Travel the Home Exchange Way

Sunday Times: 'Home exchange is more than just free holiday accomodation'

'House-swapping was once considered something of an oddity, along with cycling to work and composting vegetable waste. Suddenly, it is fashionable.'

'Home exchange is more than just free holiday accomodation' is an excellent article by a 'serial home swapper', published in the Sunday Times last Sunday, and covers many questions asked about home exchange.

This is a good article for even very experienced home exchangers to read, and pass on to friends who may be interested in the home swapping concept. The author deals with what can be seen as a downside, i.e. having to tidy and clean your home thoroughly before an exchange (some Home Base Holidays members report starting to tackle the housework too late and then spending a frantic few days just before the exchange dates, leaving them exhausted - and in need of a holiday!).

The author confesses to having an 'easy-going approach to home maintenance. Call me a DDIYer — as in "don’t".' However, the family's home swapping experiences have not only given them great holidays but also improved their own lifestyle, even to tackling major home improvements:

'A desire to maximise our home’s exchange potential even influenced our decision to convert the loft this summer: extra bed space means a wider range of families with whom to swap.'

If you are an experienced exchanger, have you also changed your attitude to housework and DIY? Are you now more organised and tidy?  Or do you still have a mad housework 'bee' just before an exchange? Do leave your comments below.

Listen to Jo Discuss Home Exchange on BBC Radio iPlayer

Missed Jo discussing home exchange (and kids and music festivals) on BBC Radio Berkshire this afternoon? Listen on iPlayer for the next week. Jo's bit starts about a third of the way into the programme (01.12.24) and carries on throughout the next half hour. Thanks, Jo - and well done for plugging Home Base Holidays so well on the BBC!

BBC Radio Berkshire: Home Exchange Featured Today

Listen to Home Base Holidays' seasoned radio star, Jo Piercey, talk about her family's home exchange experiences on the Sarah Walker Show, BBC Radio Berkshire, this afternoon at around 2 pm GMT. Jo has become Radio Berkshire's home exchange expert and has been invited to take part in live studio discussions at least twice before. I think Jo should be paid a retainer! It's not surprising that she has been invited back again as Jo has a natural, relaxed style, perfect for radio. Her enthusiasm for the benefits of home exchange holidays is obvious, and she fields those awkward questions radio presenters sometimes ask in live interviews (like 'but what about these strangers riffling through my knicker drawer?') with great finesse!

If you aren't able to listen live to the slot on home exchange live today, the Sarah Walker Show will be available on BBC iPlayer after the show finishes at 4 pm.

The photo below is of the Piercey family and was published in an excellent article on home exchange, How to get a gorgeous holiday home for free, in the Daily Mail.

 

The Piercey family's exchange offer in the pretty village of Cookham Dean, Berkshire:

Circa 1903 sympathetically restored & extended cottage with big mature garden (fruit trees, grapevine, willow etc). Several character pubs within walking distance. Local shops 1 mi away. Nearby Thames for boating, river trips, fishing etc.

Heathrow 15 mi (25 min by car), Gatwick 50 mi (1 hr), London 35 mins, Oxford 45 mins, Cambridge 1.5 hrs, Bath 1 hr, Stonehenge 1.5 hrs.

We are experienced exchangers having swapped around 13 times! All great experiences! It is the only sort of vacation the children know and they are used to respecting the homes of others. Our 18 year old may or may not be with us this year.

**Note: exchange includes use of 3 bd seaside cottage in the World Heritage Site, Dorset. See the full exchange offer and more photos, HE1704

　

　

Finding a Home Exchange in London ... within 10 Minutes

I was delighted to read a review of Home Base Holidays in the article, 'Going On Holiday? Finding a Home Swap' on Apartment Therapy and to know that the author and her friend had been able to find an exchange to London within 10 minutes of joining and adding photos!

Now, to be honest, it usually does take much longer than 10 minutes to find a suitable home swap, and Grace's article touched on the importance of allowing plenty of time for arranging an exchange before the dates wanted. But I wasn't too surprised to read that she and Kelley (whose apartment is on offer and is pictured below) had found such interest in their home swap offer in San Francisco from Londoners as, being based in London, Home Base Holidays has lots of great offers in the city (and San Francisco is a popular destination with British members).

It's easy to see the attraction from a short excerpt from the exchange offer:

Large, beautiful garden studio apartment in the hip Mission District of San Francisco. This apartment is located on the first floor of a 12 unit building and faces the back garden so there is little to no street noise. Located right on 18th Street between Guerrero and Dolores, this apartment is within feet of some of the finest things in San Francisco (Bi-Rite market and creamery, Delfina, Tartine). Read the full offer and see more photos, HE22816.

Following on from Grace's useful report of her experiences when looking for a home exchange in London, it's important to mention that optimising your chances of finding a suitable swap, especially if looking for a swap in a particular area or city, means either joining a number of home exchange agencies to increase your pool of potential matches or, less expensive than this scatter gun approach, taking the time to do some research first. Tips to keep in mind when researching possibilities:

Checklist to Optimise Your Chances of Finding a Suitable Home Swap

• Is the agency a reputable, long established business where members are likely to be well motivated to arrange exchanges (i.e. all have paid a reasonable membership fee and the agency is operating as a serious business)?

• Can you see how long listings are in circulation (check for join and expiry dates)? Without this vital information, you may find that many members you approach are no longer looking for exchanges or, worse, many fail to even respond to your offer messages.

• Can you easily see the most recent offers (and are there various ways to narrow your search results)?

• As well as being up-to-date, how many offers are there in the city or country you want to visit? Home exchange agencies generally have most listings in the country(ies) where they are based.

• Browse listings in your own country or city to get an idea of how much competition there is likely to be for the same exchange offers you are interested in. If you are only or primarily interested in domestic exchanges, then choosing a local agency is very likely to be your best option. *Note: the last two tips taken together are much more useful than total numbers of listings claimed.

• And, if you want an exchange in the UK, look no further than Home Base Holidays (est. 1985, London)!

Sainsbury's Magazine: 'Your Place for Mine'

Our feature story in the current issue of Home Swappers Newsletter is an article written by, a now very experienced home exchanger, Angela Williams, Expat Living in Amsterdam: House-swap that Delivered the Goods.

Many Home Base Holidays members have gone out of their way to answer questions from journalists writing articles about home exchange over the years, and it was very pleasing to see Angela's comments and photo included in an article in the July issue of Sainsbury's Magazine (UK). A quote:

"Of course, home swapping only works if it's as popular overseas as it is in the UK and, luckily, its , as Angela and Frank de Smalen will attest. The couple own an apartment in Amstersdam and have attracted interest from as far afield as San Francisco and Vosta Rica - although so far, they've only made swaps in the UK and France. 'When you're in someone's home, you have total freedom,' says Angela. 'You can get to know their neighbours and you feel more like a resident than a tourist. During one swap we had ro look after a farm with geese, chickens and horses, which was great. You certainly don't get that at a hotel!'"

Although the article, Your Place for Mine, is not published on Sainsbury's website, do look out for the magazine which is on sale now in all Sainsbury's supermarkets in the UK.

The photo above is of Angela and Frank while on exchange in Brittany earlier this year. Check out their attractive canalside apartment in Amsterdam, HE19767.

Home Swappers: the Home Exchange Newsletter, June/July09

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

• Expat Living in Amsterdam: House-swap that Delivered the Goods

• Photos in Listings - Yet Again!

• Housekeeping Styles: Feedback Request

• BBC - 'The One Show': Request for Participants

• Untours: Free Access to a 'Local Expert' Offer

• Home Exchange = Serendipity!

Read articles in this issue in full and previous issues of Home Swappers Newsletter, in the Newsletter Archive.

The Lux Report: 'Swap your luxury life for another'

"Home exchanges have long been a popular way for travellers to holiday cheaply ... the idea is now finding favour among luxury travellers, who are less interested in the cost benefit and more in the actual cultural ‘life-swap’ possibilities ... The appeal lies in being able to stay in homes that are far better-equipped than the average rental home, and getting ‘insider’s tips’ on restaurants and places to visit so you can get a more genuine experience of a destination."

 

The Lux Report is described as 'the luxury lifestyle resource'. Even during the current economic downturn worldwide, there are still people who can afford the best hotels anywhere in the world but interestingly (as described in this article and from some of the ultra luxurious homes available for exchange on Home Base Holidays), many choose home exchange over other, more impersonal types of accommodation. The photo above is an example of such an offer - a spectacular industrial conversion overlooking Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa (see full exchange offer and more photos, HE20799).

One misconception is that all luxury home owners will only be interested in swapping to homes of the same high quality. Undoubtedly this is true for some but for the vast majority of home exchangers, location is the most important factor in deciding whether a home will suit their needs. So, if you live in a modest home that happens to be in a sought after area (central locations in major cities like London, Paris, Rome, Sydney and New York are always popular), don't be put off from contacting someone with a home exchange offer just because their home looks much grander than your own. Just be honest in your description of your home and you could be surprised - swapping your one bedroom London flat in trendy Spitalfields for a beachside villa with pool in a beautiful exotic location!

Read the full article, 'Swap your luxury life for another'.

Shelter Offshore - Investments & Savings News: 'Short Term Home Exchange Abroad'

'... a short term home exchange with someone who lives abroad could be your perfect introduction to a new nation if you’re interested in expatriating.'

This is a quote from  'Short Term Home Exchange Abroad' published by Shelter Offshore (a specialist service providing information for expatriates globally, to help make investing and saving abroad easier).

Most people think of home exchanges for holidays only but there does seem to be more Home Base Holidays members using home swaps as a way of trying out a new country or area before making an expensive permanent move. Arranging a home swap not only saves on rental costs but also, a base in a real neighbourhood gives a much better idea of what living there will be like than if cocooned as a guest in a hotel room. Exchange partners (and no doubt their friends living close by) will be able to provide much useful advice on practical matters like finding a good local school, registering with a doctor, etc.

And, of course, if you are already an expatriate, swapping homes makes trips back 'home' cheaper and more convenient than staying with friends or relatives.

BBC Radio Derby: Home Exchange - Local Case Study and Overview

Another week, another live radio broadcast on home exchange! Yesterday morning I took part in a lengthy feature on home swapping on Aleena Naylor's Morning Show, BBC Radio Derby, which started with a reporter visiting Dawn, an experienced exchanger, in her seven bedroom house in Derbyshire, followed by my conversation with Aleena a few minutes later.

The recording of the Tuesday edition of the programme is available on BBC iPlayer for the next few days. Access the recording, press Play (if you already have iPlayer downloaded) and move the counter along to 01.13 to catch the start of the interview in Dawn's seven bedroom house. Then, directly after a Prince song, my bit starts at 01.43.

Good Housekeeping: 'Holidays at home and abroad'

The April issue of Good Housekeeping (UK) includes 'Good Choices', a section with a number of cash saving tips - 'Yes, you can live well on a shoestring!'. Home exchange is included under the 'Holidays' tips:

'Teacher Anita Smith from Leeds, her husband and two children, are fans of home-swapping'.

Anita's quote:

'I became interested in the idea because of a friend's good experience. I looked on the internet, found Home Base Holidays and arranged a swap with a couple who had a flat in central Barcelona. The experience was beautifully simple and very positive.'

Thanks Anita! It's always great to hear from members who have taken the time to talk to journalists. Check out the Smith family's current exchange offer:

A large, recently extended, semi-detached home in Alwoodley, a quiet suburban part of North Leeds. Nearby attractions include Harewood House and the Royal Armouries; within easy reach of York, Harrogate, Manchester, the Yorkshire Dales and the Yorkshire coast. Read the home exchange offer in full and see more photos, HE16514