Travel the Home Exchange Way

Had the Covid-19 vaccination and now looking forward to a post lockdown home exchange holiday?

Looking forward to your next home exchange getaway?

The speedy roll-out of vaccinations for the groups most vulnerable to Covid-19 has given us all hope of a gradual return to normality in the coming months. 

Many Home Base Holidays members had to put 2020 home swap plans on hold. However, there has been a steady increase in new members joining and current members renewing in recent weeks. Since this week's very welcome briefing from the UK government outlining a roadmap for easing restrictions, we've seen a big spike in members discussing home exchange holidays for this summer.

As with last year, when summer home exchanges were primarily domestic, many new exchange requests are again for home swaps not too far from home. Members looking for international destinations are often planning further ahead to home exchanges in late summer and beyond.

Without analysing in depth, it does look like the largest proportion of very recent new and renewing members are older travellers (we don’t ask for ages but members can indicate if they are seniors – see the "S" symbol in search result listings). It would make sense that older members are feeling the most optimistic at this time when the lucky ones have already had at least their first vaccination jabs, and others will get theirs soon. The speed of the roll-out of vaccination programmes will vary from country to country, as will the drop in numbers of people testing positive for Covid-19 so, although we still have a long way to go until travelling the world will be safe again, when many of us have hardly travelled further than our local parks for months, it’s great to be able to look ahead to better times and a change of scenery.

As in 2020, for the next few weeks at least, it’s best to pencil in potential home swap dates rather than make a firm commitment to exchange. However, this is a great time to start contacting members to suggest and plan swaps for when both parties feel comfortable doing so.

Swapping homes is one of the safest ways to travel as you and your family will have got to know your hosts and will be living in a self-contained, well-equipped family home, rather than mingling with many other visitors and staff in a hotel, busy resort or on a cruise ship, or renting a property that may have had many previous occupants recently. Please also check out the Cleaning Guidance to ensuring your home is Covid-safe for your guests.

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Arranging your home exchange:

It always pays to start planning your home exchange holiday well in advance of dates you want to travel. The first step is to add your home swap offer (details about your home, location and where/when you want to travel). Once you've added your home swap offer, spend some time contacting other Home Base Holidays members to ask if they would be interested in a swap.

Travel tips: when planning a home exchange holiday, it's a real plus if you can be flexible with travel dates and open to new destinations - one of the joys of home swapping is receiving a swap requests from interesting destinations you may not have previously considered. Being flexible with dates/destinations is especially useful while travel restrictions continue to fluctuate. If planning international travel, make sure to double check that tickets are refundable and, if possible, try to purchase flights using a credit card.

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Small selection of recent Home Base Holidays offers

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>> Browse home exchange holiday offers

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Useful links:

• Preparing for a home swap checklist 
• Top 10: things to do at the end of a home swap
• Cleaning tips for holiday home swaps during COVID-19
• BringBackTravel (interactive map of the latest travel restrictions)
• Search the latest home exchange offers

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Join Home Base Holidays: start planning your home swaps Looking for a much needed getaway? Arrange free holiday accommodation by choosing to swap homes rather than book hotels or holiday rentals. View the latest home swap offers then sign up to Home Base Holidays.

Tips to make your home swap holiday offer stand out

Looking ahead to a summer break? Rather than booking a hotel or holiday rental, arranging a home swap through Home Base Holidays will massively cut the cost of your post lockdown getaway and enable you to enjoy the space, comforts and safety of staying in a real home.

When adding your home exchange offer, it’s important to include sufficient details that will accurately show your home at its best. Included below are a few tips to help make your home exchange holiday offer stand out.

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1. Upload good quality photos

Home exchange offers with photos will always attract more interest than those without. Photos are the first thing people will see when they view your home exchange offer and so it’s important that you add photos that will accurately show your home at its best. Wider (landscape) photos usually look better than tall (portrait) images. Try to take photos at a time of day when your home gets the best light as dark, dingy photos can be a little off putting. Also make sure that before taking photos (and before going on an exchange!) you declutter your home - dirty clothes and towels scattered on an unmade bed is never the most welcoming first impression. Once you've uploaded your photos make sure to select a good default photo as this will be the image that displays on the home swap search page (you probably don’t want this to be the photo of your toilet no matter how nice it is!)

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2. Add a good description of your home

Seeing home swap offers with little or no description rarely inspires confidence and so it’s important to include a good description that accurately describes your home and facilities. You don't need to go over the top; a concise 300-500 word description is usually plenty to give a good feel for your home.

You might want to include: Does your home have a good view / close to beach/lake? Do you have pets? (important information for allergy sufferers) Does your home have disabled access? If so, include details Are you a young family? If so, do you have toys, a cot, high-chair, etc? Do you have internet access? Is a car exchange also an option?

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3. Add details about your local area

It is really useful for other members if you include details about your home’s location. This will give your potential exchange partner an idea of the activities and attractions your neighbourhood can offer. Again, try to keep this concise but include things such as transport links, shops and restaurants local to you, good nearby walks and any top tips and recommendations from a local (you!).

You might want to include: Is your home close to good public transport? Recommended nearby: parks, beaches, tourist attractions Activities nearby: golf, walks, sailing, etc Recommended restaurants, coffee shop, etc

Tip: also include more detailed information about your area in a welcome folder that you leave for your exchange guest(s) when they arrive in your home.

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4. Keep your listing up to date

Make sure that you regularly check your listing and update any details that may have changed. For example, if you’ve had any major renovations to your home, then update your home exchange offer's description and take some new photos to replace the old ones. Also, keep your destination wish list and your availability dates up-to-date so that other members can see where you want to swap to and when your home is available for swaps. 

Looking for a summer staycation? It's looking as if staycations will again be very popular option this year. If you are looking to arrange a staycation then make sure to include this information in your home exchange offer. Update your destination request to show that you are currently interested in swaps within your own country and update your availability calendar to show that you're looking for a home swap this summer.

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Useful links:

• Preparing for a home swap checklist 
• Top 10: things to do at the end of a home swap
• Cleaning tips for holiday home swaps during COVID-19

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Home Base Holidays: start planning a summer swap Through Home Base Holidays you'll find everything from country cottages, city apartments, family homes ...even houseboats, castles, converted churches and yurts! Join Home Base Holidays for free and start planning your next getaway. View the latest home exchange holiday offers

Loved Bridgerton? Plan a home swap in Britain and visit the Netflix series’ beautiful locations

Bridgerton: the beautiful Regency city of Bath features prominently in the Netflix series

If you love British period dramas, you have probably already discovered a very recent TV series, Bridgerton (on Netflix), set in Regency England but with a very modern slant on the story. One of the joys of travel that many of us have been missing is the chance to visit locations we’re familiar with from films or TV. Bridgerton is a feast for the eyes with the Regency city of Bath featuring prominently as well as several locations in London plus Painshill Park in Surrey and Castle Howard in Yorkshire. Click here to view some of the lavish locations and read about them and the Bridgerton storylines set in each in an excellent article published by Visit Britain.

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To whet your appetite, here are a few examples of current home exchange offers in England that would make great bases for visiting one or more of the Bridgerton location settings (most of which are open to visitors):

	Bath: Formerly the Stables to the Manor House in the quintessential English Village of Wellow, our home is a haven of peace and quiet with a large garden overlooking fields and the c13th village church but only 15 minutes from the centre of Bath. View home exchange offer
	London: Four bedroom family home, one minute's walk from the historic Greenwich Park and it's world-famous Observatory, the National Maritime Museum, and a deer park. Across the park is Greenwich town centre where there are plenty of shops, pubs and restaurants as well as the Cutty Sark, an ancient clipper ship which is now a museum. At the weekend there is a market with fantastic food stalls.  View home exchange offer
	Surrey: Situated in the heart of the Surrey Hills, an area of outstanding natural beauty. A gated community set in natural grounds of nine acres. Our delightful apartment is very light and spacious with great views overlooking the tiered gardens. View home exchange offer
	Yorkshire: Period to bedroom cottage in the heart of York. 15 minutes to riverside walk to Cliffor's Tower, 25 minutes to York Minster. York is a beautiful historic city, often voted the best city to live in England. Surrounding York is amazing countryside with easy access to Yorkshire dales, moors and stunning coastline. View home exchange offer

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Travel may still be at the ‘dreaming of’ stage for some weeks to come but the roll-out of a number of vaccines to protect against Covid-19 gives us reason to hope for better days to come before too long.  Most people will want to remain cautious when taking those tentative first steps to travelling again and one of the safest (and cheapest) holiday options is to swap homes with another family. Home swappers take great care to clean and prepare their homes for their guests’ comfort (and to leave homes entrusted to them in the same condition at the end of the exchange holiday) and, no doubt, will now incorporate even stricter cleaning regimes (see Home Base Holidays guidelines for making your home Covid safe). You may not be ready to fix firm dates for an exchange just yet but, as it can take several weeks to agree to a swap, giving the opportunity for you and your exchange partners to get to know each other, now is the perfect time to join Home Base Holidays and start contacting members whose offers are of interest.

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Useful links:

• Search the latest home exchange offers
• Preparing for a home swap checklist 
• Things to do at the end of a home swap
• Cleaning tips for home swaps during COVID-19

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Join Home Base Holidays: start planning your home swaps Looking for a much needed getaway? Arrange free holiday accommodation by choosing to swap homes rather than book hotels or holiday rentals. View the latest home swap offers then sign up to Home Base Holidays.

Arrange a summer home exchange staycation

Cottage by the Brempton RSPB Nature Reserve on the Yorkshire coast (click image to view)

Looking ahead to a post lockdown getaway? Summer staycations will once again be particularly popular this year but, with many campsites and holiday rentals already getting booked for the summer months, it leaves many of us worried we'll not be able to find reasonably priced accommodation for a much needed summer break.

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Staycation home swap holidays:

By arranging a home swap rather than booking hotels or rentals, you can cut the cost of your summer holiday by up to 90%. You'll also enjoy the space, comforts and safety of staying in a real home from home.

Home Base Holidays (www.homebase-hols.com) has home swap offers in over 90 countries. However, being based in the UK, there is a particularly excellent selection of offers in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. You'll find everything from country cottages, city apartments, family homes ...even houseboats, castles, converted churches and yurts! Search home swap offers 

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Find your summer swap: 1. Add your offer: first step is to sign up to Home Base Holidays so you can add your home swap offer to the website (details of your home & location plus where & when you want to go on holiday). Either select the free trial membership or a full membership (at just £29!).  2. Contact members: it's important to give yourself plenty of time when looking for home swap accommodation. With summer staycations booking up fast, now is the ideal time to search home swap offers and start contacting members to suggest a summer swap. 3. Safety steps: when discussing a swap, make sure to go through any steps you and your exchange partner will take to ensure your homes are clean and safe. View the Cleaning tips for holiday home swaps during COVID-19 4. Keep in touch: once you've agreed a summer swap, keep in contact with the member in the lead up to your swap dates - good communication always helps to build the trust that is key to successful home swapping.

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Summer staycation swaps (click image to view offer)

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Useful links:

• Preparing for a home swap checklist 
• Top 10: things to do at the end of a home swap
• Cleaning tips for holiday home swaps during COVID-19
• Search the latest home exchange offers
• Join Home Base Holidays

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Join Home Base Holidays: start planning your summer swap Arranging a home exchange through Home Base Holidays and cut the cost of your getaways by up to 90%. View the latest home swap travel offers and join for free.

Working from home? Thinking about swapping city life for country or coastal living?

Thinking about swapping city life for country / coastal living?

Over the last year, lockdowns have seen many of us working from home and it's prompted some to want to continue doing so even after it's safe to return to offices. There are definitely pros to working from home, not least avoiding the expensive daily commute, often on packed trains!

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Thinking about moving from city to country life?

If like me you've been cooped up working from your small garden-less city apartment, you may well have had thoughts of packing up and moving to a new life by the coast or surrounded by beautiful countryside. Perhaps you dream of a farmhouse surrounded by fields? A chocolate box cottage in a picturesque village? A fisherman's cottage by the coast? A hut up a hill? Or perhaps the best of both worlds, a rural family home that's still just a short train trip into the city centre?

You may long for a peaceful life with green open views right from your doorstep, but are you sure you want to give up the fast city life you enjoyed before lockdown?

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Try out country life - arrange a home swap holiday!

If you're considering a move to the country but are nervous about taking the plunge, arranging a home exchange holiday can be an excellent way to dip your toe into country living before committing to a permanent move. By swapping homes you’ll be staying in a real home and be part of a real neighbourhood, often in a location off the usual tourist trail.

Example: perhaps you live in a cosy London 2-bedroom flat (possibly combining remote working with home schooling) and agree, when it is safe to travel, to swap homes with a Home Base Holidays member that has a country home but are keen to spend some time in London to be closer to their children / grandchildren and to enjoy the theatres, museums and shops when life is back to normal.

 

Can I arrange a long term swap?

Yes! Although the majority of home swaps arranged via Home Base Holidays are for shorter periods (from weekend getaways to one or three week holidays), there are many members also interested in longer exchanges (anything from a month to a year!). Arranging a long-term home exchange holiday can be the perfect way to get a feel for what country life would be like long-term before committing to a permanent move. Remember though that longer term swaps require a bit more planning; so give yourself plenty of time to find, discuss and agree the swap. If looking to swap for more than one month, make sure to go through all details before making an agreement e.g. who pays the utility bills, confirming home insurance cover, whether the home has good internet connection (often an essential requirement for home working), etc.

Note: Longer domestic swaps should normally be quite straight forward but international swaps will be subject to each country's regulations on how long visitors are allowed to stay.

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Search Tip

To find Home Base Holidays members offering longer home exchange periods, go to the home swap search page and then, under the "Type of exchange" heading, select the "Long term exchange" search filter.

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Useful links:

• Preparing for a home swap checklist 
• Top 10: things to do at the end of a home swap
• Cleaning tips for holiday home swaps during COVID-19
• BringBackTravel (interactive map of the latest travel restrictions)
• Search the latest home exchange offers

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Join Home Base Holidays: start planning your home swaps Looking for a much needed getaway? Arrange free holiday accommodation by choosing to swap homes rather than book hotels or holiday rentals. View the latest home swap offers then sign up to Home Base Holidays.

Recreating your home swap memories through food

Home swap travel plans postponed until later in the year? With much of the world again in lockdown, many of us will be looking for fun, proactive ways to fill the time and keep our spirits up. If you're tired of the TV and it's too cold and wet for gardening, you may want to head to the kitchen and try recreating some of your favourite dishes from around the world.

So, while non-essential travel and holidays are currently off the menu, try to relive some of those wonderful home exchange memories through food. Sure, it might not be quite as good as the real thing, but reliving memories of vineyards and olive groves, vibrant food markets, and mouth-watering meals comes a close second.

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A taste of Italy: Aubergine Parmigiana (Home Base Holidays member recipe) Former Masterchef contestant and Home Base Holidays member, Paul and his wife Judith, sent in the following recipe for a super delicious Aubergine Parmigiana.   Slice a couple of aubergines lengthways into 1cm slices. Slather with olive oil. Bake in a hot oven for about 20 mins or until brownish & tender. Meanwhile make a tomato sauce. Sweat some chopped onions/spring onions/leeks. Add chopped garlic then, a tin of tomatoes, past-their-best squashy ones or a jar of passata. Stir in a squish of tomato purée, a dash of Worcester Sauce, a sprinkle of sugar, a dusting of cayenne, a glug of wine - whatever is to your taste. Layer the aubergines and tomato sauce in an oven dish with plenty of seasoning and any herbs you like. Cover the top with grated or crumbled leftover cheese - cheddar, Parmesan, feta, mozzarella, Camembert - or all of them! Bake for another 45 minutes or so until the cheesy crust is oozing and golden. Serve sizzling, with bread to mop up the juices or as an accompaniment to lamb or fish. Also tasty served at room temperature with salads. Any leftovers can be frozen, then chopped up and used as a pasta sauce.

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Meet the members Paul and his wife Judith are early retiree art & design lecturers and very experienced home exchangers. The couple have a beautiful French home in Olonzac, right in the middle of the wine producing area of the Minervois in Languedoc Roussillon. Their home has a lovely courtyard planted with figs, grapes, lemons, olives, bougainvillea, oleander, hibiscus and lavender, as well as herbs and tomatoes, where you can dine al fresco.  View Judith & Paul's home swap offer

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How have you been keeping busy?

Have you been more adventurous with your cooking during lockdown? Let us know of any dishes that remind you of past holidays! Please get in touch, we'd love to hear!

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Join Home Base Holidays: plan your summer swaps Looking for a much needed getaway later in the year? Arrange free holiday accommodation by choosing to swap homes rather than book hotels or holiday rentals. View the latest home swap offers then sign up to Home Base Holidays.