Now here's some good news if you are planning on attending the FIFA World Cup in Brazil this year. Love Home Swap is offering a better route to Brazil for 15,000 Aussies facing heavily inflated hotel prices

As FIFA announced the first allocation of nearly 900,000 tickets to fans from 188 countries - the highest number ever in the first phase of sales - 15,401 Aussie soccer fanatics struck gold, but now face a rude shock in high-priced Rio. With millions planning to flock to Brazil just seven months from now, experts warn people should brace themselves for some of the world's highest hotel prices and a serious accommodation shortage.

But with some local residents looking to escape the madness that will be the World Cup in their home town, Love Home Swap offers tourists the perfect way to home swap their way to Rio, without paying a cent for accommodation.

Rio is already the world's third most expensive city when it comes to hotel prices1 with rooms costing an average AU$261 a night compared to $257 in New York or $205 in Paris. But with 'stratospheric growth' predicted during the World Cup, some hotel prices are estimated to increase by as much as 600 percent - boosting the average accommodation price in Rio for June 2014 to a staggering $461 a night.

Meanwhile, the world's largest home-swapping site, Love Home Swap, offers smart travellers the chance to make mega savings during the Cup, with hundreds of stylish Brazilian homes listed on the site, available for free to members of the illustrious home swapping network.

Whether it be a private villa in heart of Rio, a gorgeous beach house in the picturesque village of Arraial D'Ajunda near the Salvador stadium, or an ocean front retreat in the historical city of Partay - located perfectly between World Cup cities Rio and Sao.

• Luxury villa in the centre of Rio de Janiero
• Private condo near World Cup city Natal
• Contemporary beach house near the Salvador stadium

Ocean front retreat near ParatyPaulo - Love Home Swap allows soccer fans to live like locals as they enjoy the festivities, with all the comforts of home. The site's new Swap Points system also means swappers no longer need to co-ordinate exact dates or destinations with each other, but can pledge time in their homes in exchange for points to book stays in any of the 47,000+ homes on the site at a time they choose - making home-swapping easier than ever. In addition, the site also allows members to rent homes from one another.

Love Home Swap founder, Debbie Wosskow, says now is the time to plan for Brazil 2014. "With less than seven months until the start of the World Cup in June, many hotels are already fully booked - and they're charging premium rates that are five-fold the norm," she said.

"Looking on sites like Hostelworld and Airbnb, prices are already starting to creep up too, with dorms in some hostels ticketed at over AU$169 a night. With Love Home Swap, you can enjoy your stay in a fully equipped, spacious home - without paying through the teeth for the privilege." She added: "Local residents are definitely looking to capitalise on the demand for their homes to swap their way around the world - so now is definitely the ideal time to plan for next year in Brazil."

Taking the chaos out of holiday planning, Love Home Swap (www.lovehomeswap.com) also offers a personal swap consultation, 5 star concierge service and a dedicated travel team for Platinum members ($46 per month), in addition to a priority featured listing for their own home. Gold Members ($35 per month) are offered support from the dedicated travel team, as well as additional exposure on the site, and Silver members can enjoy a basic package with unlimited swap messaging throughout the year by paying just $18 per month. To test the service and scout the homes available, Love Home Swap also offers free introductory 14-day trial membership.