amsterdam-may-2026-pr-global.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Kindred<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Image may contain Furniture Table Tabletop Indoors Interior Design Architecture Building and Dining Room\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"ResponsiveImageContainer-dkeESL cQPiWi responsive-image__image\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/dining-MFA-amsterdam-may-2026-pr-global.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Kindred<\/p>\n<p>Importantly in this sharing economy, no money is exchanged between members. Instead, the currency is mutual trust and respect, with guests only paying a fee to cover Kindred\u2019s concierge service, which includes professional cleaning and online support during the stay.<\/p>\n<p>But back to The Netherlands, and my first moments in my momentary new home. I already had a good impression of my host, Denise \u2013\u00a0our initial video call revealed a warm and vivacious nature, even through the screen. She works in fashion, loves interiors and tells me she\u2019s a nomad at heart; splitting her time between Amsterdam and Ibiza. Once I\u2019m in her home, in the enviable Jordaan neighbourhood, all that checks out.<\/p>\n<p>I tip-toe up the steep narrow staircase (if I didn\u2019t know I was in Amsterdam, I do now) and turn the key into her hallway. In front of me, a window overlooks a secret courtyard \u2013 an architectural treat afforded to the most fortunate of Amsterdam residents and a small preview of the hidden luxury I was about to uncover.<\/p>\n<p>Inside, I feel as though I\u2019m in a sandy cave. To my right, natural clay walls tunnel through to a bedroom, which peeks out behind a sliding walnut door. To my left, the corridor snakes through to an open plan kitchen, dining and living area, where a gallery-worthy collection of design and vintage furniture lies in wait.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet gave us anything, it\u2019s an infatuation with home swapping. Ever since I&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":105533,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[101],"tags":[6293,199,6944,200],"class_list":["post-105532","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-amsterdam","tag-airbnb","tag-amsterdam","tag-my-favourite-airbnb","tag-netherlands"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@dk\/116731478636766335","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105532","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=105532"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105532\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/105533"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=105532"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=105532"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=105532"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}