Travel the Home Exchange Way blog

Travel the Home Exchange Way: Popular Posts in 2008

This is a time for looking forward to a new year but first briefly reflecting on the year coming to a close. With a regular publishing schedule (I aim to publish an original new post three times a week on average), inevitably some posts prove more popular (according to site stats.) than others. Here are a few topics, linked to the original 2008 posts, that were particularly popular:

• 50 Home Swappers, 50 Home Exchange Stories

• Most Popular Home Exchange Location?

• Scam/Spam Alert: 'Free' Home Exchange Membership Offer from Rogue Site

• Listen to 'Swapping homes!', BBC Radio North Yorkshire

• Guardian home exchange: new service launches

• Home Exchange Guests Bitten by Fleas?

• Home Exchange During the 2010 Ryder Cup

• Home Exchange: Holidays/Vacations, Permanent, Council/Private Homes, New Build for Old, Crafts

• 'Top 10 Do’s and Don’ts when leaving a Home Exchange': ThursdaysGirl

• Home Exchange Memberships: Long Periods - Even Lifetime (and the Expiry Dates are?)

• Home Exchange Offers: Advantages in Swapping to a Holiday Homeemail me

Any ideas for home exchange related topics to cover on the blog in 2009? Do let me know.

Happy New Year!

 

British Ex Pats - Swapping Homes Back to the UK to Save Money

For many British ex pats living the good life in sunnier parts of Europe, especially those retired and depending on fixed UK pensions, the cost of living has got a whole lot more expensive recently as the pound drops alarmingly in value against the euro and other major currencies. As many ex pats return to the UK often to visit family and friends, home exchange is a great way to save money on accommodation (and have your own 'home base' rather than impose on friends) while making best use of your major asset - your attractive home abroad.

Here are a few samples of recent offers in France and Spain:

Chandeau, Champsac, Limousin, France (HE21478)

We have a modern home built into a 300 yr old barn, situated in a hamlet in rural Limousin. The house is very comfortable with all the usual modern facilities, including gas central heating and a modern woodburner. There are good shopping facilities within 5 minutes drive, and we are approx 30 mins away from the historical city of Limoges. There are four golf courses within half an hour, good fishing lakes and rivers, and an excellent walking area.

We are a semi-retired couple who have lived in France now for five years and wish to make an extended trip to England in order to visit family and friends. We may also invite parents to stay in the exchange house for a few days.

Jimena de la Frontera, Cadiz, Spain (HE21444)

Our home is situated in a beautiful white Spanish village about forty minutes drive from Gibraltar. The house was originally part of an old convent, and was restored by ourselves some years ago.

There are just the two of us living here in Spain, all our family are grown up and living in Cornwall, England.  We lived in a village called Marazion in Cornwall before we moved here. We very much enjoy travelling and visiting interesting places.

Calonge (Costa Brava), Girona, Spain (HE18754)

‘Casita Vinya’ is a self-contained studio cottage for two in our mature garden, with its own private terraces and garden, well away from the main house. This superbly comfortable, air-conditioned cottage is situated in a quiet residential area in the Gavarres foothills, two kilometres from the medieval village of Calonge and four kilometres from the beach (Costa Brava). This is a wonderful part of Spain for culture-vultures (especially Dali fans) and there are many sites of historical or architectural interest, including Barcelona and Girona cities.

Jim (59) and Andrea (54) are English professional freelance translators, non-smokers and careful "tenants". We've exchanged several times and are particularly interested in a property close to family in Taunton or Lincoln.

Belesta en Lauragais, Languedoc-Roussillon, France (HE21790)

We are in the heart of the Lauragais, beautiful countryside between Toulouse and Carcassonne and just 10 minutes from the autoroute. The house is a 16th century barn/farmhouse and is used as a B&B (sorry no exchanges between April and September)and so the 4 bedrooms have full en-suite facilities. There is a pool, large garden with views of the Pyrenees.

Chris 56, retired Director of Hotels & Restaurants, Donna 34 runs the B&B. No children but 2 well trained dogs who we would like to leave at the house, but they can be taken care of elsewhere.

Happy Holidays to Home Exchangers Everywhere!

I would like to wish a very happy holiday to all Home Base Holidays members and regular visitors to this blog, especially to everyone who has left thoughtful comments or sent me suggestions for topics over the last year. The cheerful photo above, from a very recent new home exchange offer in France, seemed appropriate at this festive season. Check out the offer:

Belesta en Lauragais, Languedoc-Roussillon

'We are in the heart of the Lauragais, beautiful countryside between Toulouse and Carcassonne and just 10 minutes from the autoroute. The house is a 16th century barn/farmhouse and is used as a B&B (sorry no exchanges between April and September) and so the 4 bedrooms have full en-suite facilities. There is a pool, large garden with views of the Pyrenees.

We have so much to see here, wonderful markets and beautiful medieval towns. Canal du midi is just 10 minutes away, great lake 15 minutes away for windsurfing, canoeing and horseriding. 2 michellin starred restaurants within 15 minutes. Toulouse, Albi, Carcassonne, Narbonne & Perpignan are all easy day trips.'

View home exchange offer in full, HE21790

The Excitement of First Responses to a New Home Exchange Offer

'Hey, I only joined last night and I have two contacts, one in Athens and one in Prague!! I'm very optimistic this is going to be GOOD.'

It's always fun to hear from very new Home Base Holidays members who are delighted at receiving responses to their exchange offers almost as soon as they join. The smart home exchanger regularly checks the newest listings as, being the first off the mark to contact a new member should certainly give an advantage in having their exchange offer taken up. And of course, new members with particularly attractive offers in sought after areas have an advantage too. The new member quoted above is Sylvia, whose home in the Yorkshire Dales is shown above (and described below):

Wensleydale, Yorkshire, England

The cottage is in Bainbridge, a small village in upper Wensleydale, in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Its wide village green is surrounded by old stone cottages, and my home is on the banks of the River Bain which flows from Semerwater, three miles up the hill, the highest lake in England. All around are hills with stone walls and barns, and flocks of sheep and cows. The area was featured in the TV series "All Creatures Great and Small" and is ideal for walking, either gentle strolls or more vigorous hillwalks. There are many interesting places to visit within a few miles – Bolton Castle, the restored Gayle Water Mill, a ropeworks, the Wensleydale Wallace and Gromit Creamery, makers of famous cheeses; Aysgarth Falls and the famous Settle to Carlisle Railway.

Read the home exchange offer in full and see more lovely photos, HE21798. Join now to contact Sylvia right away with your own offer.

Come on Over - London IS Affordable (on a home exchange)!

I still keep coming across newly published articles that describe London as one of the world's most expensive cities to visit. Do keep up, people! London has indeed been an expensive destination for oversea visitors but, with the pound seeming to be in free fall (yikes!) in the last few weeks, it has now become affordable for many, especially so if you cut out accomodation costs by arranging a home swap.

Being the only long established home exchange agency based in London (along with our partner site, Guardian home exchange, also based in London), Home Base Holidays has a particularly large choice of attractive, up-to-date exchange offers - in central London, the suburbs (all with good public transport links into the West End) and in surrounding counties, an easy commute for those who like the best of both worlds - the bright lights of a busy city plus a quiet retreat in a town or rural location.

Just a few samples of recent exchange offers in London and close by:

London N1 (HE21061) Contemporary canal side loft apartment in Islington in Central/North London. Quiet area, 10 mins walk from Islington, Clerkenwell and Shoreditch centres. (nearest tubes Old St or Angel).

Double height living space, open plan kitchen, master bedroom with ensuite shower room, second bedroom with sofa bed, limestone bathroom and private balcony with view of canal.

 

London SE26 (HE21301) A beautiful detached Victorian house in a conservation area in South London. With a large 100ft garden and classic in/out driveway, this house can comfortably accommodate 8 people in 5 bedrooms. The garden backs onto a park, and the surrounding area is home to numerous parks within a mile radius. Sydenham itself has a number of coffee shops and restaurants, including the well known Dolphin gastropub and Blue Mountain coffee house. Sydenham is a 5 min drive from Dulwich Village with the Dulwich Picture Gallery & numerous boutique shops & restaurants.

The centre of London is only 15-20 minutes away by train, with two rail stations within 1/2 mile direct into Victoria and London Bridge. Greenwich is also only a 15 min drive away.

London SE24 (HE21221) Lovely, light, book-filled flat on three floors in South London. In Zone 2 with direct access to Central London - Oxford Circus in 12 mins, St Pancras International, 25 mins. The Underground is a few minutes walk away. The Thames with the South Bank, National Theatre, Tate Modern and much more is within easy reach. Local buses are plentiful.

Our street is leafy and quiet and the area has much to offer; great cafes, bars, the market, cinema and nearby park with Lido.

London - St Margarets (HE20920) A recently-modernised 1900s house on 3 floors. We have a loft-style main bedroom, double bedroom, children's room, large bathroom, lounge, kitchen and dining room. The paved garden is south-facing with shady seating areas.

We are situated in a quiet, tree lined street just 20 minutes walk from historic Richmond and Kew Gardens. Close by are Hampton Court Palace, Richmond Park and the tranquil stretch of the river Thames. St Margarets boasts regular 30 minute rail links with London Waterloo. From there it is a short walk to London’s South Bank: including the Tate Modern and Globe Theatre, or to the West End. Richmond is the place to be in London on sunny weekends: with shops, restaurants, bars, boat rides or riverside strolls.

Sevenoaks, Kent (HE18388) 17th Century cottage in beautiful Kent, the garden of England. The cottage has a profusion of oak beams, a large open fire, a quaint garden and a newly fitted kitchen with range cooker, beware low ceiling! Was one of three farm workers cottages for the Estate House in the early 17th Century, which is now a school for the blind.

We are in the small village of Seal, which has a small High Street with a wonderful local butcher, general store and 3 pubs! Close to Sevenoaks with the beautiful Knole Deer Park nearby and surrounded by woodlands, there are many wonderful opportunities for country walks and 2 golf courses close by. Sevenoaks has many fine restaurants including the double AA rosette - Greggs, and every shop you may need. Royal Tunbridge Wells is 15 minutes away by car. There are good roads nearby and the M25 is 7 minutes away giving you fast access to most of the country!

London is only 30 minutes by train and can easily be reached for a night (or day) out in the West End.

Reading, Berkshire (HE16949) We live in Caversham, a pleasant suburb of Reading, just north of the River Thames. Our house is in a quiet cul-de-sac, backing on to parkland and within easy walking distance of the village centre and of Reading itself. We have good accessibility to the motorway network and to train services.

We are on the edge of the beautiful South Oxfordshire countryside, and about nine miles from Henley on Thames. Oxford, Windsor, Stratford on Avon and the West country are all easily accessible. Reading station, with very frequent fast trains to central London, is about 20 mins walk. Caversham has many restaurants and lovely walks

Little Perks of Home Exchange: Ironing, a Punt, Club Memberships

'Our steward Daniel is great at ironing and washing up etc.'

Regular hotel users may resist the idea of swapping homes if it would seem a hardship to forgo such perks as room service and laundry service but, home exchange has it's perks too, generally more unusual ones it's true, but this Home Base Holidays member's exchange offer in Zambia is bound to appeal to anyone who hates ironing! Brief details:

'Our house is a lovely single storey three-bedroom house with large living/dining room, set in a 1 hectare garden on an essential oils farm in a farming district. We are 75km (45 minutes drive) north of Lusaka on a good road and there are two guest houses (with restaurants/bar/swimming pool) nearby. Ideal for exploring the surrounding area or trips farther afield for safaris (Kafue/Luangwa) or fishing (Lower Zambezi).' See the full home exchange offer and photos, HE21661

Not everyone can offer a treasure like Daniel of course but here's just a couple of other exchange offers that include additional perks:

Punting on the River Cam, Cambridge, England

'Park Parade is situated in the "Jesus" district of Cambridge within the heart of Cambridge City Centre. Shops, bars, quayside, University Colleges are 500 yards away. The property is a Victorian terrace rennovated sympathetically with loads of original features. The house recently appeared in "Style" magazine - a Cambridge lifestyle magazine as a beautiful home within the city. The property occupies a wonderful position with uninterrupted views over Jesus green towards the River Cam where our punt is moored for leisurely boat outings.' See the full exchange offer and photos, HE21649

Yacht club and golf club membership in Perth, Western Australia

Free standing bungalow with front and back garden and pool, close to river. Bus stops outside door into Perth or to ferry across to Perth or rail service up and down coast. Plenty of parks, golf clubs, restaurants etc. Gardener comes to home for general weeding, pruning, grass cutting. See the full exchange offer and photos, HE21648

Home exchange offers include all sorts of additional perks. When compiling your own exchange offer, try to think of anything you can offer, from a trusted babysitter to special discounts for local restaurants or tourist attractions. You might take these for granted but, for home exchange guests, these could really be the icing on the cake that make a memorable holiday.