Home Swappers: the Home Exchange Newsletter, Oct/Nov09

The new issue of Home Swappers Newsletter is now available. Topics:

• Regular home swaps (and the dogs come too)
• Watch a BBC1 film of a summer home exchange
• Home exchange partners are guests!
• Home swaps during holidays and special events
• Competition winner - three homes in unusual buildings

Read articles in this issue in full and previous issues of Home Swappers Newsletter, in the Newsletter Archive. Subscribe to receive the newsletter as published.

 

Comments

[Lisa]

Hello, we're looking at doing our first home swap, and I was trying to find some sort of checklist/form where I can write where everything is kept and how things work? Any recommendations? Regards Lisa

[Lois, Home Base Holidays]

Hi Lisa

Thanks for your comment and question.

In the following Home Base Holidays Guidelines for Arranging an Exchange, http://www.homebase-hols.com/guidelines.shtml scroll down to Stage Four: Preparing for Your Exchange Guests for a reminder of information to leave for your exchange guests.

You might also find the trader companion form published by Know Your Trade, http://knowyourtrade.com/images/tradercompanion.pdf useful to print off and adapt to record all the relevant information.

As any checklists/forms can only be fairly general and so, may not cover everything in your own home, go through your home carefully, one room at a time, so you don’t forget any vital information. Leave instruction books for appliances and central heating but still include simple instructions in your checklist/folder – the manual will never include, ‘If the green light flashes, give the washing machine door a good, firm push’ but that’s the sort of detail (the individual household quirks) that will save your guests a lot of trial and error when using your equipment.

Start your checklist well in advance of your first exchange so you can add to it as something else pops into your head. Once you’ve done it for your first exchange it will be much easier next time.

Best wishes for a wonderful home swap holiday.