Nick Fuad didn’t know a lot about creating websites, but he and his wife Kylie had an idea to create one about Aussie House Swaps.

So, after Nick finished his day job, he’d sit down at the computer on a desk in his laundry and started working on it.

That was 16 years ago.

Now, the couple has created a successful Lismore-based business that employs four other people and has been chosen as a finalist in the 2019 Optus My Business Awards.

Kylie said she’s excited that their website Aussie House Swap is one of the top three finalists for Travel and Tourism Business of the Year, and the Workplace of the Year Award - and that Nick and Kylie themselves are finalists for Regional Business Leader of the Year.

“The idea started when I was working in a remote community in the Northern Territory and we had kids and a house at Nambucca Heads,” Kylie said.

“Nick said it would be cool to swap houses for six months and go to Alice Springs and work there.

“There were not a lot of websites offering a house swap service at the time – and we also thought about creating a house-sitting site.

“It was a time that the online market was just starting.

“With Nick’s brain and ideas, and my money from working as a teacher, we were able to build the business and now we both work for ourselves.”

Kylie said the couple found a website developer who helped them build and grow their websites, and now, they run seven house-sitting and swapping websites in the UK, NZ, Canada and Australia.

“Our websites offer a holiday travel model that is sustainable and environmentally friendly,” she said.

“People are more aware of their footprint now.

“It’s about people sharing resources in order to travel - this is what the true sharing economy is all about.

“Sites like Airbnb can be damaging because some people don’t rent houses out, instead just making money per night on short term accommodation – and there’s a big shortage of affordable rental properties.”

Kylie said their house swap and house sit websites are meeting places.

“People join as an annual member with a flat fee, and then swap profile info about themselves and their local areas,” she said.

“Then you look at where you want to go to and can search for others who might be interested in your area and you contact each other though the site.

“We use a private messaging system and people work it out between themselves.

"Some fly across Australia to a house and have a car waiting for them at the other side – and some leave their pets at home to be looked after by the swappers.

“It’s an interesting way to travel and a lot of people become friends as a result.

“It created a strong sense of community.

“And we’re excited that we’ve been able to open an office in Magellan Street and employ people locally.

“These National awards are highly competitive so being selected in three different categories is a huge achievement for a small business in a regional area.

“We love living in the Northern Rivers and feel very proud to be one of many hardworking regional small businesses achieving great things.

“To have our little office a finalist for Workplace of the Year in national awards is incredible.”

The awards ceremony will be held on November 15 in Sydney.

“Hopefully we’ll be bringing home a trophy or three to decorate our Magellan Street office,” Kylie laughed.

You can visit their sites https://www.aussiehouseswap.com.au and https://www.aussiehousesitters.com.au/