Travel the Home Exchange Way

Expat life? Swap homes for visits ‘back home’

Expat life? Home exchanging can be an excellent option when visiting 'home'

Living overseas? If so, home swapping can be an excellent way to arrange comfortable free accommodation when returning ‘home’ to visit friends and family. Having a home 'base' can be especially welcome if you are staying for several weeks and would perhaps feel uncomfortable about imposing on friends or family for a lengthy period.  

Having your own place gives you the space and freedom to relax and get back into being a local again. Often it's the simple things we miss about our home country – just the simple day-to-day way of life. As an expat, some of the small things you miss can’t easily be lived while staying in a hotel or even with family if you feel anxious about disrupting their routines. You are there on holiday, but you are not a tourist. You want to be able to cook a meal at home, have your friends over for coffee or dinner, do the shopping and spend quality time with your family in the same way you would if living there.

As well as the huge savings on accommodation, by swapping homes, you can shop for food in your favourite shops and markets, cook at home with familiar ingredients, and pack lunches for day trips. The savings on eating out all the time will add up too. You might be able to enjoy longer visits or even plan trips back home more frequently.

Living as an expat, as time goes by you may be more and more settled in your new country. If you have young children, they will be growing up, making friends and possibly becoming fluent in a new language, but it’s always nice to keep them in touch with your culture too. Taking your kids back to visit relatives in your native country can feel very important and home swapping makes doing so more pleasant and affordable. Staying in a real home in a real neighbourhood will give children growing up in another country a better feel for the culture you grew up in.

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How home swapping works: First you'll need to sign up to a home swap website such as Home Base Holidays. You'll add your own home to the site, search home swap offers throughout the world and start contacting other members to arrange your home swap accommodation. By swapping homes there are no hotel or rental fees and so you'll enjoy free accommodation!

 

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Interested in home swapping? Sign up to Home Base Holidays

Book giveaway: The House Swap (by Rebecca Fleet)

At Home Base Holidays we are always interested in hearing about novels with a home swapping theme and so were delighted to receive several copies of the recently published novel, ‘The House Swap’ (by Rebecca Fleet), which looks the perfect light summer holiday read!

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Brief synopsis of 'The House Swap':

‘When Caroline and Francis receive an offer to house swap - from their city apartment to a house in a leafy, upscale London suburb - they jump at the chance for a week away from home, their son, and the tensions that have pushed their marriage to the brink…

… Be careful who you let in.’

 

About the Author: Rebecca Fleet lives and works in London. The House Swap is her first thriller.

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Three copies of 'The House Swap' to giveaway: We have three copies of The House Swap to give away to the first three members or subscribers who contact us with their name and mailing address in return for a short review once you’ve read it. Interested? Send us an email at: [email protected]

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Travel for free: home swap vacation offers in 90+ countries, search home swap offers

Handling the change-over in back-to-back home swaps

Most simultaneous home exchanges are one-off, one-to-one swaps between members; however, some members arrange two or even a series of swaps, one after the other. Such arrangements take very careful planning as, if one member is unable to take part in an agreed exchange for any reason, this would affect others in the chain of swaps. Although it is very rare that there will be a problem, as with any home swap, it’s sensible to have a fall-back plan, perhaps agreeing to pay for alternative accommodation for your exchange guests should you have to cancel at short notice.

With detailed agreements in place so that all those taking part in back-to-back swaps are clear about their commitments, it is also important to consider arrangements for ensuring your home is ready for your second exchange guests to move into after the first exchangers have moved on. The vast majority of home swappers will leave your home clean and tidy, exactly as they found it. However, as you won’t be there to check this as when preparing before a first swap, it will give you peace of mind to have arranged for a trusted cleaner to come in between home exchange guests to clean, change bed linen, wash towels, etc. Then, you can relax as you start your second exchange, knowing that your home will be just as you left it and ready for your guests' arrival.

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Interested in home swapping? Sign up for free!

Rather than booking a hotel or holiday rental, arrange free accommodation by arranging a holiday home exchange. Sign up to the Home Base Holidays two-week free trial.

WIN a Kindle Paperwhite! Travel photography competition

Send us your best travel photos to be in a with chance of winning a Kindle Paperwhite (worth £119.99). Three runners up photos will be selected with the senders winning a one year home swap membership with Home Base Holidays (worth £49).

Choose photos that best encapsulate your travel experience; perhaps an off-the-tourist-trail discovery, or, if taken on a home swap, you or your family enjoying your hosts’ home or one of the highlights of the area.

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How to enter: If you're not yet a member first sign up to a free home swap trial membership Send us your favourite travel photos to [email protected] Include a description of the photos or a small trip report Closing date: 14th July 2019

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Previous winning photos:

Tips to declutter your home before a home swap

Getting ready for your summer home swap vacation? Your guests will be very much looking forward to staying in your home, a real home, and so won't be expecting to stay in a showroom. However, it is important that your home is clean and welcoming for your home swap guests. Here are a few tips that will help you declutter your home ready for your guests arrival:

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One room at a time

It can feel a bit overwhelming to plan to declutter your entire home. Instead it’s often better to take a step-by-step approach and take each room at a time… or better yet, split the tasks with other family members (you’re not the only one going away on holiday!). By tidying up one room at a time you will be able to focus on what needs to be done and so start seeing results of your effort.

Declutter one room at a time

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Before and after photos

One good way to evaluate your decluttering mission is to take before and after photos. It’s a quick way to see the progress you’ve made and give yourself a pat on the back. However if you are not satisfied with the “after” picture then it is also a good way to highlight what still needs to be done before your guests arrive.

Take a before and after photo

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Don’t forget the bathroom

Your guests will likely rather not see your old tube of toothpaste and dirty cotton buds. Consider packing up your beauty products and personal items in order to make room for theirs. Also make sure there is enough toilet paper and plenty of clean towels for your guests. You want them to feel at home while staying in your home, just as you want to feel at home while staying in their home.

Clear your bathroom of personal items

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Consider storage

Do you have a lockable room you could use for storage? If so this is an ideal way to store away some of your clutter as well as valuables while your home swap guests are staying in your home. Alternatively there are many companies that will offer short term storage solutions at a reasonable rate.

Lock away some belongings and personal items

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Leave a few toys out

If you are arranging a home exchange with another family with children you might want to consider leaving a few toys out. Your home swap guests (especially the children!) will appreciate this friendly gesture. Perhaps put the toys neatly in a box but within easy sight and reach.

Leave some toys out for your guest's kids

People say that decluttering is an art but just pace yourself, take it step-by-step and you’ll be surprised at the results… and your home swap guest will appreciate the effort.

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Home Base Holidays: travel the home exchange way

Home Base Holidays has thousands of home swap travel offers worldwide. Find your next exchange through Home Base Holidays so that you can enjoy free accommodation.

Our Easter home swap in the Spanish mountain village of Sella

Nina arranged a home swap holiday staying in Steve & Liz's home in Sella, Alicante, Spain

We love hearing about members' home swaps! Here's a recent trip report from Home Base Holidays member, Nina, from her family's Easter home swap staying in Steve and Liz's house in Sella, Alicante, Spain.

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"We swapped houses with Steve and Liz during the Easter holidays. It was perfect for us, as it was only a few hours drive south from our home in Valencia and a lovely change of scenery for all of us. Although we had a bit of rain during our exchange (yes, it does rain in Spain too!), our family had a great time just relaxing in the comfortable house in Sella. The village is fantastic and so picturesque, the views from the terrace are amazing. We went for walks, visited the nearby safari park, and went to the beach which is only 25 minutes away by car. The exchange went very smoothly, we had perfect communication throughout and we would happily organise another swap with this lovely couple in the future." - Nina and family

 

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Steve and Liz's home in the mountain village of Sella, Spain

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Nina's stylish home in Valencia, Spain

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Meet the members
	Nina and family Nina's home swap offer is a stylish four bedroom house in Valencia with a private swimming pool.  View Nina's Valencia home swap offer
	Steve and Liz Steve and Liz's home swap offer is a fabulous historic home in the beautiful Spanish village of Sella. View Steve and Liz's home swap offer in Sella, Alicante, Spain

 

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Interested in home swapping? Sign up for free!

Rather than booking a hotel or holiday rental, arrange free accommodation by arranging a holiday home exchange. Sign up to the Home Base Holidays two-week free trial.