Travel the Home Exchange Way blog

Honouring a non-simultaneous home exchange agreement

Q: Is there anyway I can be guaranteed that people will honour a non-simultaneous home swap if they come to my home first?

A: Although there isn't a completely fail-safe way to guarantee that members will honour a non-simultaneous home exchange agreement, we have never in 27 years running Home Base Holidays had any reports of members failing to honour a commitment to make their home available on dates agreed.

Just as when arranging a simultaneous home swap, take time to ensure the exchange offer is suitable and the members compatible before agreeing to go ahead, and then continue to correspond regularly in the run-up to both exchange dates.

Offering a home (often a second home) for a non-simultaneous exchange increases flexibility on dates but, if you would feel more comfortable, only  offer your home for simultaneous home swaps.

 

 

Does the size of your home exchange party vary from time to time?

Some Home Base Holidays members include information in their home exchange descriptions on how the number of people and ages in their exchange group may vary – sometimes a couple travels on their own, sometimes with another couple, and sometimes with children or grown up children/grandchildren. These members are often a senior couple offering their home for exchange and so show as ‘over 55’ and ‘two adults’ in their listings.

If an exchange offer listing shows the exchange party is one couple over 55, most members (if not told otherwise) will assume that there would not be anyone else included. Thank you to the member who recently pointed out some potential problems if it is not made very clear in an exchange offer that the travelling party would include friends or other family members:

"We advertise ourselves as a 'party of 2 seniors over 55' and when searching for exchanges always stick to those in the same 'over 55' category as we prefer to exchange with people in a similar stage of life to ourselves.  As we are only one couple travelling we find that exchanging with just one other couple simplifies things at both ends.

Age and number of exchange guests can often be an important consideration when making your selection of home exchange partners.  So if for instance you list yourself as a party of 2 who sometimes travels with  friends or other family members (even for part of the exchange) then I think that it should be made perfectly clear in your first response to any enquiry that others would be included on this particular exchange.  Your potential exchange partners will then know from the very start of negotiations whether they are willing to take the enquiry any further before things have gone too far perhaps making it embarrassing to back away.

Just a small issue I know but could be one to highlight as there appear to be more and more of us 'silver surfers' signing up to travel the world this way."

Note: You can narrow search results in a number of ways, including to only members over 55. Click 'Show more options' on the main search page. Do read exchange offers in full to see if the exchange party is always one or two people over 55, or if they sometimes travel in a larger group.

Stop - thief!: runner-up in the 'Tell us a home swap story' competition

"One of our past home exchanges was to a Caribbean island which had a total population of 12000 people. Before we left to go our exchangers informed us that the local burglar had recently been released from prison, he was well known and the police were in the process of trying to 'catch him in the act'! 

Off we went to our Caribbean dream island which was amazing and we did all the touristy things that one does. One day we had gone off to the mainland to do some shopping and as luck would have it I took my laptop as due to a recent hurricane there was no wifi in the house we were staying in. On our return many hours later as we walked up the hill to the house we saw a car in the driveway and quite a bit of activity between neighbours, which up to this point we had not seen anyone. The lady who looks after the house and her family were waiting on us as the house had been broken into via a very high window reached by a ladder which came from a neighbour's house that was being painted! The police arrived next and asked us to look around to see if anything was missing. My mobile phone had gone, the TV and not really much else. 

A couple of nights later we were going out for dinner and as we had never been out of sandals and shorts, had failed to notice that my husband's Reebok trainers had disappeared, leaving him only a pair of sandals to wear! The trainers were in fact brand new so the thief must have decided they were his size and taken them! My poor hubby had to wear sandals until we could get to a large store to buy a new pair to travel home! 

On the day we left, the TV was recovered and returned to the house, the culprit had been arrested, processed and on his way to the mainland prison, unfortunately wearing my husband's trainers!" - Glynis McCauley (HE19456)  

The McCauley home is a charming Victorian terraced house, circa 1863, in the Newington area of Edinburgh. View this home exchange offer.

 

Featured Home Swap: Stay in the very heart of Venice!

Apartment situated in the very heart of Venice, merely 150 metres from St Mark's Square; three windows and a tiny balcony are overlooking a crossing of two canals, with plenty of colourful gondola traffic. Furnished with antiques and original works of art.

Accommodates: 3 (2 bedrooms)

Exchange Request:  destinations for lovers of art and architecture

View full Home Exchange Offer...

Do you need to live in a 'posh' house to take part in a home exchange?

Q: We really need a holiday but we don't live in a posh house. Our home is a small flat, so I guess we can't swap it? - Struggling Mum, London

A: It's really a shame when anyone feels their home won't be of a high enough standard to take part in a home swap. Of course there are some fantastic homes available for swaps but Home Base Holidays is pleased that our service attracts members with all types of home, from the tiniest studio apartments to grand villas with pools.

As long as your home is clean and tidy, and you describe it accurately, there is no reason you can't swap your small flat. London is always popular and it sounds like your flat would suit singles, couples or a small family. As a 'struggling mum' you must have at least one child; you may find that a swap with another family similar to your own will work best.

It is often families with little money to spare who benefit most from the cost savings to be made by swapping homes so it's really sad that anyone should feel they won't be able to take part. You don't even need to own your own home as long as you get your landlord's permission to swap it (you may need to explain the home exchange concept carefully so your landlord doesn't think you are letting any old strangers live in your home).

 

Back-up care for pets while on a home swap

'I have 3 wee ex-batt hens (fresh eggs daily!) and cats - and all are very friendly too - so if care can be provided, that would be great. But don't worry, its not a daily essential - I will also arrange for back up care for my animals to enable guests to plan day trips / tours etc without worrying about having to get back in time to feed them.' - Sharon, Belfast, Northern Ireland (see Sharon's full home exchange offer).

Although Home Base Holidays members can choose the simple tick box option, 'Pet Care Required', it is important to elaborate on this request within your home exchange description and, as Sharon has done, if at all possible, arrange alternative pet care too. In this way, potential home swap partners won't be put off from contacting you for fear they will not be able to venture far from your home.