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March 31, 2016

Home swap: makes a change of scene for location independent workers

Most people associate home exchange with vacations/holidays and, indeed, this is still by far the most popular reason Home Base Holidays members swap homes. However, we are noticing that members are increasingly using the service in some very imaginative ways. We'll be looking at a few of the most common over the next few weeks, starting with arranging a home swap for a special occasion (see post 18th March below).

More and more freelancers, and people running Internet or home based businesses, have the freedom to work almost anywhere ('location independent'). The only requirements are often reliable phone and internet connections. Home Base Holidays members who fit this category make ideal home exchangers and, if not tied to school holidays, are often able to be flexible on dates, length of exchange and exact locations (much like our many retired members). Jo (Freelance marketing consultant) and Kevin (Photographer), pictured with their family, are good examples of freelancers who can work anywhere. The family lives in a big, beautiful cottage in the village of Braunton, Devon; click here to view their exchange offer.

Have you used a home swap (or maybe several) to combine work with seeing a different part of the world? We'd love to hear your stories - leave a comment or contact us.

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March 18, 2016

Arranging a home swap for a special occasion: a wedding

Although most home swaps are arranged for vacations or short breaks, Home Base Holidays members give many other reasons for swapping homes (we’ll list some of these in another post shortly but today, we’d like to concentrate on a special occasion - a wedding). As home swaps for a wedding will need to be within easy reach of where the wedding is taking place, and for dates that include the wedding date, members can't be as flexible as they often can be for holiday swaps and so, if you are planning an exchange around a special occasion, circulate your offer several months before the date needed.

Jacqui writes:

'My husband and I are retired teachers. We need a place near Teignmouth in Devon covering June 11, 2016 as we are attending a wedding on that date.'

Their home is a beautiful lake front house (above) in Bromont, Quebec, Canada, one hour from Montreal. Click here to read the full description and see more photos.

Not only do Home Base Holidays members arrange home swaps to attend weddings, the enchanting large Italian villa below has a large garden with covered patio ideal for parties and weddings! The villa is steps from the sea in the beautiful historic town of Anzio, 35 minutes from Rome. Click here to see full details.

Interested in either if these attractive home swap offers? If you are not already a Home Base Holidays member, click here to see membership options.

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March 14, 2016

Looking for a home swap house to sleep 10 or more?

Sometimes, if an extended family group are travelling together, or family members are meeting up for a reunion or a special occasion like a wedding or birthday celebration, a bigger than average home is needed to accommodate the group.

If you need a home that will sleep your large group comfortably, especially if the home must be in a particular location for fixed dates, do start looking for a home swap several months ahead if possible.

To find homes that will sleep several people: Click here for the Home Base Holidays search page. Under 'Accommodates', select any number up to 12+, choose the number of bedrooms needed and any other important criteria (the search results will automatically update on the right as you narrow your search).

Samples of larger homes currently offered for home swaps

Sundance, Utah, USA: Mountain Home, minutes from Sundance Resort and recreation. All season activities, alpine skiing, Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, fishing, boating. Sleeps 12 easily.

Kalim Beach, Phuket, Thailand: A very modern, open-planned contemporary designed two floor villa, sleeps 12; set on a hillside overlooking Kalim Beach and Patong Bay.

Castro Marim, Algarve, Portugal: Villa with pool, sleeps 12; on hill with panoramic views.

Le Bar Sur Loup, Cote d`Azur, France: Beautiful house, sleeping 12, set in 8 acres of terraces with swimming pool and boule court close to the beautiful town of Valbonne.

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March 12, 2016

Trip report: an excellent home swap in Paris

One week home swap between Paris and Dunfermline

"When we arrived there was a welcome pack including a Paris tote bag, breakfast goodies and wine. We had really great communication with the very experienced owner who guided us through the process. We were given lots of top tips about the area, places to eat and places to visit. My house was left spotless and the cats had been spoiled. A great time had by everyone." Shona

Highlights of the exchange:

Brilliant location, near cafes and shops
Excellent communication throughout
Short walk to the last stage of the Tour de France

View Laurence's beautiful apartment in Paris

View Shona's lovely home in Dunfermline, Scotland

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March 07, 2016

Arranging a long term home exchange: start planning well in advance

This is the view from a spectacular beach house offered for home swap in Whale Beach, Sydney. All of the rooms have full length beach views with wonderful sun in the house and on the decks all year. It is about a five minute walk from the beach - the sound of the waves wafts through the rooms.

As you can imagine, the owners of this lovely home find much interest in their exchange offers! However, even with a wonderful home like this, the retired couple, who are very experienced exchangers, know that when looking for a long term exchange for a specific location and period, their exchange request should be circulated as early as possible for the best chances of finding an ideal match.

The exchange request: London, six months (April-October) 2017. Note: the Whale Beach home is not suitable for young children.

This is a great opportunity for Londoners able to take up the offer but don't hang around - this offer is not likely to be available for long. Click here to read the full exchange offer description and see more photos.

Not yet a Home Base Holidays member? Click here to see membership options. Note: If you are looking for a long term home swap of a few weeks to over a year, you will be able to limit your search results to offers most likely to suit your needs.

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March 03, 2016

Home Swappers newsletter - find your home from home

All the comforts of a home from home. It's so nice to have the space and comforts of staying in a real home. Save even more money by having a relaxing breakfast at 'home' before heading out to explore your new neighbourhood. Check out the latest issue of our Home Swappers newsletter - the home exchange travel newsletter.

>> View the latest Home Swappers newsletter

This issue of Home Swappers includes:

Featured home swap: sea view home in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Trip report: a wonderful home swap Down Under
Home swap tip: being proactive is key to arranging an exchange
Home swaps just in: Sea view apartment in Mojacar and a Victorian home in London

Find your perfect home swap vacation: join Home Base Holidays