Meet Jan: antiques dealer and home sharing host in Valencia

Art occupies every corner of this antiques dealer’s home in the centre of Valencia. But living, surrounded by art, is not the only incentive that encourages travellers to book a trip at Jan and Raquel’s home. “We love that our guests discover authentic Valencian food. We take them to have lunch by the sea and, on a Sunday evening, enjoy listening to local a jazz band. We show them our favourite (and often secret) local shops that very few people know about”, explains Jan.

Jan and Raquel share a spare room in their home that sleeps one person. “That’s why we welcome a lot of people travelling alone and, with us, they feel really at home”.

I have always shared my home with people, but I love the way technology creates trust.

Jan arrived in Spain from Hamburg 30 years ago. And he never left. He exudes so much love for the city, so much so, that four travellers who stayed with them ended up buying a home in Valencia.

“I have always shared my home with people”, says Jan, “but I love the way technology creates trust”. And he cannot think of a time where he’d stop sharing his home: “Raquel and I, we love hosting people. Hosting offers us exciting experiences and we’d like to believe we have also been able to bring something positive to the lives of guests who stay with us, even if we have only shared a few days together”.