Travel the Home Exchange Way blog

Moving house, freezing home exchange membership

Q: I am moving house so cannot offer a home swap at the moment until we move and do some work on the new house. Do I need to cancel my Home Base Holidays membership and re-join when we are back on the market as it were or can my present membership be frozen and reinstated later? - Carlie

A: Your membership has not been cancelled but your listing has been hidden. When you have moved and are ready to consider home exchange offers again, let us know and we'll reactivate your listing straight away so that you can update the information and photos.

Raiding the food cupboards on a home exchange

'I'd forgotten how much I like lime pickle.

One of the first things I do when I arrive at a home swap home is to look in the kitchen cupboards. We have always arranged to swap dried goods, including tea and coffee, with our partners, so it's great fun to check what they've got that you may never have used. I have twice changed my brand of instant coffee after home exchanges.

But what has been the greatest fun is re-discovering things you like which you'd forgotten about. The first time it happened we were in Chester preparing to take a stroll along Graham and Sue's favourite riverside path and, as it was a picnic friendly day, I was making sandwiches with the remains of the previous night's roast pork. Sorting through the cupboard for  something to enliven the cold meat I came across the lime pickle. My taste buds prickled at the mere thought. I hadn't eaten lime pickle for years. That certainly was a packed lunch to remember.

In one house they had real drinking chocolate. You know, the sort you make with hot milk rather than hot water, taking me back many, many years, and in another house they had Greek honey. Now in case you think I was plundering a carefully hoarded holiday souvenir, this was a normal supermarket brand but it made me question why I'd stopped buying this darkly succulent concoction. So now I do.

But best of all was the millionaires shortbread we feasted on at Jo's home in Dublin (photo is of me in Jo's kitchen). Indicative of the amazing hospitality and friendliness offered to us in that city (ever been on a tour bus where the driver sang ballads all the way round town?) this was not the everyday shortbread that I used to relish but a wonderful confection made for us by Jo's sister which she called caramel slices: buttery, crumbly biscuit, rich, sweet toffee, thick milk chocolate.

As a point of etiquette, if you get carried away with a newfound fancy or a long forgotten favourite do remember to replenish the supplies.

I wonder what will tickle my taste buds on my next home swap?'- Sandra Newnham, London

See Sandra's home exchange offer in London and Jo's offer in Dublin.

London Olympics: how to get to the Arena

Guest post: by Holiday Velvet

London is certainly looking forward to celebrating 2012 in grand style. This year will see not only the Queen’s 60th Jubilee, but the city will also play host to the world’s most important event: the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. Planning to head to London for some Olympic action? Great choice! Renting a London apartment (or home swap) in a vibrant city like London, and taking in some famed sporting events whilst there, is sure to create some treasured lifelong memories.

But if the mere thought of getting around London during the Olympics makes your head spin, take a chill pill! Simply relax, sit back, and let us tell you just how easy getting around London will be. To help you better plan your outings, visit the London 2012 website during your stay and keep up-to-date with all the latest info.

By Light Rail

The easiest way to get to the Olympic Park would have to be by light rail, or DLR. There are three stops near the stadium, namely Stratford, Stratford International and West Ham. If coming from the city centre, we suggest you hop on the light rail at Tower Gateway, headed towards Poplar. Once here, change for Stratford. It’s only a short walk from Stratford station and the entire journey should take you about 40 minutes.

By Tube

The London underground rail, or the Tube as it is affectionately known, is Londoners’ favourite mode of transportation. And who can blame them? There’s not a corner of the city that can’t be reached! There are two ways one can reach the Olympic Stadium, either by following the Jubilee and Central lines to Stratford station, or the District, Hammersmith and City lines to reach West Ham station. There are dedicated walkways to the stadium at both stations and you should have no problem reaching your destination within the hour.

By Train

Regular trains also reach the Olympic Stadium; the closest stopping at Stratford International station. There are direct services here from London city centre and Kent, south-east of the city. If coming from Essex (north-east of the city), you may want to aim for West Ham station instead.

By Coach

Now here’s some exciting news: special coaches will be providing direct runs to the Olympic Park, picking up in locations all over the city. The times will coincide with special events, so you know you’ll never miss a minute of the action. Routes and fares are yet to be determined, so be sure to check out the latest info provided on the London 2012 website. Be aware that seats are limited so it is always best to book tickets in advance.

By Car

Whether you plan to drive to London for your holiday, or perhaps hire a car whilst there, be sure that using your own four wheels to reach the Olympic Stadium will be hassle-free. Park-and-ride services will be available for all those wishing to drive as close to the venues as possible, using shuttle bus services to cover the remaining distance. As with the coach services, book in advance to guarantee a parking spot. Venues which will offer these services are Olympic Park, Greenwich Park (during the equestrian and cross-country events), the ExCel Centre, Weymouth, Portland and the Lee Valley White Water Centre.

Home exchange leads to marriage - twice. Happy Valentine's Day!

"More than a dozen home exchanges completed successfully from 2003 to 2011. In two of these swaps our house facilitated a proposal of marriage - something in the water?" - Nancy & Derek, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

The couple's home is located on a quiet cul-de-sac and set in a lush tropical garden with a Jacuzzi (hot tub) on the back patio. See full home swap description and latest offer.

New home swap holiday series on British TV: help with research

A TV production company, developing a new series on home swap holidays for a major British TV channel, is looking for UK volunteers for a brief chat with the associate producer. She writes:

'We are hoping to hear from anyone who is interested in the idea of swapping their home for a holiday, and might like to find out more. You would not need to have already had a house swap, and you may not even want to be on TV. At this stage we are simply looking for a handful of case studies for our research, to demonstrate to the TV company the type of people they might see in such a programme.

If anyone who is happy to help could get in touch ASAP it would be greatly appreciated. We would simply like to know a little bit about your family, your home/area and the type of swap you would be looking for.'

Note: Please Contact us (let us know if you are a member of Home Base Holidays and whether or not you have had a home swap). Many thanks!

Long-term home exchange - finding suitable offers

Q: We live in Spain in a house that commands £2k per week in high season. We are looking for a long term swap, up to a year, in central London. Do extended swaps ever come up? best, Jonathan

A: Although long-term exchanges are not nearly as common as shorter holiday swaps, there are a good number of members who do want to swap for a few months or up to a year (sometimes longer). To narrow home exchange search results for current offers in London that might be suitable, click 'show more options':

Choose England from the drop down country list, then London from the state/county list. Choose Long Term Exchange from the drop down list by ‘Type of Exchange’. Search.

When looking for a lengthy period, especially if the exchange needs to be for set dates and location, it is a good idea to join several months before the dates wanted so that your offer is in circulation for a good long time and you can contact new members as they join before they have had time to agree to another offer.

Spain is a popular destination with London members and it’s very possible you would find interest from retired members able to be flexible on length and dates of exchange and from freelance workers who can live/work anywhere.