Travel the Home Exchange Way blog

Special home exchange request: 'sugar cube village' in Spain for anywhere UK

Fancy staying in this lovely hillside Spanish village on a home swap?

We have been contacted today by members who live in Casares, one of the most photographed villages in Spain, with a home exchange request for anywhere in the UK. Adrian writes:

'My wife will be having medical treatment in the UK and we are looking for a home swap commencing 9th September for a minimum of 2 weeks, but ideally a month or so, for her recuperation period.'

Casares is a picture postcard village stunningly perched on the side of a precipitous sandstone buttress some 15km from the beach. It is known by some as the 'hanging or sugar cube village'. The couple's home has an outside covered terrace with spectacular views of North Africa, the Atlas mountains and the Moroccan coast. See the full home exchange offer and photos of their home. Log on and contact Adrian if interested in their offer - or join Home Base Holidays if you aren't already a member!

Winners of the ‘The Promise of Provence’ novel! Lovely story of a home swap

Many thanks to everyone who entered the competition announced in the June Home Swappers newsletter to win a copy of the novel, 'The Promise of Provence’, by Patricia Sands.

Patricia, a Canadian writer and home exchange enthusiast, has based her story around a home swap from Toronto to Provence. Hence it is a very appropriate novel for anyone who'd like a rollicking tale to read while on a home exchange this summer - perhaps, if you are lucky, in Provence! And if you weren't lucky enough to win a copy, see details on Patricia's blog on where to buy the book (either as a paperback or ebook).

Two entries were drawn at random yesterday. Both winners, Linda & Rob from Fort Worth, Texas, USA and John & Eveline from Auckland, New Zealand are current Home Base Holidays members who are also experienced exchangers.

Linda wrote: "Thanks so much for the book. Just wanted to let you know we have two exchanges already arranged to England for this year. One in the Dales and one near Birmingham. We will be leaving on July the 14th and not returning to the States until Sept. 10. This will make our 10th exchange! This has been a wonderful program for us and I am always encouraging others to try it. We are already thinking ahead where we might go next!" 

Linda and Rob's lovely home in Fort Worth, USA

See Linda and Rob's comfortable home (photo above) offered for exchange, on a quiet suburban street in Fort Worth "Where the West Begins".

John and Eveline's lovely home in Auckland

John and Eveline were delighted to be chosen: "Thank you SO much!!  I can’t believe we are a winner as we rarely (if ever) win a thing, and our memories of Provence are so instilled and lovely that I can’t wait to receive the novel.  How wonderful!!  You have just made our day."

See the couple's lovely home for exchange (photo, right) in a quiet tree lined street in Auckland.

The novel is quite long (476 pages) but we hope our winners will send short book reviews for the newsletter once they've finished reading it. As both winners are experienced exchangers, it will be especially interesting to hear their thoughts on how the author wove the story around a home exchange to Provence.

Free accommodation & make new friends! Member's home swap experiences.

"We've just returned from our fourth swap. Our first was a longer-term one to Western Australia, and our next one will also be to WA. Our 'swappee' for the first one has stayed in touch (we exchange emails and photos) and has invited us to get in touch when we're next there.

Mytholmroyd, West Yorkshire, England

We have also enjoyed three swaps within the UK - to North Wales, Brighton and to Northern Ireland, which was the most recent one.

We've also exchanged emails with the Northern Irish family and have already agreed that we'll swap with them again in about two years time!

So not only do you get a free (accommodation-wise) holiday, but potentially you can make new friends as well.

Our son and his family have had about 15 home-swaps to date, without encountering any real problems, and we would recommend house-exchanging to anyone."

Michael & Jean

View Michael and Jean's lovely exchange offer in Mytholmroyd, West Yorkshire, England

Home swap request - stunning central London homes available for Edinburgh exchange in July!

We’ve had a request from one of our members who has a play on this summer in Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh. She’s looking to arrange an exchange in Edinburgh between July and August. In return she has two truly fantastic homes available for exchange in London.

 

The first home is a magnificent 2-bed central London apartment - just a minutes walk from Oxford Street!

Central London apartment just off Oxford Street (HE28950)

View this beautiful central London swap offer here...

 

The second swap offer is a beautiful West London 4 bedroom house - featured in interior magazines and situated just 5 minutes from the Thames.

Lovely 4 bedroom home in West London (HE28950)

View this fantastic house exchange offer here...

 

As there are two homes available the swap is also available as a non-simultaneous exchange.

Do get in contact with us at [email protected] if you have any questions.

Seasoned home exchange travellers - 60 home swaps so far! Can you do this too?

'We are a retired medical couple with more than 60 home exchanges so far. We are addicted to travel and find living in someone else's home the best way to do it!'

The quote above us from Home Base Holidays members, a couple from Sydney, Australia, who are certainly making the most of their retirement to travel far and wide via home swapping.

The couple are quite specific in their requirements (see their full home exchange offer) but are able to arrange suitable swaps by being very active members, contacting several others to suggest a swap and planning exchanges well in advance of dates wanted (they are currently looking for exchanges in 2014 and 2015). It helps, of course, that they are able to offer a new luxury apartment in a prime position in Sydney, a very popular city destination for home swaps (apartment on a high floor, with all day sun and magnificent harbour & city panoramas) plus a second home, a beautiful beach house at Whale Beach, just 50 minutes from the city.

If your only home is modest or not in a well-known location, don't despair (let's be honest, most homes fit this description) or think that no one would be interested in swapping with you. Just look at the benefits you can offer. For example, if you live in London, your home s more likely to be in the suburbs than in the heart of central London. A suburban home may not be as convenient as being able to walk 'home' in a few minutes after a night out in the West End but most London suburbs are very well served by public transport (we Londoners like to moan about it but where else are there so many buses as well as the Tube and trains?). And the suburbs have their own attractions - lots of green spaces, a wide variety of restaurants (within three minutes I can eat Italian, Indian, Afghani, Turkish, Greek, Polish, Bulgarian or fish and chips!)  and be within easy reach of the countryside too. If you are lucky enough to live in an Edwardian house, you will be able to offer spacious rooms and garden unlike most smaller inner city apartments and your home may be suitable for families with children too, opening your offer to many more members than would be possible in an adult only inner city complex.

Whether you live in a prime location or not, the key to successful home swapping is being willing to devote some time to contacting potential home swap partners with your offer and taking time to keep up the regular correspondence during the run-up to an exchange.

Crawling Baby/Toddler in the Family? Prepping a House for a Home Swap

So, you’re lucky enough to go on vacation and do a “house swap” uh? A house swap is a great way to save money, and a great way to have your own space on your vacation. However, if you are doing a house swap, you’re going to need to look at all the precautions if you have a toddler coming with you. Each parenting style is different, no matter if it’s the neighborhood down or a continent across - you’re going to have contrasts from your family to the family’s home you’re entering. But don’t fret - I have some quick tips and tricks to baby proof your home away from home.

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/melancon/377085677/

Negotiating Stage

During the first stages of setting up a house swap, you should be asking the home owner of any important information you will need. Do they have children of their own? Do they have equipment for babies (safety gates, toys, crib, etc.) for you to use? Finding this information out will help you get an idea of what you’re stepping into, and let you know what and what not to bring.

Supplies

After you have talked to the home owner, and established what you need to do, create a checklist of things you need to bring. If they have the equipment listed above, then you’re pretty much all set for preparing a safe environment for your baby. However, there are little things that may slip your mind in a new home, like electrical outlets or sharp corners. I have one easy solution for you to fix this: duct tape! Yes, duct tape. It’s easy to pack, and not heavy at all - and helps protect your baby from harmful things at a new house.

What to Tape

• Electrical Outlets
• Curtain/Blind strings
• Tape these strings high, so your baby can’t reach them
• Any electrical cords on the floor, or within your babies reach
• Pillow Cushions
• On sharp corners, this way your baby won’t bonk his/her head

Final Check Through

Not only are you protecting your child from any harm at this new house, but you’re also protecting the home owner’s things as well. If you see anything expensive or fragile that your baby can reach, move it to a safer location.

After you’re done taping, do a quick walk through of the house. Look at things on the floor - the crawling space of your baby. Anything your baby can pick up and eat? Make sure everything is set for your baby to have an adventure.

A house swap can be fun and exciting, and even save you tremendous amounts of money on your vacation. Following these steps will ensure your child’s safety in this new home, and allows you to have a stress free vacation. Have a blast!

 

Guest post by Naomi Broderick, a professional writer who is secure in her abilities and even more confident in her parenting. When she’s not juggling her three children in the front yard she writes for ProtectYourHome.com, a leader in home security.