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May 31, 2016

Trip report: a fantastic home swap exploring London

"We exchanged lots of messages to arrange all the details of the swap, it was friendly and relaxed which suited us perfectly because it was our first home swap.

The arrangements went really well and we were very happy with their house. It's in a really convenient location, just five minutes walk to the rail station. We had one week in London to explore the sights. One day we walked to beautiful Blackheath, had lunch, then continued on to Greenwich with it's park and market. Another day we took the train in to London Bridge where we went up the Shard and enjoyed a drink while taking in the views over London - fantastic! Returning to our house was great because Zara and Stuart had really taken the effort to clean their home before we arrived. All in all, a really great first swap experience. Thanks to Zara and Stuart." Zara

Highlight of the exchange:

Beautiful Blackheath village
Lunch in Borough Market and drinks in the Shard
Ferry from Greenwich to the London Eye

View Paul & Jane's 300 year old home in Chipping Sodbury, England

View Zara & Stuart's: lovely family home London, England

in Home Base Holidays, Home swap trip reports | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 27, 2016

Have you had a non-simultaneous home swap?

Most Home Base Holidays members swap homes at the same time; however, non-simultaneous swaps are popular too, especially with second home owners who don’t need to vacate their home to accommodate exchange guests. Members who are able to offer their homes/second homes at different times have the advantage of being more flexible on dates to suit their guests.

The following are examples of current non-simultaneous home exchange offers:

Sydney, Australia: This two bedroom house is a second home; overlooks Sydney Harbour and is 10 minutes by ferry to the city. View this home swap in Sydney

Hampshire, England: The Old Malt House, a thatched house dating from the 16^th century, is in the beautiful village of Wherwell in the Test Valley. View this English cottage home swap

Agadir, Morocco: Traditional styled Moroccan riad/guest house; located 13 kilometres North of Agadir in an old berber fishing village/now a surfing village retreat, just 500 metres from the beach. View details of this home exchange

To limit search results to members offering non-simultaneous exchanges, first go to the home swap search page; select your search criteria and then tick the box beside 'non-simultaneous exchange' (this is show under the 'Type of exchange' heading).

Have you had a non-simultaneous home swap? We’d love to hear your thoughts on the benefits and any drawbacks over a traditional simultaneous exchange.

in General Home Exchange Information, Home Exchange Offers | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 23, 2016

Home Swappers newsletter - explore new neighborhoods

Discover a new neighbourhood. Swap your home and explore a new location for a short weekend getaway or even a longer-term stay. Check out the latest Home Swappers newsletter to see how you can save money by travelling the home exchange way.

>> View the latest Home Swappers newsletter

This issue of Home Swappers includes:

Featured home swap: Devon coastal apartment overlooking National Trust land
Home swap Q&A: looking after pets during a home swap
Home exchanges just in: Tuscan farmhouse & Phuket villa
Trip report: lovely Lakeland home swap
Home exchange insurance for the UK market

Find your perfect home swap vacation: join Home Base Holidays

in General Home Exchange Information, Home Base Holidays, Home Exchange Offers, Home swap trip reports, Home Swappers Newsletter, Insurance, Travel | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 19, 2016

Trip report: ideal home swap exploring the Peak District

Home swap between the Peak District and Central London

"We had a lovely new year home swap in Penistone. The house is conveniently located close to the town centre's shops, restaurants, and (very quaint) heritage cinema. The house is enormous and even with six of us we only used half the bedrooms. They have a particularly fine kitchen which is very well equipped and will be appreciated by any keen cooks. This is an ideal base for anyone wanting to explore the Peak District National Park and surrounding area." Nicky

View Nicky and Jasper's home swap in London
View Evelyn and Richard's home swap in Yorkshire

in Home Base Holidays, Home Exchange Offers, Home swap trip reports | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 12, 2016

Do people look after pets during a home swap?

Q: I am interested in joining the Home Base Holidays home swap scheme but was wondering whether leaving animals like cats and chickens for reciprocating home swappers to look after was normal policy? – Sally S.

A: Many members are happy to look after pets for their home exchange partners as part of the exchange agreement. When you register on the site there are tick box options for “Pet care required”, “Pet care offered” and “Pets welcome”. It really can be an excellent idea for many members as it saves on pet care costs and it’s nice to know that your pets are being looked after at home.

Many members would find it a bonus to exchange with a home that has cats, and especially chickens if it means fresh eggs for breakfast! However, when in the early stages of discussing the possibility of an exchange, it is important to mention that pet care would be required as for some people, especially those with allergies, this would not be possible. Also, some exchange partners will want to spend a night or two away from your home and so won't want to be tied down by agreeing to look after pets (for many, this can be overcome by arranging back-up care, perhaps with a neighbour or friend who lives nearby, for any period when exchange partners will not be available).

in General Home Exchange Information | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 07, 2016

Home Swappers - the home exchange newsletter

Get a real feel for the places you visit. Home swapping enables you to get a real feel for the places your visit - you stay in a real home and get tips and recommendations from real locals... your exchange partners! Check out the latest Home Swappers newsletter to see how you can save money by travelling the home exchange way.

>> View the latest Home Swappers newsletter

This issue of Home Swappers includes:

Featured home swap: beautiful riverside terrace in Confolens, France
Trip report: a fantastic week exploring London
Home insurance: for the UK home swap market
Home swaps just in: eco friendly Scottish Highlands & beautiful swap in Ireland
Home swap Q&A introducing your home swap offer

Find your perfect home swap vacation: join Home Base Holidays

in Home Base Holidays, Home Exchange Offers, Home swap trip reports, Home Swappers Newsletter, Insurance | Permalink | Comments (0)

Travel the Home Exchange Way blog

Information and travel tips on arranging your home swap holidays