If you’ve ever tried planning a home exchange, you already know the part that feels like pulling teeth:
finding dates that line up.

You’re free one week.
They’re free another.
Someone’s kid has exams.
Someone else only has five days of leave left.
And unless you’ve got a second home or an Airbnb you can block off for a few days, the whole idea of “let’s swap homes” turns into a calendar wrestling match.

People don’t lose interest in home exchange; they just run out of steam trying to find the perfect overlap.

And honestly? That’s the thing we wanted to fix.

We wanted the same spirit of home exchange—the trust, the warmth, the lived-in comfort—without the part that makes everyone give up halfway through the conversation.

So we created SandDollars.

They are not money.
They can’t be bought.
They only exist inside Habiqo.
And they exist for one purpose: to make hosting and travelling more flexible.

So… what are SandDollars, really?

Think of SandDollars as a little token of appreciation you earn by opening your home, something that lets you travel later without needing anyone else’s schedule to match yours.

You open your home to someone when you’ve got the space.
They enjoy their stay.
You earn SandDollars for hosting.
And later, when life finally allows you to escape for a few days, you use those SandDollars to send a stay request at another member’s home.

No wrangling for matching dates.
No “but when can you host me?”
No obligation to return the favour on the same week, month, or even year.

It’s still home exchange, just not the tangled version.
 

Here’s what SandDollars actually do

They solve the timing issue.
That’s it.
Nothing sneaky, nothing complicated.

Host on your own timeline → earn SandDollars
Travel on your own timeline → send a SandDollar request. How more about how they they works here. 

You decide the when.
You decide the where.
Nobody’s locked into anything beyond the stay you’ve already agreed to.

How you earn them (and why it’s not a chore)

Most SandDollars come from hosting.
That’s the heart of the system.

But you can also earn:

• when you complete your listing (yes, every field counts, even the boring ones people skip)
• when someone joins through your referral link
• when you help out in the community
   

They’re attached to you, not your home.
One account → one pool of SandDollars.
Nice and tidy.

How they work when someone wants to stay with you

If someone sends a request using SandDollars, it does NOT mean a swap is happening.

It means this: they want to stay, your calendar says those dates are fine, you accept, they stay, you earn SandDollars, you’re done.

No hidden return visits later.
No future obligation.
No juggling.

You simply earn the token and save it for whenever travel stops feeling impossible again.
 

And when you’re ready to travel?

You open the map, find a home you love, and send a SandDollar request for the dates you want.

That’s it.

The host still needs to accept you — the same as any exchange — but you’re no longer limited to only homes where the owner happens to be free at the exact time you are.

Some people use SandDollars for tiny two-night breaks.
Some save them for the dream stay they kept bookmarking “for someday.”
Some use them when work gives them a surprise long weekend and they think, why not?

The point is: the pressure is gone.

Do all homes accept SandDollars?

No, and that’s normal.

Some homes are empty half the year and perfect for hosting.
Some owners prefer direct swaps.
Some simply forgot to toggle the setting.
That’s life.

Check the listing.
If SandDollars aren’t enabled but the home feels like the right match, send a polite message. Sometimes the member just hasn’t updated their settings, and if their home is free on your dates, they may be happy to accept.

SandDollars are an option, not a locked door.
 

Can you buy SandDollars?

No.

Not now, not later.

If SandDollars could be purchased, it would drift toward a rental model, and that’s not who we are.
Every SandDollar comes from someone genuinely opening their home.
That’s what keeps the trust, and the fairness intact.

Why you shouldn’t be scared to accept SandDollar stays

A completely fair question is:
“What if I earn SandDollars but later can’t use them?”

Here’s the thing most people don’t realise until they actually try the system:

SandDollars don’t pile up into some huge, unmanageable balance.
They’re earned per night hosted and used per night travelled — nothing more complicated than that.

You host a few nights → you earn a few SandDollars → you use those SandDollars when you want to get away.

There’s no inflation, no “mountain of credits,” no imbalance where you end up sitting on a giant total you could never possibly use. Your SandDollars stay proportionate to the real stays you’ve hosted, which keeps things naturally in sync.

It stays fair.
It stays simple.
And most importantly: it stays usable.

You’ll never be overwhelmed with more than you can reasonably enjoy — and when travel finally lines up for you, you’ll actually have what you need.
 

The heart of it all

SandDollars don’t replace trust.
They don’t replace connection.
They don’t turn home exchange into a transaction.

They just remove the biggest headache in the whole process: timing.

Life is messy.
Schedules are messy.
Home exchange doesn’t have to be.

Host when your home is free.
Travel when your life gives you space.
And let SandDollars take care of the part that never worked anyway.
 

Ready to make your next stay stress-free?
Browse SandDollar-accepting homes now and start planning your flexible swap today.
Or create your listing and start earning SandDollars the moment your home is ready to welcome guests.

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