Swap keys, save sale costs

Complaints about the costs involved with buying and selling properties are all too common but now there could be a novel way to avoid the expense.

A new web-based platform, called Hermitty, offers New Zealanders the chance to swap, rather than sell, their property - and it can help them save thousands of dollars on their significant life purchases.

Operating in a way similar to a dating app, people can list their property for free on the Hermitty website and then search and show interest in other properties by “liking” them.

Once properties have been mutually “liked” by other property owners, a one-off fee is paid to start a conversation.